Ph.D. (Social Work), Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work, Syllabus, Eligibility, Duration, Degree Course

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Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work

Duration

2 Years

Level

Doctorate

Type

Degree

Eligibility

Post Graduation

Ph.D. Social Work or Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work is a Doctorate Social Work Degree Course. Social Work refers to any of various services designed to aid and uplift the poor, aged and needy. Thus, Doctorate in Social Work is structured to provide social work education and social research. The degree holder of a Ph.D. has conferred the title of ‘Doctor’ even though in the conventional sense he is not. The duration of the program varies depending upon the institution; the Minimum duration is 2-3 years from the date of registration and the maximum is 5-6 years. The minimum qualifications and other eligibility criteria for admission are mostly the same as for part-time students. Ph.D. is a broad-based course involving a minimum course credit requirement and Research Thesis. One can also pursue a Ph.D. through distance learning programs, for example – Madras School of Social Work. Distance Learning Ph.D. meets the needs of students who are unable to attend on-campus classes. Distance Learning Doctoral Degrees, however, have less value as compared to Full-time Ph.D. The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is awarded to a candidate who, as per these regulations, has submitted a thesis based on original and independent research in any particular discipline/inter-disciplinary that makes a contribution to the advancement of knowledge, which is approved by suitably appointed examiners as required.

The National Council of Professional Social Work in consultation with the Universities, including IGNOU and NAPSWI (National Association for Professional Social Workers in India), takes a decision for the promotion, maintenance, co-ordination of standards of education, training, research and practice. It lays down guidelines in respect of minimum qualifications for persons to be employed as social work professionals and lays down guidelines for granting recognition to the institution as well as existing courses and for starting new courses for social work education and training, including the minimum eligibility criteria for admission.

Categories of Ph.D. Candidates

Full-Time Research Scholar

i. Institute Research Scholars with Teaching Assistant (TA) - Students under this category are entitled to Institute Teaching Assistantship as per MHRD norms.

ii. Govt/Semi Govt. Fellowship Awardees (FA QIP, CSIR, UGC, DAE, DST, DBT, NBHM, etc.) - These candidates are financially supported under various Govt./Semi Govt. schemes. The admission procedure and other requirements are the same as applicable to Institute Research Scholars.

iii. Sponsored candidates (SW) - These candidates are sponsored by recognized R&D organizations for doing research work in the Institute on a full-time basis. Candidates are expected to be released for full-time research work at the Institute for a minimum period of three years. They will not receive any financial support from the Institute. The sponsorship letter (Appendix I) should be attached to the application form.

iv. Self-financed (Indian/Foreign)/Study Leave (SF).

a) Indian - This category refers to persons with experience and with a good track record to join the doctoral program. They are admitted along with the regular research students through the usual admission procedure but they would not get any financial support from the Institute. This is a Non-residential student category and they are not entitled to hostel accommodation on campus. If admitted, these students should complete their program within the prescribed time without any financial support from the Institute.

b) Foreign - These students are admitted through Embassy of the respective Govt. after getting approval from the Ministry of External Affairs and no objection certificate from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Education, Govt. of India.

c) Study Leave - This category refers to candidates who are released from Governmental or educational institutions on study leave for a period not less than three years for doing research work at the Institute. Employer’s letter should be produced at the time of joining if selected.

v. Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Awardees (Foreign Students)- These students are sponsored by their Governments and awarded a scholarship by them. They should apply for admission through the Indian Embassy in their country.

Part-time Research Scholar:

i. Institute Faculty/Staff (IS) - This category refers to candidates who are permanent employees of the Institute with more than 2 years of service left to their retirement are admitted to the Ph.D. Programme.

ii. Project Staff (PS) - This category refers to candidates who are working on various projects undertaken by the Institute and admitted to the Ph.D. program if the duration of the Project at the time of admission is around 3 years.

iii. Research Assistants (RA) - Depending upon the requirements, each Department/Centre /School may induct one Research Assistant every year. Students under this category are entitled to Institute Research Assistantship.

iv. External candidates (Sponsored) (EX) - After fulfilling one semester (M.Tech./M.E./equivalent) or two semesters (B.E./B.Tech./M.Sc. or equivalent) of residential requirement at the Institute, these candidates will be allowed to register for Ph.D. with a supervisor from the Institute (Internal) and other from their parent organization (External) where they will be doing the research work. Sponsorship certificate from the organization (Appendix III) must be attached, to the application form.

v. Candidates working from Colleges/Educational Institutes (CT).

1) They are carrying out Research work during weekends, holidays and vacations, at Institute where they are studying.

