PhD in Human Resource Management is a 3-5 year doctoral program in the field of human resource management. The course is offered at a number of colleges across India. The focus of this program is on training the students on aspects such as organizational skills, training and developmental skills, decision-making skills and communication skills.
Admission to this program will be done based on the candidate's performance in the entrance exam which is followed by a personal interview round conducted by the college or university.To be eligible to apply to this course, students must hold a Master’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university. The average annual fees for PhD in Human Resource Management course in Indian colleges usually ranges between INR 11,200 and INR 1,02,000.
On completion of a PhD Human Resource Management program, students have many job opportunities like Human Resource Manager, HR Executive, HR Director, Personnel Manager, etc. The average salary offered to a degree holder in PhD Human Resource Management is around INR 6,00,000 to INR 11,00,000, but this can be higher on the basis of experience and other factors.
PhD Human Resource Management Course Highlights
Highlights for PhD Human Resource Management program are provided in the table given below:
| Course Level | Doctoral |
| Full-Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource management |
| Duration | 3 – 5 years |
| Examination type | Semester |
| Eligibility | Postgraduate in the relevant discipline with at least 55% marks from a UGC recognized Indian or foreign university |
| Admission Process | Entrance Exam followed by personal interview and group discussion |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 11,200 to 1,02,000 |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 6,00,000 to 11,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Companies | IBM, WIPRO, HCL, Infosys, TCS, Reliance, Bharti Airtel, Deloitte, Cognizant, HDFC Bank etc. |
| Job Positions | Human Resource Manager. HR Executive, HR Consultant, Training Coordinator, Training Manager, Recruitment Consultant, Personnel Manager, HR Director etc. |
PhD Human Resource Management: What is it about?
Information and details about the PhD Human Resource Management program are as follows.
- While doing this course, a doctoral student will have to independently research an original topic under the supervision of a guide or supervisor with relevant experience and expertise from among the academic staff of the college or university.
- The PhD program consists of a coursework which has to be completed by the student mostly by the first year of his/her studies.
- The coursework mostly deals with the subject knowledge and the research methodologies to be used while undertaking research later in the course.
- Those with an MPhil qualification get relaxation in coursework, if they have covered those topics during their MPhil itself.
- On successful completion of the coursework, the students need to present a synopsis of the research work that they are going to undertake. At this stage a research guide or supervisor is assigned to support the students with their research work.
- The award of PhD depends a lot upon the quality of the thesis that the students submit. Often the thesis has to be corrected and resubmitted a number of times to internal faculty before being finally submitted to external examiners for scrutiny.
- Based on their thesis, the students are subjected to an oral examination by the external examiners. The students have to defend their thesis and the results that they have inferenced from their research work.
- Apart from the thesis, the students are also expected to publish some research papers.
Why study PhD Human Resource Management?
The goal to attain a PhD in Human Resource Management degree will depend on each individual’s aspirations and goals. Some of the benefits and perks of pursuing PhD Human Resource Management degree program has been mentioned below:
- To experienced professionals, who are in the field of managing human resource, this course provides an opportunity to extend their knowledge in the field and to enhance their skills.
- The course is helpful if one aims to get into leadership roles in their respective organisations.
- By undertaking this course, one can greatly enhance their research skills that can come handy while creating strategies to solve issues related to human resource management.
- It is a worthwhile course for those who are passionate about a teaching career in colleges and universities.
- Human resource management is an upcoming field. With organisations becoming more professional in outlook, there is a demand for human resource professionals in every field, be it private companies or government organizations.
- The curriculum for this course is very interesting and knowledgeable. Students can achieve high success after completing this course.
- On completion of this course, students get lucrative salary packages ranging between INR 6,00,000 and 11,00,000.
PhD Human Resource Management Admission Process
- Most of the colleges and universities follow an entrance-based process for admission to PhD Human Resource Management courses.
- On cracking the entrance test, candidate’s research topic, proposal, methodology etc. are checked and an interview is held.
Entrance Based Admission
Most of the colleges and universities offer admission to PhD Human Resource Management on the basis of entrance exams like UGC NET, CSIR NET etc.
The step-by-step procedure for entrance-based admission is as follows:
- Step 1: Students have to register on the official website.
- Step 2: Fill the application form with correct details.
- Step 3: After examination, a cutoff list will be released on the website. Seats will then be allotted to candidates based on their scores in the entrance exam.
- Step 4: Some colleges also conduct personal interviews and group discussion for admission to this course.
- Step 5: On meeting all the eligibility criteria, a student will then be offered admission to the course.
What is the PhD Human Resource Management Eligibility Criteria?
