The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Psychology is one of the highest levels of degree available in any field of studies that a student can pursue in India. It is a research-based program that allows a student to perform in-depth research in an area of specialization. The Ph.D. in Psychology primarily equips a student for various career options that covers a wide range of research areas and it is designed for students who are keen to generate new knowledge and ideas through scientific research which includes data collection, setting up experiments, applying analytical techniques, etc. and to enhance the skills of students within the subfields of psychology.
In this article, we have mentioned the various information regarding the course, the eligibility criteria, the list of colleges and universities, various disciplines, and the scope of Ph.D. in Psychology in India.
The Ph.D. in Psychology course is generally of a two years duration but a student is allowed to complete the whole research in a maximum of five years duration depending upon their respective institute.
The students graduating with a Ph.D. degree in Psychology receive a significant amount of training in the area of research methodology and statistical analysis in order to prepare them to generate new scientific knowledge, professional practices, or both. In Ph.D., students are often required to prepare a thesis or dissertation in order to illustrate their research knowledge and expertise.
Eligibility Criteria for PhD in Psychology:
Before enrolling in the Ph.D. in Psychology students are required to fulfill the minimum qualification and other eligibility criteria that are necessary for students to obtain admission. Some of the common eligibility criteria for a Ph.D. in psychology in India are as follows:
- Candidates for Ph.D. in Psychology are required to have a Postgraduate degree in Psychology/ Applied Psychology or related fields with at least 55% marks from a recognized University.
- Candidates are required to fill out the application form for the entrance examination process.
- Candidates should clear the entrance examination that is being conducted by the institute.
Specializations available for PhD in Psychology
Some of the major areas of specializations that are there for Ph.D. in Psychology programs include:
Clinical Psychology: It is a subfield of psychology that primarily focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health-related issues. This program aims to provide detailed training in both contemporary clinical assessment and intervention.
Counseling Psychology: The Ph.D. Program in Counseling Psychology is dedicated to the preparation of counseling psychologists who facilitate the optimal development of individuals, groups, and organizations that is culturally relevant and psychologically appropriate across the lifespan. The students are taught to use strategies of prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist others in developing effective coping skills and responses to their environments.
Forensic Psychology: This program combines disciplinary and specialized study in forensic psychology, research methodology, and statistics, and is also applied to learning experiences to prepare students to work in a variety of settings. The program also allows the students to advance in their current fields.
Neuropsychology: Neuropsychology doctoral programs provide opportunities for students to study areas such as brain function, brain anatomy, and neurological injury and disease. Through the following program, students are also trained to administer and understand assessments that are used for detecting brain dysfunction and abnormalities.
Sports Psychology: This particular program is designed in order to advance the primary knowledge in the field of sports psychology theories and research. Sports psychology Ph.D. programs prepare the students to teach college-level courses in the field.
Career Scope & Opportunities after PhD in Psychology
The Ph.D. in Psychology degree helps a student to develop and enhance their skills and comprehensive approach to the field of psychology and mental health profession. The scope after completing a Ph.D. in psychology is increasing day by day in India.
Ph.D. in Psychology primarily offers various career opportunities which a student can opt-in in terms of their future education and also their jobs. Some of the career options after graduating with a Ph.D. in Psychology are:
Research Associate: A research associate is a professional mainly responsible for the conduction of research work, studies, and experiments. A research associate is mainly involved in reviewing the study designs, conducting surveys, experimental procedures, and statistical analyses, and also handling all the documentation and management work.
Assistant & Associate Professor: Assistant and Associate Professors are involved with the teaching of psychological concepts and theories, psychological research projects, and curriculum development.
Scientist: A scientist is a professional who is responsible for conducting different research and studies that are related to laboratory setups. A scientist working in a psychological department conducts experiments on different topics and derives a certain conclusion through those studies.
Psychologist: A psychologist is a mental health professional responsible for working on the mental health well-being of an individual in various setups. They are also responsible for spreading awareness, guiding, and educating people regarding the significance of mental health in our daily lives. There are different specializations that are as follows:
- Clinical Psychologist: they are mental health professionals with specialized training in diagnosing different types of behavioral and emotional issues and providing psychological treatments.
- Counseling Psychologist: professionals involved in dealing with emotional, behavioral, and other psychological health issues and also alleviating feelings of distress.
- Rehabilitation Psychologist: they have specialized knowledge in regards to the evaluation as well as treatment of psychological, emotional, and behavioral coping that promotes positive adaptation to society.
- Child Psychologist: they are primarily responsible for the assessments, diagnostic purposes, and development of treatment plans for children and adolescents.
Apart from this, the Ph.D. program also prepares the students and makes them eligible for pursuing career options in other applied sectors such as counseling in school setups and NGOs and consulting in businesses and organizations that work towards mental health and well-being investigations.
