PhD Syllabus & Subjects 2024

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Mar 26, 2024 19:51PM IST

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Syllabus & Subjects

The syllabus for a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) program depends on the student's specialization and includes core and elective subjects. The syllabus typically includes topics from Psychology (Research methodology, psychological testing, emergence of psychology, and psychological thought in some major Eastern systems), Sociology (Sociological theory), Science (Combinatory, linear algebra, calculus, probability, and programming and data structure), General aptitude (Vocabulary, reading comprehension, reasoning, aptitude, and data interpretation).

PhD syllabus includes all about Research Methodology, Research Ethics, and other topics. The PhD subjects that students study during the course are determined by the aspirant's specialisation, but there are some fundamental subjects that all students must learn about. PhD syllabus majorly depends on the student's specialisation. The syllabus includes topics from10+2, Graduation, Postgraduation, Technology, Life sciences, Mathematics, Sciences, General aptitude. 

Some core PhD subjects include:

  • Research methodology
  • Ethics of research
  • Literature review
  • Ethics of using social media in research
  • Research tools
  • Proposing a research
  • Formulation of research proposal 

PhD is the highest academic level degree granted to students who conduct original and independent research in a specific domain. Students in a PhD programme conduct research and write an original thesis on a specific topic. Typically, it takes three to six years to complete a PhD course syllabus. However, the PhD course duration may vary depending on the regulations of the institutions. The PhD degree is primarily offered in two areas: Humanities and Science. The PhD course curriculum and PhD course subjects differ depending on the course type. The PhD syllabus is designed to motivate students to conduct research. Apart from research, students participate in seminars, presentations, and other activities. 

Also Read: PhD Admission 2024

A PhD student must publish at least one paper, per the current UGC guidelines, before submitting their thesis. According to the universities, different numbers of seminars and papers are published. The PhD programmes offer a comprehensive perspective and advance both knowledge and skill to the level of scholarly inquiry. Students conduct extensive research before deciding on PhD programmes. They must review the course syllabus and the PhD stream-specific topics. Also, PhD job scope is diverse and ever-changing, making it an exciting and demanding career path.

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PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Course Details: Highlights

The major highlights of the PhD course are listed in the table below. 

ParticularsDetails
Course LevelDoctorate 
Full-formDoctor of Philosophy
PhD Course Duration3 - 5 years (maximum up to 6 years)
Examination TypeSemester wise 
PhD Eligibility Criteria

·        Post graduation with minimum 55% marks

·        Through Fellowship: Masters in relevant discipline with minimum 55% marks and cleared National level fellowship examination.

·        Research Entrance Test: Masters in relevant discipline with minimum 55% marks and cleared RET conducted by the university.

PhD Admission processEntrance Exam followed by Personal Interview 
PhD Top UniversitiesJamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, etc.
PhD Course FeeINR 50K - INR 6 LPA
PhD Employment AreaGovernment Departments, Research Institutes, Academic Institutions, Colleges and Universities, etc.
PhD Job PositionsAssistant Professor, Associate Professor, Research Advisor, Research Consultant, etc.
Average PhD SalaryINR 5 - INR 10 LPA
Top PhD RecruitersKPMG, Google, Apple, IBM, CITI bank, BP, Black rock, Aecom, AMEC, Atkins, EDF Energy, NHS, GSK, Barclays, etc.

Also Read: Best Certificate Courses in India 

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PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Syllabus Year-Wise

PhD is an advanced research study for students who have both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Therefore, the PhD course syllabus is framed keeping the students and their research objectives in mind. The PhD syllabus depends on the specializations a student wants to earn their PhD degree. If we check the syllabus, then some modules can be found the same for a particular domain. The syllabus and PhD subjects completely depend on the domain, guide, and institute that offers the course. Hence, we have provided a general idea of that. 

The below-given table will help to understand how a PhD course syllabus goes on.

PhD 1st year Syllabus

In the first year, a student needs to work on the following subjects.

