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JNU PhD: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is one of India’s most prestigious academic institutions in India. Candidates aspiring to get enrolled on JNU’s PhD courses can apply either via the body’s proprietary exam, i.e., JNUEE, or via the JRF category. These are the two separate ways by which one can get admission for the said course at JNU.
JNU Offers a wide assortment of lucrative PhD programmes that are designed to provide students with extensive knowledge in their respective domains. Students here can opt from 60 different lucrative PhD specialisations, namely PhD Life Science, PhD Economics, PhD English and so on. Read the article to know more about JNU PhD Admission, Important Dates, Best Courses, and so on.
Table of Contents
Also Read: Courses in JNU: UG, PG and Other Study Programmes
Important Dates for JNU PhD Admissions 2023
JNU has officially released admission dates for various programmes. Individuals interested in enrolling in any of the JNU courses must thus review the important dates to schedule their preparation work accordingly.
JNU PhD Admission through JRF Category: Important Dates 2023
Candidates applying for PhD courses at JNU via JRF Category can refer to the following table to go through the crucial dates.
| Event | Date |
| Release of Online Applications for JNU PhD | July 5, 2023 |
| Last Date to Fill Out the JNU PhD Application Form | August 4, 2023 (Till 11:50 PM) |
JNU PhD Admission through JNUEE Exam: Important Dates 2023
Candidates intending to undertake the JNUEE exam to get admission into JNU’s PhD programmes can refer to the following table.
| Event | Date |
| Registration Window (for PG and PhD Courses) | 20th March 2023- 19th April 2023 (5 pm) |
| Admit Card | 19th May 2023 |
| Examination Date | 5th June to 12th June 2023 |
Also Read: JNU Campus: Infrastructure, Facilities, and More
JNU PhD Admissions Via JNUEE
It is critical for aspirants who seek to pursue a doctoral degree (PhD) at JNU to qualify for the JNUEE entrance examination. JNUEE, a university-level entrance exam, is administered every year to admit meritorious candidates into JNU’s PhD, UG, PG, M.Phil and other integrated courses. JNUEE results for PhD Courses (2022) were declared on the 10th of January, 2023.
Individuals aspiring to enrol for the PhD courses at JNU had to undertake the JNUEE (PhD) exam between 5th June and 12th June 2023. Candidates awaiting the final answer keys for JNUEE (PhD courses) exam can check them at the JNUEE PhD Results official website of the administrating body.
Eligibility Criteria for JNUEE (PhD)
Candidates who wish to pursue doctoral courses at the JNU must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Individuals must be holding a master’s degree in any similar subject with a minimum aggregate score of 50%.
- Individuals must be holding citizenship in India.
- Candidates hailing from international borders are also eligible for the said exam.
- Individuals below the age limit of 17 will not be considered eligible for the exam.
Refer to the following table to understand the eligibility criteria for different specialisations for PhD.
| Specialisation (PhD) | Eligibility Criteria for Admission |
| Human Rights Studies | MPhil required Prior education in Human Rights is mandatory. 55% required in postgraduation |
| Political Geography | Post-graduation degree in any AYUSH-related subject. |
| Life Sciences | Master’s Degree in Life Sciences with a minimum aggregate score of 55%. |
| French/ Persian/ Hindi/ German | 2-year MPhil degree with a minimum aggregate score of 55%. |
JNUEE PhD Exam Pattern 2023
Students who desire to pursue PhD degrees at JNU must take the JNUEE Exam (for PhD programmes). Students must become familiar with the exam pattern. When it comes to the JNUEE exam for PhD Courses, students sitting for the exam can anticipate being presented with multiple-choice questions from subjects studied at the graduate and postgraduate levels. Students must cover topics from subjects namely Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science when preparing.
| Exam Mode | Online (CBT) |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Total number of questions | 100 |
| Question Type | Objective |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for Correct ResponseNo Negative Marking |
JNUEE PhD Syllabus 2023
Students must revise the prescribed syllabus for JNUEE to ace their tests. Those who wish to sit for the JNUEE Exam (for PhD courses) can refer to the following table to go through the syllabus. Have a look.
| PhD (Syllabus) – JNUEE | |
| Political Science | Concept and theories of governance theories of the State Democracy and developmentDecentralisation; |
| Law | Constitution and Administrative Law Criminal law and TechnologyEnvironmental law corporate laws |
| Economics | Microeconomics Macroeconomics Development Economics Political Economy |
| Sociology | Sociological Theory Kinship Sociological Perspectives on Caste |
JNU PhD Admissions Via JRF Category
Individuals who wish to pursue PhD courses from JNU can opt for the JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) category. Under this category, candidates can apply for admission without the need to sit for the JNUEE Exam. In other words, JRF candidates will be exempted from undertaking the JNUEE Entrance Exam. Those who wish to apply for admission under the said category may do so between the 5th of July and the 4th of August 2023.
