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PhD in Political Science, also known as Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science is a doctoral level course. The duration of this program is 1-3 years but for part time Political Science scholars, the duration gets extended by up to 5 years. The PhD course in Political Science offers a wide array of subjects that is distributed among various topics such as human rights, international politics, political theory, political economy and so on.
The basic eligibility to pursue PhD in Political Science is to have a PG or a Master degree in related discipline with a minimum of 55% marks from a recognized college or university in India. Along with this, candidates also need to have prior assistantship, research and paper publication experience under a professor. A professional experience in teaching is also preferable.
Students willing to take admission in PhD in Political Science should first qualify National or Institutional level entrance examinations that are held every year. Furthermore, they should also sit for counseling as well as interviews for final selection. NET or National Eligibility Test or NET is the most common and famous entrance exam for PhD courses. Other than the NET exam, RET, PET and CRET are also some of the entrance examinations conducted by colleges and universities in order to give admission to the candidates.
PhD after MA Political Science
Some of the colleges offering PhD in Political Science in India are Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Hyderabad, Banasthali Vidyapith University, etc. The average fees for a doctorate in Political Science range from INR 25,000 to INR 6,00,000 depending on the university and college.
After the successful completion of PhD in Political Science, one can opt for a career in media and journalism, political firms, civil services, and also in different government offices. The salary ranges from INR 4 lakh to INR 15 lakh per annum and even more depending on the job profile and the company. Some of the job roles that PhD in Political Science candidates are offered include Public Relations Specialist, Professor, Research Analyst, Journalist, Political Scientist and so on.
Table of Content
PhD Political Science Course Highlights
| Course Type | Doctoral level |
| Duration | 1 – 3 years for regular PhD students and at least 5 years for part timers |
| Examination Type | Yearly |
| Course Eligibility | Post Graduate in related discipline with 55% marks from a recognized college or university and entrance exam scores |
| Course Admission Process | Entrance-based |
| Course Fee | Around 3 lakhs |
| Course Average Salary | Average INR 4 lakh to INR 15 lakh per annum |
| Top Recruiting Companies | India Today, Poll Star, Quis Lex, government offices, etc. |
| Job Positions | Public Relation Specialist, Journalist, Professor, Lecturer in Political Science, Political Scientist, Political Research Associate, Political Writer, etc. |
PhD Political Science: About the Course
PhD in Political Science involves different topics such as Principles of Indian Political System, International Relations, Major Governments of the World, Comparative Politics, etc. An overall description about the course is discussed below.
- PhD in Political Science offer candidates the opportunity to dig deeper into the issues related to governance, international relations, Indian and international politics, public administration and much more.
- The subjects included in PhD Political Science are sub-categorized yearly depending on whether the mode is part time or regular.
- Students need to choose their topic in which they want to pursue PhD and proceed with the research. They have to conduct different case studies and prepare a thesis.
- After successfully completing the thesis and course, students shall further apply for jobs or continue with post-doctorate degree programs.
- PhD in Political Science provides students the advance background and flexibility to conduct qualitative research through the right methods and analyze effective measures among the economic and social factors.
PhD Political Science Admission Process
Admissions in PhD Political Science are done either through different entrance exams or on merit basis. But many colleges and universities prefer admission through entrance examinations over merit based as PhD is a tough course and entrance exam helps assess the knowledge and academic track records of the candidates.
Some universities like Delhi University (DU) conduct their own entrance exam for PhDs, however, other colleges select students on the basis of common entrance exams like PET and RET. Students who have already qualified NET and JRF need not appear for any other university level exams, but they need to appear for counseling and interview rounds.
Eligibility Criteria
Colleges and Universities in India have a few basic eligibility criteria for conducting admissions into PhD Political Science. These selection criteria include:
- Students should have scored at least 55% marks in their PG or Master degree from a recognized college or university.
- Qualifying the entrance examination is also mandatory.
- For PhD admission in Central universities, the minimum UG/PG marks is around 80%.
Entrance Examinations
Majority of the colleges in India prefer entrance based admissions in PhD Political Science. Some of the common entrance exams include.
| Exam Name | Registration Date | Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| Research Entrance Test (RET) | February 2021 | 11 April 2021 |
| Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) | June 2021 | 24 August 2021 |
| University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) | September 2021 | 20-24 December 2021 |
| Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) | 26 July-21 August 2021 | 26 September-1 October 2021 |
| Combined Research Entrance Test (CRET) | April 2021 | June 2021 |
PhD Political Science Distance Education
Students who don’t want to take up a regular PhD Political Science course can opt for a distance education program from a number of universities and colleges in India. The admissions, on the other hand, can be simply done by applying online within the given time duration. The college will take into consideration the candidate’s PG marks and release the cut off list for the same. The students will then be called for interviews and counseling, and selected ones will be given admission after paying the fees.
The syllabus for PhD in Political Science distance education will be more or less the same as the regular course and the exams will also be held yearly.
