PhD in Political Science Admission

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's degree in a 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 gain admission in PhD in Political Science should first qualify for 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 Political Science About the Course

PhD in Political Science involves different topics such as Principles of the Indian Political System, International Relations, Major Governments of the World, Comparative Politics, etc. An overall description of the course is discussed below.

PhD in Political Science offers 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 the 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 advanced background and flexibility to conduct qualitative research through the right methods and analyze effective measures among the economic and social factors.

Why Study a PhD in Political Science?

Majority of the PG graduates have their choice towards the PhD in Political Science because of the following reasons:

Research Opportunities: PG candidates tend to have a passion and interest in Indian Politics, the economy, and its development. Thus, a doctoral degree will give them ample research opportunities and expertise in their discipline.

Scope for funded projects: The doctoral holder in Political Science increases their chances of getting governmental and non-governmental funding to undertake the research.

Good Annual CTC: Usually, PG graduates in Political Science receive lesser CTC annually because of the lack of research skills and expertise. But, PhD Political Science holders tend to receive better CTC annually of around 10 Lakhs since they have a variety of research skills and expertise about the politics and Indian Economy.

Scope for Abroad studies: Because of holding one of the most reputed degrees in the discipline and being exposed to continuous knowledge gathering in many countries’ politics, these doctoral holders have a chance to get placed or work in many foreign countries.

Scope to work in polling companies: Because of being the experts in India and other countries’ politics, these candidates could work in the polling companies that decide the leadership in some countries.

Eligibility Criteria for PhD Political Science

Only those candidates who meet the eligibility standards for PhD Political Science in India are admitted. Some colleges require students to hold a master's degree with a 60 percent average. There are no age restrictions. Students must also take the course's mandatory entrance exam.

Syllabus of PhD in Political Science

Subjects in this PhD Political Science get distributed across the whole duration as listed below.

Course 1- Research Methodology

1. Foundations, Approaches and Epistemologies of Political Science Research
2. Survey Research Methods
3. Statistics and Data Collection
4. Research Design

Course 2- State and Politics in South Asia

1. Contextualising South Asia
2. Protracted Disputes, Human Security and Environmental Issues
3. Political and Economic Challenges
4. Foreign Policies of South Asian Countries and Regional Cooperation Initiatives

Course 3- Governance and Politics in India

1. Approaches and Perspectives to the Indian Political System
2. Party System in India
3. Protection for Minorities and Deprived Groups
4. Structural Concerns

Course 4- Decentralisation and Development in India

1. Decentralisation and Development in India
2. Decentralisation and Community Empowerment
3. Decentralisation, Governance and the Structure of Local Political Institutions
4. Participation and Local Development

Course 5- India and International Political Economy

1. Political Economy
2. Land Reforms in India
3. International and Multilateral Economic Institutions and Developing Countries
4. Public Policy Analysis

Popular Entrance Exams for PhD Political Science

• UGC NET
• CSIR
• GATE

Types of PhD Political Science

Given below are all the information that the students need to have regarding the types of PhD Political Science course:

Full-Time PhD Political Science

A full-time PhD Political Science degree is a 1-3 years duration doctoral-level course in India. The primary reason students may choose to pursue a full-time study instead of a part-time or distance study is that it enables them to gain all the experience and exposure in person. Additionally, they are able to meet their peers and teachers in person as well.

Part-Time PhD Political Science

The part-time PhD Political Science course is designed for students who cannot attend regular classes. Part-time courses either entail weekend or night classes or online classes, depending on the type of course. The advantage of the part-time PhD Political Science course is that students can pursue this course while simultaneously being engaged in employment, research, etc.

Distance PhD Political Science

Many universities and colleges in India offer the Distance PhD Political Science course. The course is designed keeping the Distance Education methodology in mind. This course is designed for students who cannot afford to attend classes on-campus or those engaged in some form of employment and cannot take time out to pursue a full-time course.

PhD Political Science Job Prospects and Career Options

Research scholars, after successful completion of PhD Political Science, get placed majorly in the industry wherein the knowledge of Indian Economy, Politics, and developments are perquisites.

Most common roles that PhD Political Science holders can have are Market trend Research Analysts; Political Scientists; Public Relations Specialists; Survey Researchers; and Research Analysts. The average earned by these doctorate holders ranges from INR 5 LPA to 15 LPA.

Political and research/analyzing associated roles are offered by firms like NDTV, Transoplanet, Times of India, Pollstar |, QuisLex, India Today, Oxynello, etc.

Some favorite job roles for PhD Political Science and its respective salaries are given below.

• Political Science Lecturer or Professor
• Political Scientist
• Survey Researcher
• Journalist
• Market Trend Research Analyst
• Research Analyst
• Public Relation Specialist

PhD Political Science Scope

Some of the futuristic scopes that PhD Political Science could benefit are as follows:

Further Research: PhD Political Science candidates can take part in further research both in India and abroad.

Political analysts and leadership: Since the political natures and economies of India and other countries are dealt with under this discipline, the doctorate holders gain immense knowledge and skills related to leadership that might trigger and aid them in becoming political analysts, and sometimes even political leaders in future.

Scope for Civil Services in India: Since plenty of historical events pertaining to the Indian Economy and Politics are gained through PhD Political Science, the candidates could fancy their chances to crack the Civil Services exams like UPSC because of few similarities in the syllabus of it.

Economic Strategist: Any country strives to improve its economy in some way or other. Thus, it creates a demand for PhD Political Science holders all over the globe.

Market requirements: PhDs in Political Science become experts in the majority of the top economies through their research experience, thus it becomes usual for them to get placed in the market trend investigating firms.