Best Ph.D. in English Colleges in India 2023: The Ph.D. in English stands for Doctor of Philosophy in English, which is completed within 3 to 5 years. The course is ideal for those candidates who wish to learn literature subjects in an English-translated language. The English Ph.D. degree will make you well-versed in major fields of English such as world literature, dialogue delivery, ancient literature, dialects, translations, and technical writing like drama, poetry, fiction, and prose. Candidates need to have a minimum aggregate score of 55% in their academics as well as should have post graduate or master’s degree I.e, MA in English or M. Phill before applying for Ph.D. in English program. You can make 4 to 6 lakhs salary per annum and that increases based on your expertise, knowledge, and dialogue delivery. Students can get into the creative writing, and corporate sector as well as in universities and colleges after completing their Ph.D. degree in English. Technical Writer, Journalist, Critic Writer, Translator Public Relations Officer, are some of the job roles after completing an English Ph.D. In this article, you’re going to learn everything about a Ph.D. in English degree including its salary structure, recruiters lists, degree scope, top colleges, etc.
Course Highlights
| PARTICULARS | VALUE |
| Name of Degree | Doctorate Level Course/Ph.D. English |
| Degree Full Form | Doctor of Philosophy in English |
| Examination Type | Semester-based Examination |
| Age Limit | No Age Bar |
| Course Duration | 3 to 5 Years |
| Entrance Exam | GATE, JNUEE, DUET, UGC NET |
| Eligibility Criteria | M.A Degree / M. Phill degree in English Subject with a minimum 55% aggregate score |
| Total Course Fees | INR 5,000 to INR 3 lakh per annum |
| Average Expected Salary | INR 3, 50,000/- to INR 5,000,00/- per annum |
| Skills Required | Writing skills, Communication skills, Researching, Analytical Skills, Creative thinking, Command over Grammar, Presentation skills |
| 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 / Entrance Exam Based followed by Written Test, Counseling, Group Discussion |
| Opportunities | Media, Writing, Journalism, politics, education, public relation, etc |
| Career Roles | English Teacher, Novelist, Author, Blogger, School Teacher, Private Tutor, Education Consultant, Proofreader, Vice Principal, Professor, Program Manager, Customer Support Associate, Lecturer, Language Trainer |
| Top Recruitment Firms | India Times, HCL, Eros entertainment, Doordarshan, Electronic Media Monitoring Centre |
Also Read: Top Engineering Colleges in India
Eligibility Criteria
All the aspirants need to meet the following eligibility criteria before being admitted to the best university for Ph.D. in English in India –
- All the candidates must have at least 55% aggregate marks in their academics, bachelor’s as well as a master’s degree. Scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes people get 5% relief on this.
- Postgraduate or master’s degrees should be either Masters of arts in English (MA) or a master of philosophy in English (M.Phil).
- Candidates need to clear the entrance examinations followed by a personal interview round to be eligible for a Ph.D. in English.
- Various Universities require you to have professional experience in English or literature subjects at a senior-level position.
Admission Process
The candidates need to follow the proper admission process to get admitted to the university. You need to visit the official website of your dream university, download the application form, fill it out and send it back to the university. Afterward, you need to attempt the entrance examination and score at least minimum passing marks. Candidates are also expected to score a minimum of 55% aggregate marks in their 10th standard, and 12th standard as well as a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, they need to complete their master’s degree in the English field for further admission. Once you clear the entrance examination you will be called for the personal interview session that will be followed by various other rounds. We have mentioned the compiled process below –
- Merit-Based Admission
- Entrance Exam-Based Admission (CSIR UGC NET, ICAR AICE JRF/SRF, UGC NET, etc)
- Written Test
- Counseling Session
- Group Discussion
- Final Documentation process & Evaluation
Syllabus for Entrance Exam
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 English exam is listed below.
| Units | Topics |
| Unit -I | Drama |
| Unit -II | Poetry |
| Unit -III | Fiction, short story |
| Unit -IV | Non-Fictional Prose |
| Unit -V | Language: Basic concepts, theories and pedagogy. English in Use. |
| Unit -VI | English in India: history, evolution and futures |
| Unit -VII | Cultural Studies |
| Unit -VIII | Literary Criticism |
| Unit -IX | Literary Theory post World War II |
| Unit -X | Research Methods and Materials in English |
Fee Structure for Ph.D. in English
The Ph.D. in English fees vary according to the University to which you are planning to apply for admission to pursue further studies. In India, the average fee for completing a Ph.D. in English is INR 50,000/- per annum. The minimum fee required to pursue this program is INR 5,000/- and the maximum fee can go up to INR 3,00,000/- per annum based on amenities, reputation, enrollment number, location, etc. If you are looking forward to taking admission to the top universities for Ph.D. in English with minimal annual fees, then ‘Loyola College, Chennai,’ ‘Christ University College, Bangalore’, etc is the best option for you. Their fee structure stands approximately between INR 10,000/- per annum to INR 35,000/- per annum. Other best English Ph.D. universities with a bit higher fees structure between INR 75,000/- per annum to INR 1,50,000/- per annum are ‘Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneshwar,’ ‘NIMS University College, Jaipur,’ ‘St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai’, etc. Please note that the annual fees for Ph.D. in English will eventually increase & can go in lakhs if you wish to take direct admission to private universities that don’t require an entrance examination. But, after clearing the university-level entrance exam, you get certain relief in your entire fees.