Semester ISemester II
Research MethodologyRecent Development in the Field
Philosophical and Sociological Basis of Educational ResearchGuide Directed Course and Research Seminar
Communication SkillsResearch Methodology-I
Independent Research with SeminarsIndependent Research with Seminars

PhD 2nd-year Syllabus

Get an idea of the 2nd year syllabus pattern of PhD courses:

Semester IIISemester IV
Philosophical and Sociological Basis of Educational ResearchFinal Research Proposal
Guide Directed Course (Need-based) and ResearchGuide Directed Course (Need-based) and Research

PhD 3rd-year Syllabus

Check the third-year syllabus and PhD course subjects in the table below:

Semester VSemester VI
Independent Research with SeminarsIndependent Research with Seminars
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Stream Wise PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Syllabus

PhD or Doctor of Philosophy courses is offered on numerous streams. Science, Arts and Humanities, and Management are some of the major streams of a PhD. A large number PhD courses are there in India. The stream wise syllabus for some of the PhD courses is mentioned in the table below:  

Science StreamManagement StreamArts and Humanities
ScienceManagement StudiesEconomicsPhilosophyEnglish and Literature
Component Object Model (COM) & interfaces in COM General ManagementIntroduction to Research MethodologyLiterature SurveyCommunication Theory
Vector and Array ProcessorElective IData Collection and OrganizationIntroduction to Research MethodologyResearch Methodology I
CORBA, JAVA, and object web  Human Resource ManagementAdvanced Econometric MethodsData Collection and Organization  Research Methodology II
Multiprocessor ArchitectureInformation Technology ManagementAdvanced Economic TheoryPrinciples of Thesis Preparation    Elective Subjects    
Computer Architecture Financial ManagementAdvanced Microeconomics TheoryResearch Tools and StudiesSpecialized and Analytical Journalism
Pipeline ArchitectureOperations ManagementAdvanced Macroeconomics TheoryAdvanced Course in LogicJournalism Studies
Advanced Computer Algorithms Quantitative Analysis    Poverty and InequalityAdvanced course in Formal MethodsSeminars
Computer System DesignResearch Methodology International Trade and DevelopmentTheory of KnowledgeTheory and Practices
Distributed COM Computer ApplicationsRural DevelopmentAdvanced course in Philosophy of ScienceFieldwork
Advanced Software EngineeringRetail MerchandisingUrbanization and DevelopmentPhilosophy of Statistics-
Dynamic Programming MarketingEnvironment and DevelopmentPhilosophy of Mathematics-
TestingLogisticsThe Political Economy of DevelopmentPhilosophy of Language-
Advanced Database Management Systems    Project Work Modelling the Behavior of Asset PricesPhilosophical Aesthetics-
Parallel and Distributed Databases, Web Databases  DissertationGovernance and the Political Economy of DevelopmentPolitical Philosophy-
Web Engineering and Software Quality MetricsReview ReportOverview of Financial MarketsEnvironment Philosophy-
Frequencies for Radio TransmissionSeminar   Trading Strategies in Financial MarketsDecision Theory-
Distributed File System-Role of Financial IntermediariesValue Theory-
Advanced Transaction Processing  -Hedging Strategies With Financial MarketsArt Technology
Distributed Systems-Interest Rate DerivativesReason and Tradition in Indian Thought
Building Web Agreement-Thesis PresentationPhilosophy of the Computer and Information Science
Medium Access Control--Thesis Presentation
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PhD Subjects

By learning the PhD subjects of a particular domain students develop strong methodological skills that are needed to perform the research. These PhD course subjects work as a background for their research paper. Students can check out the list of subjects for some major Doctor of Philosophy specializations in the given table:

PhD BiochemistryAdvanced Cancer Biology, Molecular Parasitology, Protein Science and Engineering, Bacterial Infection and Therapeutics, Nanobiotechnology
PhD PhysicsTheoretical and Experimental Physics, Numerical Methods and Simulation, Research and Technical Communication, Laser and Nonlinear Optics
PhD Environmental ScienceData Collection and Data Preparation, Statistics, Concept of Ecosystem, Biodiversity, and Wildlife
PhD MathematicsAdvanced Commutative Algebra, Advanced Functional Analysis, Topology and Mixing, Convex and Non-Smooth Analysis
PhD English and Literature

Medieval literature, Renaissance literature, Literature in the 12th century, Literary criticism and theory, Colonial and post-colonial literature, African – American literature, Dramatic literature, Women’s literature, Prose fiction, English poetry

PhD in HistoryTrends in Historiography, Themes in Early Indian History, Research Methodology, Debates in Modern Indian History
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PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Optional Subjects

The PhD subjects included as optional papers help in improving the understanding ability. For a challenging course like Doctor of Philosophy, optional subjects help to balance the load of learning. It introduces some subjects that the students might not have studied ever. An important benefit is that these subjects make the learners more skilled in the field. With the added advantage of additional learning, students get the scope of increasing their knowledge of their domain and related areas. 