2) After fulfilling one (M.Tech./M.E./equivalent) or two semesters (B.E./B.Tech./M.Sc. or equivalent) of residential requirement at the Institute, these candidates will be allowed to register for Ph.D. with a supervisor from the Institute (Internal) and other from their parent organization (External) which is optional based on recommendations of the supervisor and respective DPGC/IDPC/PGC. Sponsoring certificate from the organization is to be attached to the application form. Candidates admitted under this category will be treated on par with the Self-finance category as far as payment of fees and deposits are concerned.

Ph.D. Social Work Eligibility

A Master’s degree in Social Work is required to gain admission to a doctoral program. In some subjects, doing a Masters in Philosophy (M.Phil.) is a prerequisite to start Ph.D.
In cases, where the admission at the M.Phil. has been conducted through an entrance examination and course work has been prescribed at the M.Phil. level, such as M.Phil. candidates, when admitted to the Ph.D. programs, shall not be required to undertake entrance examination or course work and it shall be considered to have complied with the UGC (Minimum standards and procedure for award M.Phil./Ph.D. Degree).
In other cases, where a candidate has done M.Phil. from one university and moves to another university for Ph.D., the new university may give credit and exempt from the course work done in the previous university. However, such a candidate will have to appear in the entrance test as applicable to a fresh candidate directly joining Ph.D. This procedure will apply in the case of those candidates who have also obtained a Ph.D. degree from abroad.
For some prestigious Universities, a candidate is required to qualify the all India level examination such as ‘National Eligibility Test for Lectureship (NET) conducted by University Grants Commission. Candidates appearing in the final year of qualifying degree examination are eligible to apply, however, they must submit attested copies of qualifying degree certificates/final transcripts.
Admission is offered based on an interview held usually a month before the commencement of the semester for which admission is sought. The interview may be supplemented by a written test, if necessary.
Normally all candidates in the Ph.D. program are required to be residents on campus. Candidates sponsored from reputed research organizations, who are conducting their Ph.D. work co-advised by a reputed guide at their organization, may be eligible to complete their Ph.D. off-campus. Only for such sponsored candidates, the minimum residency requirement is 1 semester, during which they will need to complete the course requirements. However, frequent visits to the Institution where admission has been taken is still normally required.

Note: Though most of the institutes offering follow the above Eligibility Criteria, there are certain changes or additions as far different as different institutes are concerned.

General Overview of Ph.D. Course Structure

The program comprises both course and research work; the amount of coursework one should undergo depends on the candidates' past background and the research one is engaged in.

Basically, the program includes:

Coursework
Pedagogy
Qualifying Examination
Preparation of Research Proposal
Thesis Work

The research work to be undertaken for Ph.D. must include an original contribution to the knowledge reserve culminating in a thesis to be submitted for the doctoral degree.
The performance of the students in each stage is assessed by means of continuous evaluation throughout the semesters.
The students may be sent abroad for the Visiting Scholar Program to fine-tune their thesis proposal. After returning to India they defend their thesis proposal and start working on their Ph.D. thesis. The Ph.D. thesis is completed in the last year.

Eligibility for Ph.D. (Social Work) – Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Individuals applying for a Ph.D. in Social Work must have a Postgraduate degree in Social Work.

The following categories of candidates may be considered for direct admission to the Ph.D. program:

Those who have an M.Phil. or equivalent degree awarded by a recognized university in India or abroad;
Teachers working in colleges, universities, or institutes recognized by the UGC or appropriate agencies and selected for fellowship under the Faculty Improvement Programme or other similar programs;
Teachers working in colleges, universities, or institutes recognized by the UGC or appropriate agencies and who have 5 years of full-time teaching experience;
Practitioners in healthcare administration, human resource management, developmental work or social work with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the proposed field of research; after fulfilling academic qualification mentioned in the second point and scholars who have proven academic credentials as evidenced by their publications.
Applicants, currently employed and seeking admission, should submit a letter from the employer in support of the application. Upon admission, the scholar is expected to fulfill the admission requirements by personally attending the Institute. Thereupon the scholar is expected to attend the Institute at least once a year to fulfill various academic requirements.
Eligible applicants will be required to appear for a written test and an interview on a pre-notified date.
Applicants will be assigned research guides, at the time of admission to the Ph.D. program.
The research proposal with a clear title (about 1,000 words) to be submitted by the applicant should focus on:

Specification of the broad field of study.
Statement of the research problem and scope and objectives of the study.
The rationale for and the significance of the study.
The methodology to be followed.
References/Bibliography, and the candidate’s research/work experience in that area, if any.