Top Entrance Examinations for Ph.D. in English
Different Universities accept different entrance examinations. Moreover, they can also conduct their university-level examination that candidates need to clear before getting admitted to the university. During the entrance exam, you will have 1.5 hours to complete it. And the exam questions will be in the form of multiple-choice questions with no policy of negative marking. The entrance exam will generally be on subjects like logical reasoning, English, social science, etc. Some of the most popular entrance examinations held by different universities in India for Ph.D. in English admission are mentioned below –
- UGC NET: The entrance exam states the Indian candidate’s eligibility as a professor or Junior Research fellowship. The University Grants Commission (UGC) exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency.
- GATE: Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is conducted to test candidates’ eligibility for research-based subjects. You can appear for the GATE 2023 exam if you have completed either of the government-approved degrees in subjects of Arts, Science, Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Commerce, etc. It’s one of the prestigious exams that open doors to work in companies like ONGC, BHEL, NTPC, IOCL, SAIL, HPCL, etc.
- DUET: Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) is generally a national-level entrance examination. The DUET entrance exam is organized by the National Testing Authority (NTA). The test allows candidates to pursue higher-level studies in degrees like postgraduate, M.Phil, and other research-based doctorate or philosophy courses. The DUET 2023 notifications will soon be released on their official website portal.
- JNUEE: Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam (JNUEE 2023 entrance exam) is generally a university-level entrance exam. The JNUEE 2023 notifications are declared & managed by the conducting body National Testing Agency (NTA). The exam takes place once every year. With the help of this exam, the candidates can take admission across various degree-level courses on the JNU campus within the 14 Schools. These degrees are undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) etc.
Note: National Testing Agency (NTA) is a self-established organization that helps to organize various university-level entrance examinations. Such exams help candidates to take admission or fellowship to renowned educational universities. With the help of NTA standards tests, we can judge the capability of candidates for further admission.
Here in the below section, we have mentioned the most important dates for entrance examinations –
| Name of Entrance Exam | Date of Registration | Tentative Exam Date |
| UGC NET – June Session | March 2023 to April 2023 (Till the end of 2nd week) | June 2023 – 3rd Weeka |
| GATE | Yet to be announced | Yet to be announced |
| UGC NET – July Session | 29th December 2022 to 23rd January 2023 | 21st February 2023 to 10th March 2023 |
Scholarship and Fellowship
As per various government schemes, the most deserving candidates will be offered the scholarship & fellowship by waving off their fees. All the aspirants of Ph.D. in English are notified to attend the UGC NET exam & clear with required marks to avail the full benefit of such schemes. Clearing this entrance exam will give you the position of JRF (Junior Research Fellowship). Here, you are eligible for a stipend between INR 28,000/- to INR 30,000/-. Your stipend amount increases gradually after two years to INR 35,000/- at SRF (Senior Research Fellowship) position.
Result and Cutoffs
Minimum marks or aggregate percentage is set by the best universities for Ph.D. in English in India to select the top-notch & sharp-minded candidates.
The cut-off marks are different for every course, university, or college. Such cutoff scores widely save you from the difficult entrance examination. Based on your 12th standard, 10th standard, bachelor’s, or master’s, your admission process gets simplified. If you do not fulfill the minimum cutoff marks, then you will not be called for further rounds of the admission process. The list of cutoff marks usually gets declared after the results of entrance exams are out.
