
Top Ph.D. Political Science Colleges in India: Ph.D. Political Science stands for the Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science subject. It is a higher-level degree that is done after completing a master's-level program in the relevant field. It takes up to 3 years to complete the course if you are a full-time candidate and it may take up to 5 years if you are a part-time candidate. If you choose to be a student for a doctorate in political sciences, then you will be doing in-depth research on all the areas of political sciences. Having prior knowledge of Decentralisation, Governance, Economy, Development, and Community Empowerment for Indian politics as well as in other countries is going to be an added advantage.
You will be choosing the topic according to your preference and conducting in-depth research as well as case studies on that topic whose outcomes shall be included in your thesis for final approval from your higher authorities. The candidate needs to clear various university-level examinations to get admitted into the best political science Ph.D. programs like CRET, PET, RET, etc. You can earn up to 3 to 10 lakh per annum as a fresher after completing your research and getting your thesis approved by the professors. You can look up to good opportunities further & work as Professor, Political Scientist, Public Relations Specialist, Market trend Research analyst, and Survey Researcher ahead. Let's now jump into the political science Ph.D. program details.
| PARTICULARS | VALUE |
| Name of Degree | Doctorate Level Course/Ph.D. Political Sciences |
| Degree Full Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Sciences |
| Examination Type | Semester-based Examination |
| Age Limit | No Age Bar |
| Course Duration | Three to Five Years |
| Entrance Exam | NET, CRET, RET, PET, UGC-NET |
| Eligibility Criteria | M.Sc./MA Degree in any field with a minimum 55% aggregate score + Entrance exam scores |
| Average Course Fees | ₹20,000 to ₹3.20 Lakhs |
| Average Expected Salary | INR 21,000/- to INR 1,50,000/- per month |
| Skills Required | Critical Thinking skills, Researching, survey skills, statistics, Interpretation skills, Logical Reasoning, Indian political system knowledge, etc |
| Minimum Percentage | General Category: Minimum 55% aggregate in 12th Standard & bachelor/Master degrees SC/ST/OBC: Minimum 50% aggregate in 12th Standard & bachelor/Master degrees |
| Cut-off Marks | Varies University Wise |
| Admission Process | Merit-Based Or Entrance Exam Based |
| Opportunity | Universities, Museums, Education Departments, Coaching Centres, Research and Development agencies, etc. |
| Career Roles | Journalist, Professor, Political Science Professor, Political Research Associate, Public Relations Specialist, Political Writer, Political Scientist, etc. |
| Top Recruitment Firms | Poll Star, Quis Lex, India Today, government offices, Times of India, etc. |
The Ph.D. chemistry admission process has various parameters & eligibility criteria that a student needs to meet before he can join the best university for Ph.D. in chemistry in India.
All the aspirants from the general category should have at least 55% aggregate marks in their 10th and 12th standards. ST, OBC, and SC aspirants should have at least 50% aggregate marks in their 10th and 12th standards.
Candidates undergoing the Ph.D. Political Science admission, should have completed their undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the relevant field with at least a 55% aggregate score. Whereas various Central universities demand 80% UG/PG scores for eligibility.
Before you complete the Ph.D. entrance exams syllabus for the political sciences program, you should know that various universities consider students with a high research-oriented mindset and academic excellence along with having strong political and economical knowledge.
Despite having academic excellence, you need to clear the entrance examinations with at least passing scores to be eligible for admission to Ph.D. in the political science program.
The Ph.D. political science admission process takes place through merit scores or the entrance examination. The admission process is very rigorous, so even lagging by 1% would not let you join the university. The best university for political science Ph.D. programs held their university-level entrance exam, whose syllabus, cut-off score, exam date, etc get published on their official website a few months before. You can get Ph.D. in political science admission in the following ways-
1. Merit-Based Admission: While the institutions that use a merit-based admissions system do not conduct entrance exams, they do demand strong grades, such as a cumulative grade point average of at least 55% from the applicant's prior academic years. A candidate's interest, political system knowledge, and research plans are all taken into consideration during interview rounds at various universities in India.
2. Entrance Exam-based admission: For separating qualified applicants from those who are not, certain prestigious universities like Delhi University choose an entrance-based examination method. A candidate must attempt the university's entrance exam and receive at least a passing grade to be considered. UGC-NET/JRF exams are accepted by the majority of India's top universities for Ph.D. political science. Multiple-choice questions are in the questionnaire, and you must choose the correct answer from the list of options. Every year in January, the procedure for applying to the best political science Ph.D. programs through entrance exams begins. Starting in August, lessons are held.