While selecting these subjects, students should consider their interest and confidence in the subject as important factors. There is a large number of optional subjects in the PhD course syllabus. Optional of two major Doctor of Philosophy courses are listed below:

PhD Economics Optional SubjectsPhD in Philosophy Optional Subjects
Advanced Economic TheoryA New Perspective in Indian Philosophy Chapters
Theory of Economic Growth and Technical ProgressEarly Buddhism
Economics of PlanningReason and Tradition in Indian Thought
Agrarian DevelopmentNagarjuna – Mulamadhyamakakarika
Public FinanceA Treatise of Human Nature Book
International Trade and FinanceFreedom and Resentment and Other Essays
Economics of EnergyConcept of Minds
Development of EconomicsWittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations
Welfare EconomicsVaisesika Sutra
Economics of Education and DevelopmentKant- Critique of Pure Reason
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Specializations offered in PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Being a traditional higher-level academic course, the Doctor of Philosophy comes with a vast range of specializations. Therefore, for the PhD aspirants, the options are abundant. Be it a science stream or the Arts stream, students have immense opportunities for earning a degree in their subject of interest. Students can check out the below-given lists to know about the kind of PhD specializations available in Indian colleges or universities. Among a large number of specializations, only a few are mentioned below:

Arts Stream SpecializationsScience Stream Specializations
PhD in HindiPhD in Chemistry
PhD in PhilosophyPhD in Applied Sciences
PhD in HistoryPhD in Botany
PhD in PsychologyPhD in Zoology
PhD in English LiteraturePhD in Mathematics
PhD in Visual ArtsPhD in Biotechnology
PhD in Social WorkPhD in Physics
PhD in EconomicsPhD in Clinical Research
PhD in Social SciencesPhD in Engineering and Technology
PhD in GeographyPhD in Veterinary Surgery and Radiology
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PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Entrance Exam Syllabus 2024

PhD entrance exams are conducted at both national and institute levels. The students who score a minimum of 50% marks are allowed to seat for the entrance test. The universities/institutes want to test a students’ understanding level of the subject he/she wants to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The course has been mainly preferred by students who want to avail research studies in their post-graduate subject. In the present century, the number of individuals doing PhD has increased a lot. 

India is giving some excellent research opportunities to post-graduate students. The universities want to enrol only talented students in their Doctor of Philosophy courses. Here comes the importance of the PhD entrance test. Some popular entrance tests are CSIR UGC NET, UGC NET, etc. 

The syllabus for PhD entrance exams covers common topics from 10+2, graduation, and postgraduate levels, such as technology, life sciences, mathematics, science, and general aptitude. The subjects and topics covered in the PhD syllabus vary depending on the PhD Specialisation and sub-stream chosen. The subjects included in the PhD Syllabus are centred on the research and practical aspects of the subject, with little emphasis on theoretical knowledge.

A list of PhD syllabus for the entrance exam is tabulated below:

Subjects of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Entrance Test Syllabus
Life Sciences

Biochemistry, Immunology, and Molecular Biology (PG level)

Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (UG level)

Mathematics, Computer & Information Sciences (10+2 level)

Computer ScienceFundamentals of Computer, Representation of characters, Floating-point representation of numbers, Binary and hexadecimal representations, Data structures, The organization of a computer
Political ScienceResearch Methodology, Globalization, and International Relations, Democracy in India, Political Theory & Thought, India: State and Society
PsychologyIntroduction to research in psychology, Counselling Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Mathematics

Real series analysis, Modern Algebra and Matrix Theory, Numerical analysis, Calculus, and analytic geometry, Statistics, and probability, Theory of Equation,

Differential equations, Trigonometry

EconomicsMicroeconomics, Macroeconomics, Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Public Economics, Development and Planning, International Economics
Basic Engineering and Technology

Basic Engineering and Technology (UG level)

Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics (UG level)

Fundamental Life Sciences and Informatics (10+2 level)

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PhD Important Books

Books play a pivotal role to complete a course like a PhD. Immense information is required for the research work involved in this course. Therefore, students need to be updated on their research topics. PhD students should take help from subject-oriented books. Usually, a Guide who supervises the students in their research work, recommends books. However, here is a list of books on research methodology that the PhD students can refer to complete the course with ease:

Name of BooksAuthors
Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five ApproachesJohn W. Crewel
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method ApproachesJohn W. Crewel
Research Methods in EducationKeith Morrison, Louis Cohen, and Lawrence Manion
Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a Research ProjectUwe Flick
The Craft of ResearchWayne C. Booth, Joseph Williams, and Gregory G. Colomb
Applying Educational Research: A Practical Guide For TeachersBorg, Walter R.
Methods of Educational ResearchEngelhart, Max D.
Educational Research An introductionBorg, Walter R. & Meridith, D. Gall
Research Methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginnersRanjit Kumar
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PhD Course Structure