List of Colleges providing PhD Psychology in India
Here, we’ve included a list of different colleges and universities in India that provide Ph.D. programs in psychology. Some of the best universities in this discipline are on the list, which can be further extended as we have only mentioned the top and most famous universities in the same. These are the colleges:
| University/Colleges | Course |
| Delhi | |
| University of Delhi | PhD in Psychology |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | PhD in Psychology |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University | PhD in Psychology |
| Christ University | PhD in Psychology |
| Ashoka University | PhD in Psychology |
| All India Institute of Medical Sciences | PhD in Clinical Psychology |
| Andhra Pradesh | |
| Yogi Vemana University | PhD in Psychology |
| Assam | |
| Gauhati University | PhD in Psychology |
| Assam Don Bosco University | PhD in Psychology & Counselling |
| Bihar | |
| Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University | PhD in Psychology |
| Central University of South Bihar | PhD in Psychology |
| PhD in Clinical Psychology | |
| Chhattisgarh | |
| Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University | PhD in Psychology |
| Gujarat | |
| Saurashtra University | PhD in Psychology |
| Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University | PhD in Psychology |
| Rashtriya Raksha University | PhD in Criminology/Behavioural Sciences |
| Children's University | PhD in Psychology |
| Harayana | |
| Kurukshetra University | PhD in Psychology |
| Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University | PhD in Clinical/Counselling Psychology |
| Central University of Haryana | PhD in Psychology |
| Himachal Pradesh | |
| Himachal Pradesh University | PhD in Psychology |
| Maharshi Dayanand University | PhD in Psychology |
| Jharkhand | |
| Central Institute of Psychiatry | PhD in Clinical Psychology |
| Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry & Allied Sciences | PhD in Clinical Psychology |
| Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University | PhD in Psychology |
| Karnataka | |
| National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences | PhD in Clinical Psychology |
| Christ University | PhD in Psychology |
| Central University of Karnataka | PhD in Psychology |
| REVA University | PhD in Psychology |
| Garden City University | PhD in Psychology |
| Gulbarga University | PhD in Psychology |
| Kerala | |
| Prajyoti Niketan College | PhD in Psychology |
| Sree Shankaracharya University of Sanskrit | PhD in Psychology |
| University of Kerala | PhD in Psychology |
| Madhya Pradesh | |
| Dr BR Ambedkar University of Social Sciences | PhD in Psychology |
| Indira Gandhi national Tribal University | PhD in Applied Psychology |
| Maharashtra | |
| TISS | Ph.D. in Applied Psychology (Anchored by School of Human Ecology) |
| Savitribai Phule Pune University | PhD in Psychology |
| Shivaji University | PhD in Psychology |
| Dr. Annasaheb GD Bendale Mahila Mahavidyalaya | PhD in Psychology |
| Mizoram | |
| Mizoram University | PhD in Psychology |
| PhD in Clinical Psychology | |
| Nagaland | |
| Nagaland University | PhD in Psychology |
| St Joseph University | PhD in Psychology |
| Odisha | |
| Utkal University | PhD in Psychology |
| Indian Institute of Technology | PhD in Psychology |
| Punjab | |
| Panjab university | PhD in Psychology |
| Lovely Professional University | PhD in Psychology |
| CT University | PhD in Psychology |
| Puducherry | |
| Pondicheery University | Ph.D. Applied Psychology |
| Rajasthan | |
| Banasthali Vidyapith | PhD in Psychology |
| NIMS University | PhD in Psychology |
| PhD in Clinical Psychology | |
| University of Rajasthan | PhD in Psychology |
| Singhania University | PhD in Psychology |
| IIS University | PhD in Psychology |
| Bhupal Nobles University | PhD in Psychology |
| Maharishi Arvind University | PhD in Psychology |
| Tantia University | PhD in Psychology |
| Guru Nanak Girls' P.G. College | PhD in Psychology |
| Sikkim | |
| Sikkim University | PhD in Psychology |
| Sikkim State University | PhD in Psychology |
| Tamil Nadu | |
| Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women | PhD in Counselling Psychology |
| Central University of Tamil Nadu | PhD in Applied Psychology |
| Periyar University | PhD in Psychology |
| Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development | PhD in Psychology |
| Indian Institute of Knowledge Management | PhD in Psychology |
| Women's Christian College | PhD in Psychology |
| Government Arts College (Autonomous) | PhD in Psychology |
| Tripura | |
| Tripura University | PhD in Psychology |
| Uttar Pradesh | |
| Banaras Hindu University | PhD in Psychology |
| Aligarh Muslim University | PhD in Psychology |
| University of Allahabad | PhD in Psychology |
| Gokul Das Hindu Girls College | PhD in Psychology |
| Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University | PhD in Psychology |
| Chaudhary Charan Singh University | PhD in Psychology |
| Amity University | PsyD in Clinical Psychology |
| Galgotias University | PhD in Psychology |
| Sharda University | PhD in Psychology |
| Dayalbagh Educational Institute | PhD in Psychology |
| Uttarakhand | |
| Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya | PhD in Psychology |
| University of Patanjali | PhD in Psychology |
| West Bengal | |
| IIT Kharagpur | PhD in Psychology |
| University of Calcutta | PhD in Psychology |
Some Important Links for Psychology Aspirants:
Click here for –Benefits of Clearing the GATE Psychology Entrance Exam
Click here for – List of Universities/Colleges offering Master’s degree in Psychology.
Click here for: PsyD Clinical Psychology in India | Colleges | RCI License | Books –UPS Education
List of all RCI recognized Institutes for M.Phil. Clinical Psychology:
List of all RCI recognized Institutes for M.Phil. Clinical Psychology: https://www.upseducation.in/update/list-of-rci-approved-m-phil-clinical-psychology-institutions/
Click here for Question Bank of UGC-NET-JRF: https://www.psycourse.in/upload/1/Pdf/Question%20Bank/UGC-NET-JRF-Questions-Bank-June-2012-to-2021.pdf
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