Admission of International Students to PH.D. (Social Work) Programme

The eligibility criteria for admission to the M.Phil./Ph.D. program for foreign nationals is the same as for Indian nationals. Students will be interviewed telephonically by a Panel of faculty members. Upon admission, the student will be extended a provisional admission offer subject to confirmation upon due verification and ascertainment of grades. The scholar is expected to visit the Institute at least once a year.

A differential fee structure exists for students from the SAARC and other low-income countries and developed countries. Foreign students, registered for Ph.D. in universities abroad, can also seek affiliation to the Institute.

PH.D. Programme as per Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Candidates admitted into the Ph.D. program may be recommended by the Interview Panel that the candidate should undertake certain pre-requisite Research Methodology courses offered to M.Phil. students by the Centre for Research Methodology. These courses can also be attended in a modular form offered by the Centre for Research Methodology.
A candidate selected for admission to the Ph.D. program will work under the supervision of a guide, or a guide and a co-guide. A Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC) will be constituted to monitor progress made.
The scholar shall submit three copies of the thesis embodying the results of his/her research work, not later than three years from the date of registration for the Ph.D. program. However, on the recommendation of the guide and Research Council, an extension of one year may be granted. Scholars who do not submit their thesis within four years of their registration will be automatically deregistered. However, if they wish to continue for the program, they will have to register afresh for the program.
The research scholar should submit, through his/her guide, three copies of the final title and synopsis (in about 1,500 words) of the thesis, and make a seminar presentation, at least three months before submission of the thesis.
The scholar must publish at least one paper in a peer-reviewed journal. The thesis shall be adjudicated by two examiners from outside the Institute. The scholar who has successfully completed the Ph.D. program will be awarded the degree at the Annual Convocation.

Fellowships and Scholarships

UGC Junior Research Fellowships - Junior Research Fellowships of the UGC is available to scholars who have qualified for it through the National Eligibility Test conducted by the UGC. The value of the fellowship is Rs.12,000/- per month for the first two years and Rs.14,000/- per month for the next two years. A contingency grant of Rs. 10,000/- per annum for the first two years and Rs. 20,500/- per annum for the next two years is also available.

Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowships - Scheduled Caste candidates admitted to the M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs are eligible to apply for the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship awarded by the UGC. The Fellowship is for Rs. 8,000/- for the initial two years and Rs. 9,000/- for the remaining three years. The contingency grant available is Rs. 10,000/- per annum for the initial two years and Rs. 20,500/- for the remaining three years. House Rent Allowance will be given as per the UGC pattern to students who are not provided with hostel accommodation.

Jamsetji Tata Research Scholarships - The Jamsetji Tata Trust has instituted five research scholarships in disaster management. These scholarships are for Rs. 10,000/- per month and have a contingency grant of Rs. 40,000/- per annum.

School of Rural Development Fellowships - The School of Rural Development provides 2 Ph.D. Fellowships up to Rs. 10,000 per month.

TISS Fellowships - All Research Scholars who do not have any other source of financial support are provided a scholarship of Rs. 2,000/- per month. Research scholars can also apply for financial support for data collection. Upon availability of funds, the Research Council extends support to eligible scholars. Research scholars can apply for fellowships existing from Institute projects in fields of education disaster management, media & cultural studies, globalization and urban studies.

Ph.D. Social Work Colleges

Tata Institute of Social Sciences - TISS, Mumbai
Indira Gandhi National Open University - IGNOU, Delhi
Madras School of Social Work, Chennai
Christ University, Bangalore

Ph.D. Social Work Course Suitability

Candidates who are passionate about contributing original knowledge in the field of social work are the most suited for this course. One should have a deep and far-reaching outlook towards the subject to release a work of research.
Doctor of Philosophy is also suited for those who want to spend a few years more as a student.
Individuals who want to pursue a career as a university professor or researcher in a field can enroll at any of the institutes offering doctor of philosophy degree. If one needs a Ph.D. for promotion in an academic career, hike in salary, or stable job in academics then they can join this course. Such candidates should take admission in State-run Universities and part-time Ph.D. courses.

How is Ph.D. Social Work Course Beneficial?

Ph.D. in Social Work showcases a candidate’s superiority and mastery of the field, which is rewarding.
The Ph.D. or equivalent has become a requirement for a career as a university professor or researcher in most fields.
Doctorate Degree enables one to keep pace with the expanding frontiers of knowledge and provides research training relevant to the present social and economic objectives of the country.

Ph.D. Social Work Employment Areas