A student must have to be eligible to pursue a certain course. The eligibility criteria for the Ph.D. in Human Resource Management course are the following:-
- The student must complete a Master’s degree or M.Phil degree in HR Management.
- He/she should get a minimum of 55% of the aggregate of marks from any recognized university.
- Must clear cut-off marks in the entrance examination are the prime requirement for getting admission in this course
- The students also have to do well in the Personal Interview round.
Which are the popular PhD Human Resource Management Entrance Exams?
There are many national and state-level entrance exams to appear for the admission into PhD Human Resource Management program. Listed below are some of these popular PhD entrance exams.
- UGC-NET: University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for finding eligibility of candidates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) or Assistant Professor & JRF both, in colleges and universities in India. At the same time, the test is also used for admission to various PhD programs. The test is held twice a year in June and December.
- CSIR-UGC NET: Entrusted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the CSIR-UGC NET is also conducted by the NTA for determining eligibility of candidates for JRF as well as Lectureship/Assistant Professor in colleges and universities in India. Those qualifying the test are also eligible to apply for admission to PhD programs in colleges across India, without having to appear for any entrance test. The exam is held twice a year and the applications are to be made online. The test is held in CBT (Computer Based Test) mode. The test is of 3 hours duration.
The application dates, exam dates and the mode of the exam of the above mentioned exams are provided in the table below.
| Entrance Exam | Application Period | Exam Dates | Exam Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| UGC NET | Last week of December 2023 – 4th week of January 2024 | June 10 – 21, 2024 | Online |
| CSIR NET |
Test 1: March – April 2024 Test 2: September 2024 |
Test 1: June 2024 Test 2: December 2024 |
Online |
How to Prepare for a PhD Human Resource Management Entrance Exams?
The syllabus for PhD Human Resource Management entrance exams will vary from college to college. Students are advised to follow the below mentioned tips to excel in entrance exams.
- The UGC-NET, which is a popular eligibility test for PhD entrance, is a 3-hour test. It has two papers, paper 1 being common for all candidates and paper 2 being subject specific. The paper 1 has 50 MCQ questions and paper 2 has 100 MCQs. The total marks for the test is 300. The test can be given either in English or Hindi.
- As seen from above, the candidates will have to prepare extensively for the test as they will be tested on the subject they are opting for the PhD program as well as on topics that are general in nature.
- For the subject specific paper, the candidates will have to brush up their knowledge on topics related to human resource management.
- Browse through important topics covered in post graduation will be of immense help.
- The candidates can refer to previous year papers to figure out the difficulty level of the questions.
- Practicing sample test papers and appearing for mock tests helps in getting to know the pattern of the tests and getting a hang of the computer based test.
How to get admission to a good PhD Human Resource Management college?
There are a number of colleges that offer a PhD program in Human Resource management. To get admission to a top college or university, one will have to be on the lookout for notifications released by such colleges. One can search for notifications by visiting the college websites from time to time. Following are some of the measures that can be undertaken to get admission to a top college for undertaking this PhD course.
- Students will have to prepare really well for the entrance tests. Only when you qualify the entrance exams with a very good score are their chances for you to get admission. In most cases, the entrance test has a 70% weightage in selection.
- For getting a good score in the entrance tests, the candidates will have to be thorough with their subjects and need to prepare well for the test.
- The candidates need to do well in the interview part too. Before appearing for the interview, one should brush up some of the important topics related to their field of study. Questions could also be asked about the candidate’s research proposal. So one should prepare about the research proposal too. It helps, if one gets to attend mock interviews, so as to get familiarized with the interview process.
- Past academic achievements and a good academic record goes a long way in getting selected. So make a list of all such achievements and produce them in front of the panel as and when asked to do so.
What is the Syllabus of PhD Human Resource Management?
Although the PhD in Human Resource Management program syllabus varies from college to college, it mostly consists of some common foundation courses that students can select based on their interests.
The common subjects that are included in the structured PhD Human Resource Management syllabus are provided in the table given below:
| Human Resource Management |
| Organizational Theory |
| Sociology of Education |
| Theories of Leadership |
| Leadership and Communication |
| Personnel management |
| Industrial Relations |
| Personnel Practices and Relations |
| Labour Relations |
| Legal Systems |
| Managing and Organizing People |
| Cross-cultural Management |
| Employee Development and Training |
| Corporate Rules and Regulations |
Which books can I refer to while pursuing a PhD Human Resource Management program?
Important Books and authors for PhD in Human Resource Management program are:-
| Name of the Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Human Resource Management | Gary Dessler |
| Human Resource Management | VSP Rao |
| The Toyota Way | Jeffery Liker |
| Fundamentals of Human Resource Management | Chabbra |
| Industrial Relations and labour Laws | Piyali Ghosh and Shefali Nanadan |
| International Human Resource Management | K Aswathappa |
Which are the top PhD Human Resource Management Colleges?