JNU PhD Application via JRF Category
Aspirants intending to apply for admission into JNU’s PhD programmes can register themselves between the 5th of July and the 4th of August 2023. Individuals must register on https://jnuee.jnu.ac.in to register for admission.
How to Apply for JNU PhD Admission Under JRF?
Those who wish to apply for JNU PhD admission under JRF can refer to the following steps.
- Interested candidates must first visit JNU’s official admission portal to register themselves.
- Aspirants must click on the ‘Apply for PhD programme’ option.
- After doing so, one must click on ‘new registration’.
- Candidates must log into their accounts by entering their designated credentials.
- Once done with that, candidates must simply enter the requisite data, i.e., personal information and qualifications.
- One must upload their photographs and signatures to ensure a successful registration process.
- One must pay the requisite registration fee to complete the application process.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria for JRF Candidates
Candidates applying for JNU PhD admission via the JRF category must meet the following pre-requisites:
- Candidates must have qualified for JRF CSIR/UGC National Eligibility Test (NET)/ICMR/AYUSH/DBT Examinations.
- JRF Candidates are not required to undertake the JNUEE 2023 Exam for PhD admission.
- Individuals are curated and selected based on their applications under the JRF category. Selected candidates are further called for their viva-voce rounds. Aspirants must clear the viva rounds to ensure a successful selection process.
- One must acquire a score of 100% in their viva round to be selected.
JNU PhD Fees
The average tuition fees for pursuing PhD courses in JNU range between INR 395 to INR 1,391. Refer to the following table to go through the JNU PhD Fees for different specialisations.
| PhD Specialisation | Fees (INR) | Duration |
| Life Science | 395 | 3 years |
| Economics | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| English | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| International Trade and Development | 1,391 | 3 Years |
| Law and Governance | 1,391 | 3 Years |
| Ancient History | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| Sanskrit | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| Computer Systems | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| Arts | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| Hindi | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| Geography | 1,381 | 3 Years |
| Philosophy | 1,381 | 3 Years |
List of JNU PhD Specialisations
Students can choose from 60 different PhD specialisations at JNU. The complete list of specialisations is given below.
| Life Science | International Politics | Linguistics | Tamil |
| Economics | Molecular Medicine | Urdu | Russian |
| English | History | Discrimination and Exclusion Studies | German |
| International Trade and Development | Chemical Sciences | Arabic | Japanese |
| Law and Governance | Media Studies | Social Sciences | Persian |
| Ancient History | Mathematical Sciences | Nano Science and Technology | West Indian Studies |
| Sanskrit | Comparative Politics | African Studies | Kannada |
| Computer Systems | Visual Arts | Chinese studies | Spanish |
| Arts | Women Studies | South Asian Studies | Social Inclusion and Exclusion Policy |
| Hindi | Cinema Studies | French | Korean |
| Physical Science | Political Geography | Latin American Studies | Social System |
| Geography | International Organisation | North East India Studies | Diplomacy and Disarmament |
| Philosophy | Computational Biology and Bioinformatics | Political Science | Sociology |
| Environmental Science | International Legal Studies | Science Policy | Theatre |
| Biotechnology | Population Studies | Canadian Studies | European Studies |
Top JNU PhD Courses
Each of these courses has been meticulously planned and structured with the aim of providing students with the best possible quality of education. Some major PhD courses available at the JNU are PhD Life Science, PhD Economics, PhD English, PhD Law & Governance, and PhD Ancient History. Let’s Have a look.
