PhD Political Science Course; Eligibility, Entrance Exams & more

PhD Political Science Course; Eligibility, Entrance Exams & more

5 mins read6.3K Views Comment
Porishmita
Porishmita Paul
Associate Senior Executive
Updated on May 6, 2025 15:15 IST

Planning to pursue a PhD programme in Political Science? Learn all about it in the article below.  

PhD Political Science Course; Eligibility, Entrance Exams & more

PhD Political Science Course: Eligibility, Entrance Exams & more

PhD Political Science - A PhD in Political Science or a doctorate degree in Political Science is pursued with an academic or research perspective. A PhD in Political Science course can be pursued either full-time or part-time. The duration of a PhD in Political Science is 3 years. However, the duration of a part-time PhD in Political Science can be extended to 5 years. Postgraduate students with a keen interest in Political Science who wish to attain a PhD must be aware of the eligibility requirements, admission process and top entrance exams for this programme. The minimum eligibility requirement for a PhD in Political Science is a Postgraduate degree in a relevant stream. In order to pursue a PhD Political Science, students need to meet the required eligibility criteria. Learn more about a PhD in Political Science in the article below. 

Table of contents
  • PhD Political Science Course: Highlights
  • PhD Political Science Course Eligibility Criteria
  • PhD Political Science Admission Process
  • PhD Political Science Course Merit-based Selection
  • PhD Political Science Entrance Based Selection
  • PhD Political Science Entrance Exams
  • PhD Political Science Syllabus
View More

PhD Political Science Course: Highlights

Some general information about the programme is provided in the table below. 

Particulars

Details

Course Name 

PhD in Political Science

Course Level

Doctoral Degree

Full-Form

Ph.D.- Doctorate of Philosophy 

Duration

1 to 3 years for regular PhD scholars.
For part-time, up to 5 years 

Examination type

Year-wise course

Eligibility

Post Graduation with around 60% marks

Admission Process

Entrance-based (Institute level and national level exams)

Course Fee

INR 2 Lakhs 

Average Salary

INR 10 LPA as per the experience 

Top Recruiting Companies

Times of India, India Today, NDTV, Quis Lex, Transoplanet, Poll Star, etc. 

Top Recruiting Arenas 

Education Sector, Media, Entertainment Sector, Accountancy, Civil Services, Government sector, Banking, etc. 

Job Positions

Professor, Survey Researchers, Public Relations Specialists, Political Scientists, Consultant, Market Trend Research Analysts, Political Research Associate. 

Also Read: PhD in English Literature in India

PhD Political Science Course Eligibility Criteria

Some eligibility requirements for a PhD in Political Science are mentioned in the space below.

  • Candidates need to have completed a PG Degree in any stream from a recognised university with a minimum mark of 55%.
  • Candidates should have done their masters in the relevant stream from a recognised university with an aggregate of minimum 55% marks are also considered eligible for the PhD course.

PhD Political Science Admission Process

Students usually get admission to a PhD Political Science on the basis of merit. Marks obtained in the qualifying exams are considered important for getting admission to a PhD Political Science course. There are a number of universities and colleges in India that conduct their own entrance exams to provide admission to candidates in the PhD course. 

PhD Political Science Course Merit-based Selection

There are a number of colleges or universities in India that provide admission to candidates on the basis of merit. Candidates need to follow certain guidelines required for admission to the PhD Political Science courses. Aspirants can check the guidelines given below:

  • Candidates are required to complete and submit the application form to the relevant colleges or universities for admission to a Phd course.
  • Candidates' scores in the postgraduate examinations are considered important for admission to a Phd. Candidates will be required to check the cutoff lists released by the colleges/universities.
  • Before applying for the PhD course, candidates need to check if they are eligible for the PhD course.

Also Read: Political Science Courses After 12th

PhD Political Science Entrance Based Selection

A number of colleges and universities in India conduct their entrance exams to provide admission to candidates in PhD courses. Candidates are required to appear in the entrance exam to get admission to PhD courses. Aspirants can check the procedure below to know more about the admission procedure.

  • Candidates need to complete and submit the PhD application form to the relevant colleges or universities.
  • In the next step, candidates need to register for the entrance exam to qualify for the exam.
  • Candidates will be required to score the minimum qualifying marks set by the respective college or university.
  • After qualifying the entrance test, candidates will be required to appear for the personal interview round conducted by colleges/universities.
  • After the interview, a merit list of the shortlisted candidates will be released by the university or college.
  • Candidates will be required to take admission by depositing the course fee.

Also Read: Hindi PhD Course

PhD Political Science Entrance Exams

Some popular entrance exams to get into a PhD Political Science programme are listed in the space below.

  • RET: RET Research Entrance Test is being conducted by the University of Calcutta, Kolkata, to offer admission to candidates in PhD Political Science.
  • PET: PET or PhD Entrance Test is held by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU), Aurangabad to offer admission in PhD course.
  • UGC: UGC NET exam is the national exam held byNational Testing Agency. The exam is conducted to check the eligibility of the candidate for assistant professors and Junior Research Fellowship.
  • CRET: CRET or Combined Research Entrance Test is held by the Assam University, Silchar to offer admission to MPhil and PhD programs.
  • DUET: DUET or Delhi University Entrance Test is conducted by the Delhi University, New Delhi to provide admission to candidates in PhD.
  • GATE: Admission to PhD programmes in the streams of humanities, architecture, and life sciences are also done through GATE. Some of the top institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, BITS, VIT, SRM, etc., accept GATE scores.

PhD Political Science Syllabus

Candidates can check the table below to know about the PhD Political Science syllabus.

Research Methodology

State and Politics in South Asia

Survey Research Methods

Political and Economic Challenges

Foundations, Approaches and Epistemologies of Political Science Research

Foreign Policies of South Asian Countries and Regional Cooperation Initiatives

Research Design

Contextualising South Asia

Statistics and Data Collection

Protracted Disputes, Human Security and Environmental Issues

Governance and Politics in India

Decentralisation and Development in India

Party System in India

Decentralisation and Community Empowerment

Approaches and Perspectives to Indian Political System

Participation and Local Development

Structural Concerns

Decentralisation, Governance and the Structure of Local Political Institutions

Protection for Minorities and Deprived Groups

Decentralisation and Development in India

India and International Political Economy

International and Multilateral Economic Institutions and Developing Countries

Land Reforms in India

Public Policy Analysis

Political Economy

Read More:

Videos you may like
About the Author
author-image
Porishmita Paul
Associate Senior Executive
Porishmita Paul is a skilled writer and part of the editorial team at Shiksha. With over two years of experience in the education content and SEO writing domain, she specializes in topics related to humanities, hosp Read Full Bio
qna

Comments