PhD in History Admission

PhD History is a three to five-year-long full-time doctorate course that deals with studying written events and records of humanity. It helps students gain a detailed view of social, cultural, religious, political, and economic development from the prehistoric era. This course's PhD in History duration is three years, but it stretches up to five years. There are various job roles in this field, such as Researcher, Consultant, Professor, etc.

Why Study PhD History?

Students who want to know about research and analyze historical facts and data in great depth are a good suit for the course. They also possess qualities like the capacity to think objectively and approach problems and new situations with an open mind. Candidates also should possess the ability to construct an argument and communicate findings in a clear and persuasive manner, both orally and in writing.

Some of the popular reasons why PhD History must be pursued is as follows:

A Doctor Degree course in History seeks to establish themes and patterns in human History to expose meaning and common causality.

Professionals with degrees in history can lead careers as historians, educators, and archivists.

They can also find employment in museums and at historical sites, teaching visitors about the historical significance of exhibits.

Candidates also should possess the ability to construct an argument and communicate findings in a clear and persuasive manner, both orally and in writing.

After passing the course, they can also go for teaching areas both permanent and of private.

These top schools providing this doctoral program are unique in multiple ways, such as the areas of study offered, applicant requirements, and more. The PhD History program has an average annual course fee which ranges between INR 4,000 - 3 Lakhs depending upon the institute offering the course.

PhD History graduates can choose their profession as professors or lecturers in schools, colleges, and universities after completion of this course or they can join any historical group that carries out research and publishes their works on a global scale and they also can continue personal research if they intend to. The average annual salary offered for the PhD program ranges between INR 2 - 12 lakhs depending upon the candidate’s expertise in the field.

PhD History Eligibility Criteria

The common PhD History eligibility criteria to be successfully admitted into a college offering this course is as follows:

Any aspiring candidates should have passed an M.Phil Degree and a Postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline with a minimum 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/PH candidates) or an equivalent grade from a University or a recognized institution of higher training.

Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline with a minimum 55% (50% for SC/ST/PH candidates) or an equivalent grade from a university or a recognized institution of higher learning and five years of teaching/industry/administration/professional experience at the senior level.

For Students without M.Phil - Pass in Post-graduation in History with 50% aggregate marks for direct admission into the Ph.D. program. They must complete the Part I examination. The minimum duration of the period for submission of the thesis is 3 years.

For Students with M.Phil - Pass in a Master’s Degree in History with M.Phil. These students are exempted from the Part I examination. The duration for submission of the thesis is 2 years.

The above-stated eligibility criteria are the basic eligibility criteria. Each college will have its own criterion on which prospective candidates are judged.

Who Should Pursue a PhD in History?

A PhD degree typically involves students independently conducting original and significant research in a specific field or subject before producing a publication-worthy thesis.

Listed below are the people who should pursue a PhD in History:

Students who have a keen interest in research can pursue this course

Students who meet the basic eligibility criteria can opt for PhD in History.

Syllabus of PhD History

1. Readings in Trends in Historiography I
2. Research Methodology I
3. Themes in Early Indian History I (for students specializing on Early India)
4. Aspects of Social and Economic History of Medieval India I (for students specializing in Medieval Indian history
5. Debates in Modern Indian History (for students specializing in Modern Indian history)
6. Language – Persian, Urdu or any other language depending upon the research interest of the student
7. Readings in Trends in Historiography II
8. Research Methodology II
9. Themes in Early Indian History II (for students specializing in Early India)
10. Aspects of Social and Economic History of Medieval India II (for students specializing in Medieval Indian history)
11. Debates in Modern Indian History II (for students specializing in Modern Indian history)
12. Language – Persian, Urdu, or any other language depending upon the research interest of the student

How To Get Admission for PhD in History?

Some institutes admit students based on their graduation level marks, and few institutes conduct entrance exams to examine a student's capability. There is a Merit-Based Admission process based on graduation level marks, and another is the entrance exam-based process where candidates have to clear the entrance exam to get shortlisted.

Mention below are the general admission requirements that the aspirants should know about:

PhD History How to Apply?

Students can apply for a PhD course online and offline mode by going through official websites or visiting the university admission office. Students need to fill out the PhD form with the necessary details and submit original documents as per the requirement. Some of the Institutes take interviews to check students' communication skills and other aspects related to this course.