Top Colleges for PhD Political Science Distance Education
Some of the top colleges to pursue PhD in Political Science from distance education are given below.
| Name of the College | Average Fees (per year) |
|---|---|
| Kota Open University, Rajasthan | INR 20,000 |
| Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi | INR 16,800 |
| Osmania University, Hyderabad | INR 25,000 |
| Karnataka State open University, Karnataka | INR 15,000 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi | INR 25,000 |
PhD Political Science Syllabus
The syllabus for the PhD course in Political Science has topics related to political theory, Indian Politics, political psychology, international politics and so on.
To know about the topics in the syllabus, refer to the table given below.
| Research Methodology (Course 1) | State and Politics in South Asia (Course 2) |
| Research Methods Survey | Political and economic Challenges |
| Approaches, Foundations, and Epistemologies of Political Science Research | Contextualizing South Asia |
| Research Design | Foreign Policies of South Asian Countries and Regional Cooperation Initiatives |
| Statistics and Data Collection | Human Security, Protracted Disputes, Environmental Issues |
| Governance and Politics in India (Course 3) | Decentralisation and Development in India (Course 4) |
| Party System in India | Decentralisation and Community Empowerment |
| Approaches and Perspective to Indian Political System | Participation and Local Development |
| Structural Concerns | Decentralisation and Development in India |
| Protection for Minorities and Deprived Groups | Participation and Local Development |
| India and International Political Economy (Course 5) - | |
| Land Reforms in India | Political Economy |
| Public Policy Analysis | International and Multilateral Economic Institutions and Developing Countries |
Top Colleges in India for PhD in Political Science
In India, there are 103 private colleges and 110 government colleges that provide PhD in Political Science. Out of these colleges, there are a few that come under the 2021 NIRF ranking. While many depend on entrance examinations for PhD admissions, others conduct their own exam for the same.
Here is a table discussing some of the top government as well as private colleges for PhD in Political Science in India.
| College Name | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|
| University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad | INR 9,940 |
| Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi | INR 1,381 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi | INR 13,870 |
| Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad | INR 25,000 |
| Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu | INR 25,010 |
| Assam University, Silchar | INR 26,545 |
| Savitribai Phule University, Pune | INR 6,640 |
PhD Political Science: Job Prospects
Post successful completion of PhD in Political Science, students can opt for job roles wherein their knowledge of Indian and International Politics, development, economy, and human rights come into perquisites.
Some of the common job roles that PhD Political Science degree holders can choose are Public Relation Specialist, Research Analyst, Journalist, Business Political Writer, Survey Researchers, Political Scientist and so on. The average starting salary earned by these scholars range from INR 4 LPA to INR 15 LPA.
There are various organizations that offer different jobs to PhD degree holders. Some of the top companies are:
- Times of India
- India Today
- Oxynello
- Transoplanet
- Pollstar
- QuisLex
A few famous job roles suitable for PhD Political Science degree holders and its average annual salary are discussed in the table below.
| Job Profile | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Political Science Lecturer or Professor | INR 10 LPA |
| Political Scientist | INR 9 LPA |
| Survey Researcher | INR 6 LPA |
| Journalist | INR 6 – 10 LPA |
| Market Trend Research Analyst | INR 4 LPA |
| Research Analyst | INR 5 LPA |
| Public Relation Specialist | INR 8 LPA |
PhD Political Science: FAQs
Ques. What are some important entrance exams required for PhD Political Science?
Ans. Some of the most common and important entrance examinations for PhD Political Science are RET, PET and CRET.
Ques. What is the time duration for PhD in Political Science?
Ans. A PhD program can typically take 3 to 5 years depending whether you are pursuing a regular course or a part time program.
Ques. What is better? M.Phil or PhD?
Ans. PhD is better than M.Phil. the latter is a preparatory step towards pursuing PhD.
Ques. How much does a PhD degree holder in Political Science make in a year?
Ans. A PhD degree holder in Political Science can make upto INR 15 LPA depending on the job profile and company he/she works for.
Ques. What is the top most college for pursuing PhD in Political Science?
Ans. Jawaharlal Nehru University located in New Delhi is one of the top most colleges for PhD in Political Science.
Ques. What is UGC NET in PhD?
Ans. The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is a national level PhD entrance exam. Candidates that have already qualified UGC NET are exempted from majority of the other PhD entrance exams in India.
Ques. How many courses are there in PhD Political Science syllabus?
Ans. There are a total of 5 courses in PhD Political Science syllabus. The syllabus has a wide array of subjects and topics related to the Indian and International Politics, Human Rights, Public Policies and so on.
Ques. Is there any age limit to pursue PhD in Political Science?
Ans. No, there is no age limit for PhD in Political Science. But if you are planning to proceed as a JRF i.e. Junior Research Fellow then for this the age limit is 28 years.
Ques. Is Master degree compulsory for PhD?
Ans. Yes, a Master degree or a PG degree is compulsory to apply for a PhD.
Ques. What companies pay well to PhD Political Science degree holders?
Ans. Companies like Oxynello, Pollstar and top media houses pay really good to PhD Political Science scholars.
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