PhD in Education in India Part Time & Full Time

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Education is the highest degree that an individual can obtain in education. An academic doctoral course can be pursued by an individual who has completed his/ her master’s degree like MA/ MSc/ MEd/ MPhil/ others in a relevant field from a government-recognized university.

PhD in Education in India Duration

Ph.D. in education can be pursued in either a full-time format or a part-time format. In a full-time format of study, you will have to stay on campus for the entire duration of your course. In a part-time research program, you can work in an organization and simultaneously finish your PhD in education. The duration for a PhD program in education is three years to five years, i.e., you can either complete the entire course in a period of 3 years, or you can extend your study to 5 years but not more than that.

Some of the most prestigious universities and colleges in India, including IITE Gandhinagar, TISS Mumbai, DU, JMI, MGU Kerala, offer PhD courses in education. PhD in education is most sought-after by students who have studied MEd and want to continue their studies in education, teaching, and learning. It offers a chance for research and growth in the field of education. As more and more schools and colleges are built across India, the need for experts in the field of education is growing day by day. This demand has led to an increase in the salary of education experts, teaching experts, and learning experts, especially those who hold a PhD in education.

As a PhD in education is a doctoral degree, the students who pursue it have to perform unique research in education. The research work has to be documented in a doctoral thesis, and it has to be submitted to the university/ college by the student. The degree is then awarded based on the research thesis. You will find many research topics in the field of education as it is a core subject and as it also has various emerging developments.

Why Should You Pursue PhD in Education?

The following mentioned points are a few of the advantages of pursuing a PhD in education:

• If you have previously studied B.Ed. or M.Ed., you should pursue a PhD in education. This will add immense value to your academic career as well as to your professional career.
• It is an excellent academic course for someone interested a career in teaching and education.
• If you pursue a PhD in education, you will get the opportunity to engage in deep research in the education sector. If you are more inclined towards development, you will be able to develop new methods and techniques in the field of teaching, learning & education.
• You will be able to collaborate/ work with international organizations in the field of education like the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES), International Education Council (IEC), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Council of International Schools (CIS) and various others.
• Students get the opportunity to work/ collaborate with experts in the academic field and the industrial area during the course.
• If it is your passion to teach in one of the finest universities/ colleges in India and abroad, a PhD in education will add tremendous value to your resume.
• The salary earned by individuals who hold a PhD in education is relatively high compared to someone who has a MEd degree.
• Indian government organizations in the field of education look to hire experts in the field of education & teaching who hold a PhD in education. Some of those organizations are All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), National Board of Accreditation (NBA), National Council of Educational Research &Training (NCERT), National Assessment &Accreditation Council (NAAC), Sarva Shiksha  Abhiyan (SSA), and others. So, if you have the dream to work in these organizations, pursuing a PhD in education will be highly beneficial.
• After completing a PhD in education, you can get an opportunity to work as an educational advisor for the ministry of education in India or the education ministry in any of the state governments.
• If you want to start your own school/ college, pursuing a Ph.D. in education will help you understand all the requirements, rules, and regulations of opening a new school/ college.

Many universities/ colleges in India offer a PhD in education. Some of the top universities/ colleges are mentioned below:

• Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE, Gandhinagar).
• School of Education (SoE) & Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education (CETE) – Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS, Mumbai).
• Christ University, Bengaluru.
• University of Delhi (DU).
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU, New Delhi).
• Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI, New Delhi).
• Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.

To pursue a PhD in education, the eligibility criteria mentioned below have to be fulfilled by a candidate:

• Bachelor’s Degree – The candidate should hold a full-time bachelor’s degree from a government-recognized university/ college.
• Master’s Degree – The candidate should hold a full-time master’s degree to apply for admission to pursue a PhD in education.
• Minimum marks in Master’s Degree – The candidate should have secured a minimum of 55% marks in his/ her master’s degree to apply for a PhD in education.
• Relaxation for reserved categories – Reserved category students belonging to SC/ ST/ OBC/ PWD/ EWS get relaxation in minimum marks of either 5% or 10% depending on the university/ college.
• PhD Entrance Exam – The candidate applying for a PhD in education needs to clear the PhD entrance test like UGC NET, UGC JRF, TISS-RAT, DUET as mandated by the university or college.
• Work Experience– Some universities insist the work experience as a criterion to apply for Ph.D. in education.
• NOC (No Objection Certificate)– You will need a NOC from your organization or institute if you want to pursue a part-time PhD in education. NOC is not applicable for a full-time PhD in education.

Generally, the tuition fee for pursuing a PhD in education ranges from anywhere between INR 10,000 to INR 1, 00,000 annually. As the fee structure for PhD in education varies across every university/ college, you should make sure to check the fee on the university’s/ colleges official website before applying.

While pursuing your PhD in education, you can choose your relevant research topic based on your interest and specialization. A few of the top research areas in the field of education are mentioned below:

• Teacher Education.
• Application of AI/ ML in education.
• Critical Language, Literacy, and Multilingualism.
• STEM Education.
• Comparative Education.
• Education Policy.
• Education Development.
• Discrimination in education.
• Education Technology.
• The emergence of online education.