Doctor of Philosophy or simply PhD in Commerce is a research-based doctoral course that can be pursued after completing a master degree. The actual length of the course depends on the research. PhD Commerce takes a minimum of 3 years of duration to get completed and can be studied up to a maximum of 6 years.
PhD in Commerce covers a range of subjects related to business, such as accounting, finance, forecasting, management and budgeting. A candidate pursuing this course will have to do research in any one of these areas and will have to submit the thesis at the end of the course.
The course provides the students with a quality education that serves the needs of business and industry management. The important research areas covered during this course include Accounting and Taxation, Business and Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Management, etc.
After completing the course, a candidate can find jobs in fields of business, marketing and education. The most popular job positions for such candidates are lecturer, Professor, CEO, etc.
Important documents to be submitted
- Proof of birth date
- Passing/Degree certificate of the last qualifying degree examination
- Migration Certificate / No objection certificate from the University / Employer last attended
- Gap certificate if applicable
- Scorecard of the entrance exam
- Character certificate from the head of the institute from which the student has obtained his qualifying degree.
- Research Proposal: The Research Proposal is written by the student in collaboration with his proposed guide and signed by all parties. The proposed title of the PhD. the thesis should be such that no study of a similar nature has been or will be completed.
PhD in Commerce Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates should hold a Master’s Degree in Commerce / MBA / MPhil in commerce from a recognized university/institution.
- Minimum aggregate marks required for master degree are 55%.
- In the case of reserved category SC / ST / OBC / PH candidates relaxation of 5% marks or equivalent grade is given as per UGC guidelines.
- Candidates who are in the final year of their masters are also eligible to apply, provided they complete all their qualifying degree requirements before the third week of July.
- Experience of five years of teaching/industry/administration is also demanded by few colleges.
- There is no age bar to apply for the course.
PhD in Commerce Entrance Exams
Candidates need to qualify the entrance exam conducted by UGC, State or university to secure a seat in PhD in Commerce. Below is a list of some entrance exams applicable for PhD programs:
UGC NET
- The exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission to various PhD courses.
- The UGC NET score is valid for 3 years in case of JRF and Lifetime for Assistant Professor.
- This entrance exam does not have any restriction on the number of attempts.
- It is available in 84 subjects at 91 selected cities.
- It is conducted online and consists of two papers of 100 marks each mainly in Hindi and English.
- The candidates would have to attempt a total of 150 questions in three hours.
- It is held twice a year in the months of June and December.
UGC CSIR NET
- It is a national-level exam conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) to select candidates for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and for determining their eligibility for appointment as lecturers in Indian universities and colleges.
- It is a Computer Based Test mode only.
- Online applications are invited twice a year on an all India basis through Press Notification.