Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

Ph. D. in Sociology is a 3 to 5-year doctoral course, the minimum eligibility for admission to which is the successful completion of post-graduation in Sociology, completed from a recognized university.

The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 4,000 and 5 Lacs for the span of three to 5 years.

Admissions for the course is based on a round of counselling conducted after candidates’ qualification of a relevant entrance test such as UGC-NET, etc.

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Successful doctorate-holders in Sociology are hired in professional capacities such as:

• Professor
• Sociologist
• Political Scientist
• Policy Analyst
• Management Consultant
• Social Worker
• Survey Researcher/ Pollster
• Human Resources (HR) Representative
• Public Relations Specialist
• Guidance Counselor, etc.

Popular areas of employment for such professionals include industries such as:

• research institutes
• criminal justice system
• public health and welfare organizations
• private businesses
• law firms
• international agencies
• medical centers
• educational institutions
• advertising firms
• survey and polling organizations, etc.

The average annual salary offered in India to such professionals ranges between INR 4 and 15 Lacs, varying with the candidate’s experience and expertise in the field.

Ph. D. in Sociology: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.

Ph. D. in Sociology: What is it About?

The course has been designed to equip eligible candidates with the adequate skills needed in becoming professional researchers and academics. The course’s major components include:

• Basic academic and research projects.
• The core training programme, which covers issues of social science research in general.
• Issues of research specific to particular disciplines or areas of interest.
• Research design, including the integration of methodological, theoretical, and substantive issues.
• Core training program.
• Departmental seminar series.
• A 10,000-word piece of written work to determine whether the candidate can proceed to a full program of Ph. D. research.

Students enrolled to the course are offered an advanced learning in:

• research in the study of human society, its development, functioning and structure. Sociology as a subject including many diverse topics relating to humans and human society.
• Sociological topics such as crime, religion, family, State, division of race, social class, culture, social stability, radical change, etc. 
• Chosen specializations, which may include:
• social inequality
• race and gender
• political systems
• ethnography or urban sociology, among others.

The program includes the compulsory completion of a doctoral dissertation, which is the culmination of original research and analysis conducted by the student.

The dissertation typically represents a large portion of the academic credits needed to complete the course.

The course also offers traditional subjects of study to help students understand research-based sociological models and theories.

Common subjects of study so included are:

• Advanced sociological research methods
• Ethnographic approaches to studies
• Sociological theory of race and gender
• Urban sociology
• Globalization and political science
• Dynamics of the shifting social world
• Devising solutions to difficult social problems.

The discipline involves an advanced study of elements of sociological relevance such as:

• Criminal Justice- Corrections, Rehabilitation, Law Enforcement, The Justice System, Parole System.
• Business and Industry- Advertising, Consumer and Market Research, Management of Non-profit organizations, Human Resources, Training and Human Development, Leadership Training.
• Research and Planning- Governmental and Regional Planning Departments, Research Firms, Evaluation Research, Public Opinion Research.
• Agencies-Social Services, Mental Health Services, Adoption, Child Care, Youth Services, Developmental Disability Services.
• Education- Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Administration, Alumni Relations, Placement Offices, Educational Research.
• Advocacy- Environmental, Child Welfare, National Policies, Victim Rights, Labor Rights, Community Organization.
• Communications- Technical Writing, Newspaper and Magazine Reporting, Public Relations.

Top Institutes Offering Ph. D. in Sociology

Listed below are some of the top institutes in India that offer the course, along with their corresponding details.

Eligibility for Ph. D. in Sociology

Candidates wishing to apply for the course need to fulfill the following minimum eligibility criteria:

• Post-graduation (M. Sc.) in any of the disciplines consistent with the research areas of the department, completed from a recognized university.
• A minimum aggregate score of 55% (50% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the level of post-graduation.

Ph. D. in Sociology: Admission Process

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on their performance in a relevant entrance test followed by a round of Personal Interview. Some institutes conduct their own entrance tests for offering admission. Admission process generally varies across colleges. A few institutes also provide direct admission based on the candidate’s score at the level of post-graduation, but necessarily followed by a round of Personal Interview.

The application necessarily includes the submission of a research proposal, detailing the proposed outline of the candidate’s Ph. D. project, and explaining the methodology planned to be employed.

Most commonly, all institutes accept the candidates’ NET scores,

National Eligibility Test (NET) is administered by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for most subjects, with the exception of those belonging to disciplines of Science and Engineering which are covered by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Ph. D. in Sociology: Syllabus and Course Description

A section-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated here.

Ph. D. in Sociology: Career Prospects

The course lays an overarching focus on:

• oral and written communication
• quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• themes of race, class and gender
• global awareness
• topics related to businesses, nonprofits, and professions
• sociological topics of marriage and family
• health, education, organizations, social networks
• gender roles and interpersonal relationships
• crime, poverty, and inequality
• religion, culture, social movements and social change.
• social work, education, public policy
• religious ministry, mass communications
• public health
• non-profit administration
• international affairs.

Aspirants looking forward to applying in Ph.D. should Program should meet the following criteria 

• Candidate should have a Master’s Degree from any recognized University.
• Candidates who have cleared a four paper M.Phil. course work with at least 55 % marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade 'B' or those who have already completed the course work in M.Phil. as per the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./Ph.D. Degrees) Regulations, 2016 with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade in the prevalent AUS grading scale and successfully completed the M.Phil. Degree shall be eligible to proceed to do research work leading to a Ph.D. Degree in an integrated program in the University. A relaxation of 5% of marks, from 55% to 50%, or an equivalent relaxation of grade, may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ ST/ OBC (non-creamy layer)/ differently-abled and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the GOI from time to time. The candidates seeking admission against OBC quota must submit income certificate of the current financial year in support of his/ her belonging to OBC (NCL) category, from the appropriate authority.