The table below shows the best PhD Human Resource Management colleges and universities that offer the course in a full-time mode.
| Name of the College/ University | Admission Process | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|
| IIMC, Kolkata | Entrance-Based | INR 102,000 |
| IIT Bombay, Mumbai | Entrance-Based | INR 73.000 |
| DOMS, IIT Madras, Chennai | Entrance-Based | INR 11,200 |
| KIIT, Bhubaneshwar | Entrance-Based | INR 2,25,000 |
| Sharda University, School of Business Studies, Greater Noida | Entrance-Based | INR 50,000 |
| Nirma University, Ahmedabad | Entrance-Based | INR 40,000 |
| Amity University, Mumbai | Entrance-Based | INR 80,000 |
| VMU, Salem | Entrance-Based | INR 1,25,000 |
Source: College Websites
PhD Human Resource Management College Comparison
The tabulation below depicts the comparison made among the three top PhD Human Resource Management colleges in India.
| Parameters | IIMC, Kolkata | IIT Bombay, Mumbai | DOMS IIT Madras, Chennai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata is the first Indian Institute of Management to be established in India. This deemed institute provides Post Graduate, Executive and Doctoral level programs in the field of management. | One of the most popular technical institutions for innovation and research. This institute offers a large number of programs at the UG, PG and the Doctoral level. | DOMS IIT Madras is a business school under the Indian Institute of Technology Madras located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This deemed institute offers a large number of programs at various levels for students. |
| Location | Kolkata | Mumbai | Chennai |
| Eligibility Criteria | Master’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university. | Master’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university. | Master’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university. |
| Admission Process | Entrance-Based | Entrance-Based | Entrance-Based |
| Average Fees | INR 1,02,000 | INR 73,000 | INR 11,200 |
| Average Salary | INR 10,00,000 | INR 8,75,000 | INR 8,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Sectors | IT Sectors, Marketing, Businesses, Academics etc. | IT Sectors, Marketing, Businesses, Academics etc. | IT Sectors, Marketing, Businesses, Academics etc. |
Source: College Websites
PhD Human Resource Management Distance Learning
Sometimes, because of various reasons, one cannot pursue the desired course through regular learning mode, in such cases distance learning mode comes to their rescue. Students can pursue a PhD Human Resource Management program through distance mode. Before taking admission, Students must check for the validity of the course and the college in distance or correspondence mode.
- In order to be eligible for this course through correspondence mode students need to hold a Master’s in relevant discipline from a recognized university.
- The minimum duration required to complete this course from distance mode is 3 year and the maximum duration of the same is 5 years.
- Admission to PhD HR Management course through correspondence mode is merit-based.
- The average fee for the course ranges from INR 60,000 to INR 3,00,000 annually.
Given below are some colleges which offer this course through distance mode.
| College | Admission Process | Duration | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| IGNOU, New Delhi | Merit-Based | 3 years | INR 80,000 |
PhD Human Resource Management vs PhD Personnel Management & Industrial Relations
PhD Human Resource Management and PhD PM&IR are two different doctoral level courses which are offered by a large number of institutes across India.
Check the table below for more comparative details:
| Parameters | PhD HRM | PhD PM&IR |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | PhD Human Resource Management | PhD Personnel Management and Industrial Relations |
| Duration | 3 – 5 years | 3 – 5 years |
| Eligibility | Postgraduate with at least 55% marks in the relevant stream | Postgraduate with at least 55% marks in personnel management |
| Course Overview | A doctoral program PhD HRM provides a deeper insight to the students in human resource management. Students get to research and take up challenging tasks that help them in understanding better in how an organization works and how to better manage people for greater productivity and efficiency. | This is a doctoral program specific to personnel management and industrial relations. The course focuses more on labour management relations and aspects such as dispute resolution, collective bargaining, social policies and best practices for healthy industrial relations between labour and management. |
| Admission Process | Entrance exam followed by personal interview and some instances a group discussion as well. | Entrance exam followed by personal interview |
| Average Annual Fee | INR 11,200 – 1,02,000 | INR 20,000 - 75,000 |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 6,00,000 - 11,00,000 | INR 5,00,000 - 8,00,000 |
| Recruitment sectors | IBM, WIPRO, HCL, Infosys, TCS, Reliance, Bharti Airtel, Deloitte, Cognizant, HDFC Bank | IBM, WIPRO, HCL, Infosys, TCS, Reliance, Bharti Airtel, Deloitte, Cognizant, HDFC Bank |
| Top Job Profiles | HR Director, HR Executive, HR Consultant, HR Auditor, Training Head, Training Coordinator, Recruitment Head, Lecturer, Professor etc. | Industrial Relations Manager, Labour Relations Manager, Personnel Manager etc. |
Source: College Websites
What are Job Prospects and Career Options after PhD Human Resource Management?
