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PhD Programmes

Eligibility

General Eligibility Requirements

  • A candidate shall be eligible for admission to a course of research leading to the award of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), if he/she has passed : 12 years of regular Schooling and at least 3-years Bachelor’s Degree plus post-graduate education leading to MA/MSc/MCA/MS/MTech/LLM degree from a recognized University/Institution with minimum 50% marks or equivalent grade for admission to Social Sciences and Law; and minimum 55% marks or equivalent grade for admission to Science subjects.

  • Candidates, who have undergone integrated Bachelor and Master degrees, will be eligible for admission provided they have at least 5 years of College/University education leading to a Masters’ degree after completing 12 years of schooling.

  • Candidates having a four year Bachelor degree can also be considered for admission to PhD programme on case to case basis.

Faculty / Department Specific Requirements

12 years of schooling followed by 3 +2 years or 4+1 years of Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree respectively in any branch of Biological Sciences (MSc/MVSC/M.Tech/M.Pharm etc.) or MD/MS from an institution recognized by the government of any of the SAARC countries, with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade.
12 years of schooling followed by 3 +2 years or 4+1 years of Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree respectively in any branch of Biological Sciences (MSc/MVSC/M.Tech/M.Pharm etc.) or MD/MS from an institution recognized by the government of any of the SAARC countries, with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade.
A minimum of 17 years of education (12 years of schooling + a 3-year Bachelors degree and a 2-year Master’s degree or 4-year Bachelors degree + a 1 year Masters degree leading to an MA/M.Sc. degree in Economics or related specializations) from an institution recognized by the government of any of the SAARC countries, with a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate or an equivalent grade.
The minimum eligibility criteria to apply is as follows: 17 years of regular education (12 years of regular schooling + a 3-year Bachelor’s degree and a 2-year Master’s degree, or, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree + a 1-year Master’s degree. The candidate’s Master’s degree should be in International Relations or related disciplines like Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, History, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Development Studies, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Post-Colonial Studies, Comparative Literature and Comparative Religious Studies, from an institution recognised by the government of any of the SAARC countries, with a minimum of 50% marks, or an equivalent grade.
12 years of schooling + a 5-year integrated BA/BBA/BSc/ LLB programme or 4-year law degree or a 2 or 3-year Bachelors degree followed by a 3-year LLB programme + a 2-year/1 year LLM programme from an institution recognized by the government of any of the SAARC countries, with a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate or an equivalent grade. Those who have an LLB degree followed by a one-year LLM degree must have a minimum of 60% marks to be eligible to apply.
A minimum of 17 years of education with a Master’s degree in Mathematics/Computer Science/Statistics/Operations Research/Physics or an equivalent degree with 55% marks in the aggregate or equivalent grade.
A minimum of 17 years of education (12 years of schooling + a 3-year Bachelor’s degree and a 2-year Masters degree or 4-year Bachelors degree + a 1 year Masters degree in Sociology or related disciplines like Political Science, Economics and Business Studies, Labour Studies, Psychology, Cultural and Social Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Linguistics, Mass Communication, Journalism, Film and Television Studies, Education, Geography, Law, Social Work, Development Studies, Criminology, Archaeology, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Post-Colonial Studies, English, Comparative Literature, Comparative Religious Studies or Sociology of Science, Art History, Critical Theatre Studies, Aesthetics and art Production from an institution recognised by the government of any of the SAARC countries, with a minimum of 50% mark sin the aggregate or an equivalent grade.

Admission Procedure

Admission to PhD programmes is made through two channels viz. through direct mode and through entrance test.

Through Direct Mode

(Applications are invited throughout the year)

In this mode, certain categories of candidates will be exempted from the Entrance Test. They will be shortlisted on the bases of their CVs/SOPs/Research proposals/Letters of Recommendations and will be called directly for the interview process. The eligible categories are the following:

  • Those who have been already awarded National fellowships in different SAARC countries on the basis of their respective National Entrance Tests.

  • Those who are funded by any Government agency to pursue PhD.

  • Those who are salaried and can get a leave from their organization for at least the period until the course work is completed.

  • Those who are not covered in any of the above categories however, possess the minimum eligibility criteria to pursue PhD. The applications of such candidates will be discussed and forwarded by the FAC of the respective Faculty to CAC. The CAC will recommend the potential candidates to be called for interview.

The students admitted through the direct mode will not be provided with any other financial support/fellowship/stipend throughout the tenure of the PhD programme.

For candidates applying through the above channel, separate merit lists will be drawn keeping in view the reservation of seats for candidates from different SAARC countries defined under SAU’s Rules.

Applications to the PhD programmes through direct mode are invited throughout the year.

Through Entrance Test

(The admissions through this mode are made once a year only for which the applications are invited usually from January/February each year). 

In this mode, the admission procedure for the PhD programme consists of an Entrance Test followed by an interview. Students are required to score at least 50% marks in both, the Entrance Test and the interview separately, to be eligible for admission.

The students admitted through the Entrance Test will be provided the hostel accommodation (as per the Hostel rules) and will be exempted from paying the tuition fee. They will be entitled to the university stipend of INR 25,000 per month for a maximum period of five years provided they are not receiving any other financial support/fellowship/stipend for the purpose of pursuing the PhD programme.

The admission to the PhD programmes through entrance mode is made once a year only for which the applications are invited usually from January/February each year. 

 

Candidates should know before joining Ph.D. programme

  • The tenure of the PhD programme is five years.

  • The pre-PhD course work is compulsory for all students and is spread over two semesters and carries 16 credits as follows: course work (14 credits) plus seminar and term paper (2 credits). Distribution of credits between the two semesters is decided by individual Departments / Faculties. Some Faculties and Departments may have a slightly higher credit requirement depending on their specific needs. Candidates are advised to carefully read Faculty and Department-specific requirements from the University’s website. In addition, students will be required to qualify a non-credit course on “Introduction to South Asia” offered by the university if they have not already done so.

  • Students will complete the pre-PhD course work at the first opportunity when it is offered after joining the programme.

  • At the end of the course work, students with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 6.0 and above will be considered for provisional registration to the direct Ph.D. programme.

  • Students securing CGPA of 6.0 and above, if they so wish, will also be permitted to pursue the M.Phil. programme. Such students will be required to submit a dissertation carrying a minimum of 8 Credits. Candidates securing a CGPA of 5.00 and above (including the grade obtained in M.Phil. dissertation), will be awarded an M.Phil. degree and will leave the University.

  • Students who fail to obtain a CGPA of 6.0 but get a CGPA of 5 or above in the coursework, shall go to the M.Phil. stream. Such students will be required to submit a dissertation carrying a minimum of 8 Credits. Students securing a CGPA of 5.00 and above (including the grade obtained in M.Phil. dissertation), will be awarded an M.Phil. degree and will leave the University

  • There is no provision for a repeat test for improvement of grades in any pre-PhD course.

  • Minimum residency requirement for PhD is the period until the course work is completed.

  • Students pursuing a PhD program at SAU are full-time students and are not permitted to take up any full or part-time work during the residency period.

Fee Structure

Course Fee for Science disciplines USD 800 per semester
Course Fee for other disciplines USD 600 per semester
Hostel Fee (if applicable) USD 100 per semester
Admission Fee USD 200
Security deposit USD 200
Student Aid Fund USD 10

Click here to read Refund Policy of PhD Programmes (Direct Mode) 

Contact Information:

  • Admission Support:

    Email: admission@sau.int

    Contact Number: 011-35656600

  • Technical Support:

    Email: technical@sau.int