PhD History Selection Process

The selection process for the PhD program is almost the same concerning students' graduation level marks or the entrance exam marks. After the application is received, they start the procedure either with an entrance exam or graduate-level marks. They shortlist those candidates to get admission to the PhD program.

Types of PhD History

Students can pursue PhD degrees full-time and part-time or as distance learning offered by universities across India. Since it is a higher education degree, there is no right time to pursue it. Students can also pursue this course after obtaining some work experience. Given below is the general information regarding the same: 

Full-Time PhD History

A Full-Time PhD History degree is a 3 to 5-year on-campus degree. Students will have to attend the classes and submit all their assignments, and they have to give their examinations on campus. A Full-Time degree is very useful where students get exposure and a diverse experience and interact with faculty for their development.

Part-Time PhD History

A part-time PhD History course is a type of course that students can access while working for an organization simultaneously. It's for the students who cannot attend regular classes, and this course schedules its classes around the weekends or at night. It's a very time management course method students can pursue through this process.

Distance PhD History

Several universities offer distance learning courses for students who can't afford to attend classes on a university campus or don't want to pursue a regular course can opt for the distance PhD History course.

Popular Entrance Exams for PhD in History

• GATE
• UGC NET
• CSIR NET
• AIIMS PhD Entrance Test
• BARC
• ICMR JRF
• BINC Examination
• BITS PhD Entrance Examination

How to Prepare for a PhD History Entrance Exam?

The syllabus for PhD History entrance exams will vary from institute to institute. However, most exams concentrate on History related to current affairs subject knowledge, and skills.

The entire entrance exam in most of the subjects is a maximum of 100 marks and the duration of the test is two hours or in some cases, it could be three hours.

The question paper of the PhD entrance test is divided into two parts out of which: one part contains the objective type (MCQs) and another part contains subjective type questions related to the concerned subject.

Candidates must follow the previous year’s PhD entrance test question papers and see the pattern of the papers

Admission Process of PhD History 

Most colleges and institutes offering PhD History courses admit students based on the graduate degree level examination marks. However, there are some institutes which do conduct entrance examinations to judge a candidate’s capability.

The following are the two major pathways through which PhD History admissions take place:

Merit-Based Admission: Most private universities that offer PhD History courses usually admit students based on the marks secured at the master’s graduate degree. Besides that, these colleges may conduct a Personal Interview or a small Written Test to further know the candidate’s skills.

Entrance Exam Based: Top PhD Colleges like Banaras Hindu University, Jamia Millia Islamia, University of Madras, etc. offers admission in the PhD History program through entrance examinations that usually consist of MCQ-based questions related to Historical ethics and events, helping the college to screen the deserving candidates for admission.

When the Entrance Exam results are out then colleges may further conduct a Personal Interview Round of the qualified candidates to know their interest in the course, skills, and career.

Job Prospects and Career Options After Completed PhD History

In India, PhD History is one of the top career choices in Arts made by students who opt to research and analyze historical facts and data. There are lots of job opportunities available in India as well as in foreign countries for History graduates.

After earning a degree of PhD History, people can start as professors or lecturers in Universities or join any historical group that carry out research and publishes their works on a global scale and they also can continue personal research if they intend to.

Having a PhD History degree and a postgraduate qualification in Museum Studies, they could be a curator.

If graduates want to be in an administrative position likewise in the other sectors this course will be required.

A lot of museums and galleries have so many vacancies and they will be looking for graduates with teacher training experience rather than there will also be support roles for unqualified people.

The National Department has a large number of heritage sites that not only manage historic buildings but also vast acreages of grounds which will require traditional agricultural and horticultural management.

The table below shows some of the most common PhD History job profiles and career prospects after completing the course is as follows:

• History Teacher
• Researcher
• Historical Writer
• Corporate Historian
• Tutor

Future Scope After Completed PhD History 

Students having a PhD History are important in serving the education industry and due to the laws of UGC one position of Head of Department is always secured for PhD holders only.

Candidates with this degree can find a wide range of opportunities in varied sectors across the globe in educational institutions, libraries, archives, and archaeological department museums.

In this field, the job positions include as a data analyst, analyst, journalist, lecturer, library facilitator, educator, researcher, writer, producer, project officer, research assistant, professor, chief operation officer, project manager, communication coordinator, and marketing assistant.

Education careers in history can also lead on to broadcasting careers or writing, providing outlets for historians to share their expertise with public audiences and/or readerships.

Libraries, galleries, museums, and other historical archives all provide opportunities to pursue history careers in archiving and heritage.