UGC-NET is the exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is accepted by all Indian colleges affiliated with the University Grants Commission (UGC). The syllabus for the UGC-NET Political Science exam is mentioned below.
The fee structure of the best political science Ph.D. programs is very nominal and ranges between INR 1,000 to INR 15 lakh per annum. Fees for the private Ph.D. in political science universities are higher than the government Ph.D. in political science universities. In total, we have 213 best universities for Ph.D. in political science in India. From these 213 institutions, we have 110 Government Ph.D. in political science universities & 103 Private Ph.D. in political science universities in India. Almost 47 of these universities from 213 have secured a place in the 2021 NIRF rankings. The ranking is determined by MHRD so that the process of choosing the best Ph.D. political science universities whether government or private can become easier.
If you are looking for the best government Ph.D. universities having affordable fees between INR 1,000/- per annum to INR 10,000/- per annum with top-notch academic delivery, then you can apply for 'Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi,' 'The University of Hyderabad (UOH), Hyderabad,' 'University of Calcutta, Kolkata,' 'Savitribai Phule University, Pune', etc. Other well-known universities like 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU), Aurangabad,' 'Assam University, Silchar,' 'Annamalai University (AU), Tamil Nadu,' 'Delhi University (DU), New Delhi' have fees structure approximately between INR 25,000/- per annum to INR 70,000/- per annum.
The best university for Ph.D. in chemistry in India like Hindu College, New Delhi considers conducting entrance examinations instead of accepting students based on their merit. The following examinations you need to clear before getting admitted to renowned universities for Ph.D. in Political Sciences -
DUET: DUET or Delhi University Entrance Test entrance exam is held by the 'Delhi University,' New Delhi each year. The doctorate of philosophy in political sciences entrance exam is generally conducted to select students for research-associated admissions.
RET: RET or Research Entrance Test, is held by every university. It is conducted for selecting political science aspirants and research scholars.
UGC NET: The full form of UGC NET is the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test. It is a type of university-level entrance examination held by UGC following the 'Government of India.' The UGC NET exam is helpful in the various courses of the admission process & Ph.D. Political Science is one of them. It is a powerful exam with a huge weightage which means that clearing UGC NET could save you from various other entrance examinations.
CRET: CRET or Combined Research Entrance Test is held by Assam University, Silchar every year. The entrance examination helps in filtering the right candidates for the admission process in the MPhil course as well as Ph.D. level programs.
PET: PET is a short form for the Ph.D. Entrance Test. The PET entrance test is generally held by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU), Aurangabad. It helps with Ph.D. admission in political science and various other doctorate-level programs.
Candidates can get the full benefit from the various fellowship & scholarship schemes made by the government of India to provide financial aid to deserving students. Attempt for the UGC NET / NET JRF examination in a political science subject. Once you successfully clear the exam, the government is going to sponsor your entire fee. The JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) is chosen by clearing the UGC NET entrance exam - (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test). He is eligible to receive the INR 31,000 stipend every month. The INR 20,000/- contingency grant is provided to the university for every candidate. The candidate can attempt the SRF (Senior Research Fellowship) program after 2 years. He will get an INR 35,000 stipend every month.
Candidates need to meet the cutoff score set by their desired University to be eligible to be admitted there. Various parameters make the university come to a particular cutoff number. It is generally based on the infrastructure, the curriculum, the location, the student population, and the popularity of that particular university. The cutoff marks are going to vary for every university, so you need to make sure that you have scored the minimum eligible marks in your 10th and 12th standards along with meeting the minimum cut-off mark requirements in the entrance examination conducted by the university. You can check the previous year's cut-off marks of your desired university to get an idea of how much the university expects from a candidate, as well as browse through their official website to get a clear idea on this subject & recent updates on cutoff.
The future seems bright for the candidates after taking Ph.D. admission in political science. The salary is not only the major attractive point to get admitted to a Ph.D. in political science. In the future, you will be part of major decision-making in our political and economic systems. Henceforth, you are going to get into various dignified job roles. According to your preference, you can either get into research-based profiles, government job roles, or even private sector job roles. The scope of a doctorate in philosophy in political sciences is not limited to a particular industry, you will get a chance to work with various sectors like publishing houses, universities, schools, etc. The top recruiters like Times of India, NDTV, and India Today will be coming to your campus for recruitment purposes so it in itself is a very big opportunity after completing Ph.D. in political science. Here in the below section, we have compiled the list of job roles, employment sectors as well as top recruiters-
