JNU Delhi Doctoral Program (PhD)

Jawaharlal Nehru University, located in New Delhi, provides different PhD courses which are renowned for their academic excellence and extensive research approach. The PhD program at JNU has been established to offer advanced research skills, critical thinking, and knowledge across humanities, social sciences, natural sciences as well as engineering subjects.

The PhD program at the JNU is structured in a manner that boosts interdisciplinary research, enabling students to examine multiple dimensions of complex problems prevailing in the global market. JNU’s reputation and top notch education quality that surpasses global standards along with cutting edge innovation ranks one of the best universities for pursuing PhD in India.

The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) program at JNU has a duration of 4 years and its initial 2 semesters are of course work and students are advised to complete their course work within the defined period of time. There is a wide range of specializations under the PhD program at JNU that are offered under various schools or departments such as the School of Social, School of Environmental Sciences, School of Computer and Systems, School of Physical Sciences, School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, and School of Arts and Aesthetics.

The PhD program at JNU is a full time residential program whereas candidates who are willing to earn a doctoral degree without quitting their jobs or a professional break can enroll in an Online DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) program. The online DBA is a doctorate program that is specially designed for working professionals and allows them to earn a doctorate degree while maintaining a good work life balance.

The eligibility criteria for every specialization offered under the PhD program at JNU are slightly different from one another but the basic and generic education qualification and admission requirements remain the same. Students who are willing to enroll in the PhD program offered at JNU are required to fulfill the below listed eligibility criteria of the program and apply according to them:

• A candidate must have completed a master's degree with a 10+2+3 pattern education qualification from a valid and recognized university.
• A minimum of 55% of the aggregate marks are required at both postgraduation and graduation levels.
• A candidate with a 4 year/8 semester bachelor's degree is also eligible to apply for the Ph.D. program at IIM Indore with a minimum score of 75% or equivalent marks. 
• The applicant must have a valid score in GATE, GRE, GMAT, and JRF (UGC/CSIR) or have qualified CAT examination.
• Candidates from SC, ST, and PWD categories are offered a relaxation on the minimum marks criteria as per the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) 2022.

Jawaharlal Nehru University does not provide any EMI facility for the payment of course fees. However, the fee structure of JNU is highly affordable and can be easily managed by the students. Students may feel the financial burden in some of the self-financed courses only. Instead of EMI and Loan facilities in fee payment, JNU offers a wide range of scholarships and fellowships to the students which significantly helps students to support their academic journey. Here are some of the top scholarships and fellowships students enrolled at JNU can obtain- 

• Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students
• Ford Foundation Scholarships
• Prof. Ramesha Rao Scholarship and Travel Grant
• Tendulkar Scholarship
• Prof. Nurul Hasan Scholarship
• Jawahar Bhawan Trust Scholarship
• Prof. MJK Thavaraj MCM Scholarship
• D S Gardi Sanskrit Scholarship
• Prof. Gouri Shankar Singhal Merit Scholarship
• National Means Cum Merit Scholarship
• Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities
• Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For RPF/RPSF
• Junior Research Fellowship

At JNU, the Ph.D. program is designed to offer students a wide range of extensive research opportunities in their field of interest, enhance their advanced research skills, and through doctoral research, make original from scratch research proposals to tackle current problems prevailing in the academic world. Initially, candidates for the Ph.D. should complete their course work in the first 2 semesters whose main objective is to develop a core understanding of the comprehensive work of the entire program in their chosen specialization.

After the coursework, the PhD student at JNU continues their research work which includes identifying a research problem, conducting a comprehensive review of the literature, and developing a detailed research proposal. For this proposal to be accepted, there has to be a committee of faculty members that approves it. This is the most crucial part of the PhD program at JNU, where students are required to perform primary research guided by their respective mentor or program supervisor. For a detailed overview of the PhD program at JNU, the syllabus of the course work that compromises starting 2 semesters is listed below:

Jawaharlal Nehru University adopts a “letter grade” system for the evaluation of the students. Examinations are conducted at the end of each semester and students are also required to complete their assignments and projects work related to their specific subject. The final evaluation of the students is based on their performance in semester exams and timely completion of the assignments and project works.  PhD candidates are required to present their research papers, attend seminars, and meet the course requirements to complete their research work in their selected area of study. PhD candidates have to prepare a dissertation/thesis, specifying the research outcomes, and appear for the grand viva for final evaluation. PhD candidates are required to defend their thesis/dissertation before the Departmental Research Committee (DRC).

A PhD program is considered to be the highest academic qualification a candidate can earn and post completion of it it is evident that a successful academic career has been started for a candidate. Meanwhile, pursuing it from the globally renowned Jawaharlal Nehru University makes a student compatible to stand out in the global competitive market and acquire a decent job role in reputed academic institutions. 

However, students willing to pursue a doctorate degree without quitting their jobs can enroll in an Online DBA program. The Online DBA program is specially crafted for working class candidates that allow them to upskill themselves for career advancement opportunities without quitting their jobs or hampering their work schedule. 

A few job profiles students can opt for after completing their Ph.D. program from Jawaharlal Nehru University are listed below with their average salaries respectively: