Humanities & Social Sciences

Follow these steps to apply for a Ph.D. programme at IGNOU for the academic year 2024-2025 :-

1. Continuous eligibility :- You require a Master's degree or an equivalent to be able to apply and must possess at least 55% marks (relaxed for SC/ST/OBC) in awarding degrees to be eligible. Some programs may require NET/JRF qualification.

2. Application Procedure :-

Go through the Ph.D. admission notification in the official IGNOU website.

Complete the onliner application form available in its portal.

Upload documents such as educational certificates and research proposal.

3. Entrance Test: The Entrance Tests conducted in 2014, January or February, to assess a candidate for his/her admission to the course of Ph.D. programme in the subject of this study.

4. Interview/Presentation :- Candidates who are shortlisted after appearing in the entrance test will then be invited for a personal interview, wherein they would also present their proposals.

5. Final Selection :- Admission based on the entrance test and personal interview.

To know in depth, please visit the official IGNOU Ph.D. admission website.

To seek a doctoral degree in education, there are subsequent steps: 

Eligibility: A minimum of a Master's in Education (M.Ed.) or corresponding fields is required. Moreover, certain universities accept other Master's graduates. Minimum marks: 55% (relaxed for SC/ ST).

Entrance exam: Clear the NET/JRF or university exams for admission. Some universities are also likely to conduct their own entrance tests.

Research Proposal :- Develop a research proposal related to education (for example, Curriculum, Educational Psychology).

Universities: Some universities that Ph.D. in Education are:

BHU, JMI, IGNOU, TISS, DU, AMU.

Application: Apply through the university portal, along with the prescribed documents, such as Masters certificate, research proposal, and NET score.

Duration Ph.D.: It lasts nearly three to six years.

Scholarships: UGC-NET JRF can be applied to receive financial assistance.

Thesis: Conduct full research and submit the thesis after passing examinations and interviews.

To become a Political Science teacher in India, one typically follows the steps given below :-

1. A Bachelor's Degree, such as a B.A., in Political Science :-

Duration: 3 years

This is the basic degree from which one starts to build a career in Political Science.

2. A Master's Degree, such as M.A. in Political Science :-

Duration: 2 years

To teach at the college level, a Master's degree is compulsory.

3. Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) :-

Duration: 2 years

A B.Ed. is mandatory for teaching in schools. This is not mandatory if one wants to teach in a college or a university but holds others strong for that teaching experience.

4. Dr in Political Science (optional, but required for university teaching) :-

Duration: 3-5 years

For university or college faculty and higher positions in academia, a Ph.D. is encouraged.

Total Duration:

Around 5-7 years prepare a student for school teaching (B.A. + B.Ed.).

College/university teaching will take roughly 5-7 years (B.A. + M.A.) or 8-12 years to include a Ph.D. program. 

Additionally, exam clearance such as NET for the acquaintance Faculties/University is paramount.

If you have already finished your M.Tech from an IIT, you are usually exempted from appearing for GATE for a PhD programme in most institutes and even IITs. Several IITs as well as other research-oriented institutes relax the GATE requirement for M.Tech holders, particularly from IITs, considering that you have a strong academic record and research potential. However, the general rules for PhD admission vary from institute to institute and department to department. It is prudent to check the individual PhD admission guidelines of the IIT or other institutes you're interested in to confirm whether any other entrance exams or qualifications are needed.

Even if you are now in a UG law degree program, but you're interested in studying psychology simultaneously, there is distance learning or an online platform where you can probably pursue a psychology degree or course.

Some of the open universities like IGNOU have a B.A. in Psychology which allows your studies to be as flexible as possible since it does not affect the law degree that you're pursuing.

You may take a short-term diploma or certificate in psychology from any recognized institution, which will only add value to your learning experience. On the other hand, earning a full-time degree in psychology is going to be a challenge for you as it would require proper time management.