Duration of the Programme

PhD Programme in Public Systems, Social Welfare and Management shall be for a minimum duration of three years, including course work, and a maximum duration of six years from the date of admission to the programme. A maximum of an additional two years can be given through a process of re-registration as per UGC regulations.

Ph D Through Part-Time Mode

PhD programmes will be a full time course. However PhD through part-time mode will be permitted for a selected candidate who is employed provided the candidate submits a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the employer that the official duties of the candidate permit her/ him to devote sufficient time for research, and if required, she/he will be relieved from the duty to complete the course work.

COURSE WORK

Every scholar has to complete the course works with minimum of 12 credits (1 credit is equivalent to 18 hours of course work). Course works PSSWM-101 and 102 with total credits 4 each are compulsory for all PhD scholars. Another course with credit of 4 has to be chosen from the optional courses. Additional course works may be taken, if the scholar and his supervisor feel that these are necessary for the research.

A. Compulsory course

• PSSWM-101: Research Methodology - 4 Credit
• PSSWM-102: Computer Applications - 4 Credit
• PSSWM-103: Research and Publication Ethics – 2 Credit
• PSSWM-104: Literature Review – 2 Credit

B. Optional Courses (any one) 4 Credit

• PSSWM-105: Recent Advances in Management Research
• PSSWM-106: Recent Advances in Social Welfare Research
• PSSWM-107: Recent Advances in Public Systems Research

Research Process

The Ph.D. program will start with the process of enrolment and classes of course work. Classes of course work will be conducted on the papers given in the course structure with a schedule which includes weekend classes both in physical and hybrid mode. After completion of the course work scholars need to appear for coursework examination and need to qualify the examination with minimum 55% qualifying marks in each paper. Minimum 75% attendance in coursework classes is mandatory.

After qualifying the coursework examination, the scholars need to give a seminar presenting his/her research synopsis for registration of title in consultation with his/her supervisor.

As per UGC guideline and Ph.D. regulation of Calcutta University 2025 a scholar specific Student Research Advisory Committee (SRAC) will be formed to oversee the progress of research periodically and the scholar specific DRC will recommend to Departmental Ph.D. Advisory Committee (DPAC) of the Institute.

The scholars need to present their progress of work before the SRAC committee members periodically. The scholar will have to make at least one conference presentation and minimum two research publications in some peer reviewed and indexed journal.

The scholars will be given maximum two years of time from the date of enrolment for registration of his/her Ph.D. title. They will be eligible for submission of the thesis after two years from the date of registration subject to approval of respective SRAC committee and Institute DPAC through the process of public seminar and defence of summary of research work.

Research work shall start after the completion of the mandatory course work. Ph.D. title Registration Seminar and this will be typically divided in six phases, as below:

• Phase-1 (3 to 6 months)
  In Phase-1 scholar will identify the theme and sub-themes of research, select supervisor and co-supervisors for guiding research, conduct a systematic review of literature on the subject and formulate the research questions to be probed.
• Phase-2 (3 to 6 months)
  In this phase scholar will identify the primary and secondary data source for the research, do data mining, classify data and undertake analysis of data and data gaps for the research and develop strategy for addressing the data gaps.
• Phase-3 (3 to 6 months)
  In this phase scholar will develop the methodology to be adopted for research, develop the questionnaires for field survey, key informant interviews etc, and frame the issues for discussion in focused groups. Scholar will present the methodology in a Seminar for validation.
• Phase-4 (6 to 12 months)
  This is the crucial phase of field work when the scholar will visit the field areas, conduct surveys and interviews and collect all primary materials for the study.
• Phase-5 (3 to 6 months)
  In this phase scholar will write the dissertation and present the same in Seminar for inviting comments, ideas, and suggestions on the work.
• Phase-6 (3-6 months)
  Based on the feedback received scholar will give a final shape to the dissertation, submit the same for review by external experts and defend his dissertation before the Committee constituted for the purpose.