Future Scope and Career Options after Ph.D. in English
The future scope after completing a doctorate of philosophy in English seems very bright. It is so because novelists, creative writers, copywriters, technical writers, and even literature professors, etc. are the need of the day. Even though our mother tongue is Hindi, English is still the most basic language that is used as a medium to interact with each other in the private corporate sector as well as the government sector. We have compiled a list of some job profiles, career roles, employment sectors as well as top recruiters that you can get hired from after the completion of an English Ph.D. degree –
Job Roles
| English Teacher | Education Consultant, | Professor / Lecturer |
| School Teacher | Proofreader | Customer Support Associate, |
| Private Tutor | Vice Principal | Movie Critic |
| Executive Assistant | Novelist & Writer | Philosophical Journalist |
| Language Trainer | Program Manager | Soft Skills Trainer |
Employment Sectors
| Journalism | Educational Institutes | Poetry |
| Media | Politics | Public Relations |
| Writer | Art & Blogging | Universities / Colleges |
| Coaching Centers | Data Centres | News & Media |
| Translation Offices | Personality Development | Publishing Houses |
Top Recruiters
Private Companies
| Zee News | Indiatimes | TATA Consultancy |
| HCL | Eros Entertainment |
Government Companies
| Central Board of Film Certification | Doordarshan | Publications Division |
| Press Information Bureau | Films Division | Directorate of Film Festivals |
| Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) | Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India | Bureau of Outreach & Communication |
Salary Package After Completing Ph.D. in English
The starting salary for a Ph.D. in English graduate freshers are INR 3,50,000/- to INR 5,000,00/- per annum as per PayScale. After gaining 3 to 5 years of relevant experience, it goes up between INR 10,00,000/- to INR 15,000,00/- per annum. The maximum you can make after 10 to 15 years of experience at profiles like movie critic is INR 36,00,000/- although for the right talent sky’s the limit.
| Name of Profile | Salary Offered (in lakhs per annum) |
| Movie Critic | INR 36,00,000/- |
| Professor | INR 5, 40,000/- |
| Content Writer | INR 6, 00,000/- |
| Copy Editor | INR 6, 60,000/- |
| Head of Department English | INR 19, 20,000/- (Source : Glassdoor) |
| Name of Profile | Salary Offered (in lakhs per annum) |
| Public Relations Officer | INR 4,00,000/- |
| Technical Writer | INR 7,00,000/- |
| Program Officer | INR 5,00,000/- |
| Creative Writer | INR 14,00,000/- |
| Educator | INR 4,00,000/- |
| Lecturer | INR 5,00,000/- (Source : Naukri) |
Top Cities for Ph.D. in English
Indian cities that are best for completing your Ph.D. in English degree course are Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, preferably. It is so because it is considered a hub for employment so there are so many people from varied parts of India as well as foreign countries who are good in English & come to these cities for study. Having a group with such knowledge will help you to improve your skills and learn the best from each other. Moreover, while searching for the best college you should know about the professors, their profiles & degree and preferably join universities having professors who have completed English studies in foreign countries. Here are the top cities that you can approach for completing your PhD. in English degree –
| Bangalore | Kolkata | Delhi |
| Mumbai | Hyderabad | Chennai |
| Ahmedabad | Gurgaon | Pune |
Top university for Ph.D. in English
In India, there are more than 760 government and private universities as well as 38,498 colleges. Out of this number, more than 15,000 universities offer MA in English and Ph.D. in English courses.
Best Private/Government University for Ph.D.in English in India
| Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi | St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai | St Stephen’s College, Delhi |
| Jadavpur University, Kolkata | Mithibai College of Arts, Mumbai | Garden City University, Bangalore |
| Christ University, Bangalore | Abeda Inamdar Senior College, Pune | Annamalai University, Karnataka |
| Amity University, Noida | Hindu College, Delhi | Karnataka State Open University |
| Presidency University, Kolkata | Fergusson College, Pune | Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune |
Best University for Ph.D.in English in World
| Stanford University | Columbia University | University of Alberta |
| Oxford University | University of Toronto | University College London |
| University of California | Massachusetts University | University of British Columbia |
| Imperial College London | University of Cambridge | University of Edinburgh |
| Harvard University | University of Montreal | McGill University |
FAQ’s Related to Ph.D. in English
Q. What is the full form of a Ph.D. in English?
Ans. The Ph.D. in English stands for doctor of philosophy in English degree. It is a research-based degree of 3 to 5 years usually done after completing the master’s in English.
Q. Name the entrance exams held by the universities for joining Ph.D. in English degree courses.
Ans. GATE, JNUEE, DUET, CSIR-UGC NET, ICAR AICE JRF/SRF are the entrance exams for Ph.D. English admission.
Q. What is the average fee structure for a Ph.D. in an English degree course?
Ans. The average fee for completing a doctorate in English is INR 5,000/- to INR 3, 00,000/- per annum.
Q. How much salary can you expect after completing a doctorate in philosophy in English?
Ans. According to PayScale, the Ph.D. English graduates can expect INR 3, 50,000/- to INR 5, 00,000/- per annum in private & government sector jobs.
Q. What are the minimum aggregate marks accepted by the universities for taking admission to Ph.D. in English?
Ans. The candidate must have at least 55% aggregate marks in Academics, and a bachelor’s as well as a master’s degree to be eligible for filling out the admission form.