Global Rollout of Part-Time PhDs for Working Professionals

Good News for the PhD seekers!! University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to execute part-time PhD programmes for working professionals. Students will have to attend the course for at least 6 months of the course full-time, according to officials at the high education regulator.

UGC vice-chairman M Jagadesh Kumar told IE that part-time PhD programmes are offered by prestigious universities across the world. In part-time PhD programmes, a university faculty regulates PhD students, who research independently on their subject in consultation with their mentor. Such part-time PhD courses are available in the best colleges across the globe. Then, Why not in our Indian Colleges?

The UGC had in March notified the draft of Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of PhD. Degree regulations 2022. The provision is likely to be placed soon.

Professor Kumar, who is an alumnus of Madras and was a faculty in the department of Electrical Engineering in IIT Delhi, said a part-time PhD is very common in the IIT system. Students have to complete their work necessities during their first or second semester or if they are living in the same city where the university is located, they can attend the course and return to their work without being an occupant on the grounds. Such part-time PhD courses are very useful to professionals who can’t take long leave for doing a PhD.

To apply for the PhD programmes, the students must have the same eligibility criteria that is required to serve for full-time courses, he said. However, the students will have to provide a NOC from their organisations in order to get enrolled on the doctoral programme. 

NOC must be stating that the employee is permitted to pursue studies on a part-time basis, the field of research is available at the place of work and the employee will be relieved from duty, if required, to complete course work, he added.

This post was first supplied by FE Knowledge Desk for Financial Express.