Job Roles
| Researcher | Research Analysts | Professor |
| Journalist | Public Relation Specialist | Survey Researcher |
| Project Manager | Education Developer | Political Scientist |
Employment Sectors
| Museums | Publishing House | Research and Development Agencies |
| Education Department | Private Tuitions | Education Consultancies |
| Schools | Coaching Centers | Universities/Institutes/Colleges |
Top Recruiters
| Times of India | QuisLex | Oxynello |
| Transoplanet | India Today | |
| Pollstar | NDTV |
According to the pay scale, the highest salary, lowest salary, and average salary for a Ph.D. in political science graduate are INR 20,00,000/-, INR 2,00,000/-, and INR 3,00,000/-. As per Glassdoor, the average salary for a Ph.D. in organic chemistry graduate is INR 9, 00,000/-. The same source also revealed the average salary for private & government careers. If you wish to pursue a career in government jobs of a Ph.D. in Political Science like survey researcher, political associate, etc, then your average salary would be INR 6, 00,000/-. If you get hired in a public sector career job role with Ph.D. in Political Science then your average salary is going to be INR 10, 00,000/-. Here is the list of job roles with their salary packages per annum respectively -
| Profile | Average Salary (Annually) |
| Political Scientist | INR 6,00,000/- to INR 9,00,000/- (Source: "Glassdoor") |
| Journalist | INR 6,00,000/- to 10, 00,000/- |
| Research Analyst | INR 5,00,000/- |
| Public Relation Specialist | INR 8,00,000/- to INR 11,00,000/- (Source: "Naukri") |
| Political Science Professor/Lecturer | INR 10,00,000/- to INR 15,00,000/- (Source: "Naukri") |
| Market Trend Research Analyst | INR 4,00,000/- to 8,00,000/- (Source: "Naukri") |
| Survey Researcher | INR 6,00,000/- to INR 7,00,000/- (Source: "Glassdoor") |
| Research Associate | INR 5,00,000/- (Source: "Glassdoor") |
| Education Developer | INR 8,00,000/- (Source: "Glassdoor") |
| Consultant | INR 8,00,000/- (Source: "Glassdoor") |
| Political Associate | INR 9,00,000/- (Source: "Glassdoor") |
Candidates will find that every corner of India is filled with Ph.D. universities for political sciences, but the best of them are very few. The choice of the best location for a political science doctorate course is based on factors such as placements, infrastructure, laboratories, research centers, live projects, internships, etc. Here is a list of the best cities that you can choose for doing your political science doctorate course -
| Bangalore | Chennai | Pune |
| Mumbai | Hyderabad | Mysore |
| Kolkata | Delhi NCR | Uttar Pradesh |
| Jaipur | Guwahati | Dehradun |
Candidates are becoming more alert before choosing government and private universities for their Ph.D. in political sciences. Both university types have their pros and cons. Government Universities have lower fee structures and more job opportunities. Whereas private Universities have a higher fee structure and a decent amount of job opportunities although admission criteria in government universities are quite difficult as compared to private Universities. Let's discuss them below -
| Name of University | Ranking |
| St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
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| Miranda House, New Delhi |
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| Madras Christian College (MCC), Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
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| Hindu College, New Delhi |
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| Mount Carmel College (MCC), Bangalore, Karnataka |
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| Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka |
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| Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), New Delhi |
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| Isabella Thoburn Degree College (ITDC), Uttar Pradesh |
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| Mithibai College of Arts, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
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| Sri Venkateswara College, New Delhi |
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| Name of University | Ranking | Overall Score |
| Harvard University, Cambridge, US | 1 | 93.3 |
| Sciences Po, Paris, France | 2 | 90.8 |
| The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK | 3 | 89.6 |
| Princeton University, Princeton, US | 4 | 87.9 |
| The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK | 5 | 86 |
| University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK | 6 | 84.9 |
| Stanford University, Stanford, US | 7 | 84.6 |
| Yale University, New Haven, US | 8 | 83.5 |
| The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia | 9 | 80.8 |
| National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore | 10 | 80.5 |

New Delhi, Delhi

Kolkata, West Bengal

Chandigarh, Chandigarh

Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

New Delhi, Delhi

Delhi, Delhi
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New Delhi, Delhi

New Delhi, Delhi

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

New Delhi, Delhi

New Delhi, Delhi

Aurangabad, Maharashtra