Menu
Some students interested in pursuing doctoral studies are confused about the minimum qualification required for PhD in India. This post explains the basic qualifications required for PhD degree courses in India (Part-time and Full-time), entrance exams, etc.
Master’s Degree – One must have a postgraduate or Master’s degree in the relevant subject with at least 55% marks from a recognized university.
Recognized Degrees
Degrees must be from a college or institution approved by bodies like UGC, AICTE and statutory universities. Degrees from open and distance modes are also acceptable if the program is approved.
Relaxation for SC/ST Candidates
For candidates from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities, some universities may relax the minimum marks criteria to 50% at the Master’s level to encourage more enrolments.
Apart from the basic degree, it’s preferable if you qualify for All India level exams like UGC NET, CSIR UGC JRF, ICMR JRF, etc. Entrance tests help you get an exemption from entrance tests at many institutions offering PhD courses in India.
Some professional courses may ask for GATE or TANCET qualifying scores, too. Always check individual department websites for any subject-specific requirements. Some Universities /Colleges also conduct separate entrance exams at their level to admit students for doctoral courses but provide exemptions to students who have cleared the national level PhD entrance tests.
Here are some examples of subject-specific requirements set by universities for PhD admissions:
Science/Engineering streams:
Management:
Architecture:
Agriculture:
Law:
Arts/Humanities:
Medicine:
So, apart from basic degrees, most professional fields may need a specialized national entrance exam qualifying certificate for direct PhD admissions. Hope this helps!
Also Check PhD Requirements in Tamil Nadu.
Yes, Some institutions offer PhD admission to students who have completed 4 years of graduation with some experience.
For students from the general category, 55 % is the minimum percentage required for PhD admission as per the UGC regulation. So, normally, PhD admission without 55% marks in PG is not possible in India.
No, UGC-approved universities in India do not offer online/distance PhD programs, as the UGC/AICTE does not recognise online doctoral programs.
No, there is no fixed upper age limit for PhD admission in India as long as other eligibility criteria are fulfilled.
Yes. Most of the universities accept 2-year PGDM for PhD admission.
Yes, 1-year post-graduation degrees awarded after 4-year Bachelors are valid for PhD admission in India. But it depends on the institution as some colleges/ universities ask for a course equivalency certificate.
Yes, universities and colleges can enhance the eligibility criteria for PhD admission as per their requirements. However, they cannot relax or lower the minimum educational qualification set by the UGC for PhD admission in India.
CONCLUSION
As per the UGC rules, a master’s or equivalent degree with 55% marks is the basic minimum qualification for PhD programs in India. Institutions can increase their minimum requirements for PhD admission but cannot cannot lower the basic criteria for PhD admissions.
View all