PhD Life Science
This 3-year full-time JNU PhD programme focuses on honing one’s knowledge in the study of living organisms. The course aims to provide students with extensive knowledge of Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Neuroscience. Those who wish to opt for the course must be having a prior understanding of the stated subjects as it is an advanced level course.
| Total Fees | INR 1,085 (3 Years) |
| Examination (For Selection) | JNUEE |
| Cut-Off Marks (2021) | 60.77 (General) OBC (42.5) |
| Ranking | #601- 801 (Times Higher Education Science Ranks) |
| Eligibility | Post-Graduation |
PhD Economics
PhD Economics is one of the most sought-after doctoral courses at the JNU. The total cost of this three-year programme is around INR 3,949 (r years). The course is meant for those who wish to learn more about macroeconomics and microeconomics. Individuals who aspire to carve a teaching career in Economics or wish to continue their research work in the domains of Economics must definitely opt for this doctoral programme at JNU.
| Total Fees | INR 3,949 (3 Years) |
| Examination (For Selection) | JNUEE |
| Cut-Off Marks (2021) | 61.4 (EWS)61.9 (General) 47.5 (OBC) 44.9 (SC) 39.5 (ST) |
| Ranking | #301- 400 (Times Higher Education Science Ranks) |
| Eligibility | Post-Graduation |
PhD English
Individuals who wish to gain an in-depth knowledge of the English language can opt for this three-year doctoral programme. The total tuition fee for the programme is INR 3,949. The programme is meant for those who wish to hone and enhance their reading, learning and writing skills in English. The curriculum for the course is designed to provide students with an extensive knowledge of different theories, texts, dialects and sects of the English language.
| Total Fees | INR 3,949 (3 Years) |
| Examination (For Selection) | JNUEE |
| Ranking | #301- 400 (Times Higher Education Science Ranks) |
| Eligibility | Post-Graduation (with 45%+ in JNUEE) |
PhD International Trade And Development
This three-year on-campus doctoral programme at JNU aims at shaping young minds into capable professionals who are able to prove their mettle in the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. Individuals who wish to carve their careers in the domain of international business are encouraged to opt for the said course. The total cost for the said programme is INR 3,959 (for three years).
| Total Fees | INR 3,959 (3 years) |
| Examination (For Selection) | JNUEE |
| Eligibility | Post-Graduation |
| Duration | 3 Years |
JNU Placement 2023
As of 2023, JNU UG students managed to bag a median salary package of INR 6 LPA, while PG graduates were placed with an average package of INR 7.95 LPA. This year, corporations such as McKinsey, Legato, Adobe, Google, Samsung, Sapient, Siemens, Infosys, and HCL, participated in the recruitment drive.
The academic year of 2021-2022 was a successful run for JNU as it managed to conduct a lucrative recruitment drive. JNU’s Placement cell worked diligently day in and day out to bring in some of the biggest names in the industry. Students in that year were placed with higher salary packages in comparison to other years. The average salary stood at a whopping INR 8 LPA during 2021-22. Some of the key players who participated in the recruitment drive were mega corporations including SIEMENS, Ramco, Sapient, Samsung, Quark, Oracle, Optum, McKinsey & Company, Legato, Adobe, Amazon, Genpact and many more.
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FAQs
Individuals interested in enrolling in JNU’s PhD programmes must take the JNUEE entrance exam. In terms of difficulty students pursuing a PhD in JNU get paid?
Yes, students pursuing a PhD at JNU get paid around INR 1.2 lakhs to 5.5 lakhs on a yearly basis.
Candidates who wish to pursue PhD courses from JNU are required to qualify for the JNUEE Entrance Exam. JNU is notable for featuring 60 lucrative PhD programmes. The said institution offers such courses via sixteen schools/centres.lty, the exam is regarded as one of the most rigorous in the country, making it more difficult for students to qualify. As a result, it is vital to devote sufficient time to exam preparation.
No, JRF is not compulsory for JNU PhD admission. Individuals who wish to pursue PhD courses from JNU are required to sit for the JNUEE (CBT) Exam.
There are 60 specialisations available for PhD courses at JNU.
Individuals who wish to get admitted into JNU’s PhD courses must apply for their preferred disciplines online at their official website for admissions.
Individuals who wish to pursue a PhD course from JNU must go through the prescribed eligibility criteria, select their preferred domain of research, apply for their course (online), pay the requisite registration fee, sit for the interview round, undertake the JNUEE exam and acquire the eligible scores.
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