Once the students get enrolled in a PhD course, they are required to prepare and submit their research topic and the proposal of research. Then the institutes from where a student pursues the course allocate a guide to the students. Once the students get a Guide, he/she informs the PhD course syllabus, course work, teaching schedule, and assessment technique. Usually, in most universities or institutes students require to submit their work reports at an interval of six months. Another important part of the PhD course is seminar presentations. A student pursuing this course mandatorily gives at least two seminars and then submits his/her Certificate to the Research Unit. The next phase is thesis submission. Before making the final submission of the thesis, students require to publish one research paper in a peer-reviewed journal. This Certificate is also required to submit to the Research Unit. A Pre-Seminar Submission is organized by the Guide before the final submission of the thesis. 

Based on the performance, a report is prepared and submitted. The students get some valuable suggestions for improvement and they incorporate them into the final thesis. Then they prepare a summary of the thesis which they need to submit 45 days before the thesis submission. Once the thesis is finally submitted, it is examined by the experts and students must take part in the viva-voce where they can express their perspectives before the group of experts. Those who successfully get through all these phases are awarded a PhD Degree. In brief, we can structure the Doctor of Philosophy course in the following structure:

·   Submission of Research Proposal

·   Research Report

·   Seminar

·   Certificate Submission

·   Publication of one research paper

·   Pre-seminar submission

·   Thesis Submission

·   Viva Voce

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FAQs about Doctor of Philosophy Syllabus

Can anyone complete a PhD in Two Years?

Though it cannot be specified whether one can complete PhD in two years or not. But, the number would be very few as most of the students take more time and it largely depends on the course and Guide.

How many papers can a PhD have?

A brief introduction to the overall topic, which might include crucial background information, usually comes before the three papers in the thesis. A general literature review might also be included, though it is not required.
 

How many PhD candidates succeed?

There is a broad variation in the percentage of students who don't finish their PhDs; some institutions report as high as 71% and others as low as 9%. The likelihood of not finishing a PhD is influenced by a variety of variables, including the field or department you are studying in, your age, and the calibre of your mentor.

What is the PhD syllabus like?

The subjects covered by the PhD Syllabus primarily emphasise research and application, with a small amount of emphasis on theoretical understanding. The PhD course curriculum also includes thesis work and research projects that are presented after the course is over, in addition to the core subjects and electives.

How many different PhD subjects are there?

There are plenty of PhD subjects available, such as animal studies, the arts and humanities, biology and medicine, business and economics, chemistry, computer science and mathematics, education, engineering and technology, geography, history and philosophy, law, literature, languages, and communication, among others.
 

Do PhD students get stipend?

Students enrolled to a PhD degree get paid in India. The amount they receive to support their education is called stipend.

Why should one pursue a PhD degree?

Being the highest academic qualification, PhD opens up possibilities of prestigious career options like Professor, Research Scholar etc. The course helps the students to contribute in their selected research area.

Does anyone start a PhD at the age of 35?

Yes, there are no age boundaries for PhD, one can certainly start doing PhD at the age of 35.

Is a PhD good for the future?

Yes, doing a PhD is certainly good for the future. It opens up the doors of career of professor, scholar etc.

What if I fail in PhD?

Almost all the students who pursue a PhD degree are talented and hardworking. And as the course can be completed within 6 years duration there is a least chance of getting failure in the course.

What are the best colleges for PhD?

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, University of Delhi, University of Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Science, Calcutta University, Jadavpur University are some of the best colleges for PhD.

Are PhD and Doctorate the same?

Yes, PhD and Doctorate are the same. Those who complete the PhD course are awarded with a Doctorate degree.

Which PhD course is the easiest one?

Among a large number of PhD courses, you can find the humanities, social sciences and education as the easiest one.

Is PhD first year tough?

The initial stages of PhD may seem to be daunting for a student. But as the course progresses, students master the time and course work. And then they complete the first year with success.

What are the entrance examinations required for PhD admission?

In India UGC NET, CSIR UGC NET are some of the entrance test for PhD.

How many hours does a PhD student need to invest for the course?

Altogether 40 hours of reading and classroom training and 20 hours of lab time are needed for a PhD student.

What is the average placement package for PhD?

The average placement package for PhD student is around INR 6-INR 20 LPA

Is NET Compulsory for PhD?

There are many universities that want NET certificates for admission to PhD.

What is the average course fee for PhD?

The average course fee for PhD is INR 50000-INR100,000
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