- Job opportunities are very good for this course. Students can get a chance to work in various Govt and Private organizations like the IT Sectors, Marketing, Businesses, Academics, etc. as Human Resource Generalist, Human Resource Manager, Training Coordinator, Deputy Manager, etc. and many more.
- Both Government and Private sector jobs are available for the students after completing this course. Besides working in an organization, they can work as a Professor in the concerned subject in various Universities around the globe.
Tabulation below shows some of the most common PhD Human Resource Management job profiles and career prospects after completing the course are as follows:
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| HR Executive | Looks into matters such as personnel, compensation, salaries, staffing, monitoring of policies, etc. | INR 8,00,000 |
| Training Coordinator | Mainly looks into the training of new recruits as well as staff. Arrangements for training of employees on new systems and processes. | INR 6,00,000 |
| Recruitment Consultant | Helps with the recruitment of people for the various vacancies available with an organization. | INR 5,00,000 |
| IR Manager | The job of an IR Manager is to work on aspects of industrial relations between labour and management. | INR 8,70,000 |
| Welfare Officer | As the name suggests, they work for the well-being of the employees by looking into aspects such as leave, welfare policies, insurance, safety, medical facilities and so on. | INR 7,00,000 |
Source: College Websites
What are the Future Scopes of PhD Human Resource Management?
PhD degree is a doctorate level degree and is the highest educational degree one can earn in the country. Generally one does not pursue further studies post completion of the PhD Human Resource Management degree.
Employability is high and graduates are hired quickly upon completion of their degree in high pay job profiles. With this course, there is no limit to learning and knowledge.
- They have teaching jobs in colleges/universities after this course and then clearing the UGC-NET exam required for becoming a permanent lecturer.
- They have many jobs in IT Sectors, Marketing, Businesses, Academics etc.
- Students can also opt for a DSc (Doctor of Science) degree in any related field.
- After gaining adequate experience in the related field, PhD Human Resource Management degree holders can work in research laboratories.
- Once you finish your PhD you can also be qualified for a lecturer post in Human Resource Management and also to teach in colleges and universities with UGC scales.
PhD Human Resource Management FAQs
Some of the most frequently asked questions pertaining to the PhD Human Resource Management program are as follows:
Ques. How many years does it take to complete PhD Human Resource management?
Ans. If done on a full-time basis, it takes at least 3 years to complete this course. It often takes more than that time because of delay in submission of the thesis by the students.
Ques. What is the eligibility criteria for applying to a PhD Human Resource Management program?
Ans. The minimum criterion is to have a postgraduate degree in the relevant field with at least 55% marks or an equivalent CGPA. There is a relaxation of 5% for SC/ST/OBCs.
Ques. What is the selection procedure for enrolling for PhD Human Resource Management courses?
Ans. The selection of the candidates for the PhD program is done on the basis of an entrance test and personal interview. The candidates’ past academic performance is also reckoned during the selection process.
Ques. Which are some of the popular entrance exams that one needs to appear for while applying for PhD Human Resource Management programs?
Ans. Some of the popular tests for a PhD program are UGC-NET, CSIR-UGC NET and JNUEE. These are online tests which are conducted by the NTA.
Ques. What is the course fee for pursuing PhD Human Resource Management?
Ans. The average course fee ranges from INR 50,000 to 1,50,000. The fees basically depend on the college and whether it is privately owned or a government one.
Ques. What is the role of a Human Resource Manager?
Ans. The role of a Human Resource Manager is a varied one. They have to look into every aspect of managing people like hiring, inducting them, arranging training and development programs, deciding upon the compensation and allotting work as per their skill and training. There are other aspects like maintaining cordial relations between labour and management and coming up with welfare measures for the employees.
Ques. What are some of the job profiles that a student can opt for after completing this course?
Ans. Some of the popular job profiles in the HR field are HR Executive, HR Manager, Training Coordinator, Recruitment Consultant, IR Manager, Welfare Officer, HR Director and so on.
Ques. I have an MPhil in Human Resource Management? Do I need to appear for the entrance test?
Ans. Candidates who have an MPhil degree in Human Resource Management need not to appear for the entrance test. They can directly appear for the interview.
Ques. What is the average salary offered to a fresher in this field?
Ans. For a fresher in this field the average salary usually ranges between INR 6,00,000 and 11,00,000 per annum.
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