Masters of Philosophy
What is an M.Phil.?
A Masters of Philosophy in a subject is the next step after a Masters degree and before a PhD. It is usually a prerequisite for a PhD and in some cases an eligibility requirement for some research or teaching jobs. This is a course consisting of some theoretical elements and some applied research in a subject leading to a PhD.
See: M Phil Admission Notifications 2020
What is the eligibility for an M.Phil.?
To register for an M.Phil. you need to have a Masters degree in the subject and a research proposal which needs to be approved by a guide. The research proposal is fine tuned in the course of the programme but you need to have an idea about the area of research and an approval from the person you want to work with at the onset.
What is the scope of an M.Phil. degree?
An M.Phil. provides you the skills to take up research based jobs and teaching jobs in your field of study. You can find employment in organisations and educational institutions linked to your area of work at the same level as PhD candidates sometimes. Most employers know that candidates pursuing M.Phil. continue upto PhD. and give opportunities to them at an equal standing.
Also see: PhD Admissions 2020 and PhD Entrance Exams
Top Universities for Research:
Indian Institute of Technology
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka.
JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysore, Karnataka.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
University of Delhi, Delhi
Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal
Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjab
Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam
Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, Delhi
Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana
Pondicherry University, Puducherry
Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra Pradesh
Amity University, Noida, National Capital Region
Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, Kerala
University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka
University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka
Fees for M.Phil Course
The cost of an M.Phil degree varies from university to university and also from subject to subject. Depending upon whether it is a one year or two year course, the fees can go from Rs 50000 to Rs 200000 for the full course. Science and commerce courses are a bit more costly than arts courses.
Salary for a M.Phil Degree Holder
In most research jobs M.Phil holders earn between Rs 4-4.5 lakhs per annum.
An Academic’s point of view:
“An M. Phil scholar enhances his knowledge on a particular subject, discovers his area of interest and extracts valuable tips from his guide on that subject during the one-year term. And on completion of M. Phil, if he opts for a Ph. D, he can be granted a one-year exemption from the stipulated duration,” he opines, adding, “I prefer guiding Ph.D scholars, those who have M.Phil qualifications.” On the job prospects, Fr. R. Rajarathinam, principal of St Joseph College, says, “Are all professional degree holders employed? Even many alumni of top-ranked institutions are jobless. An M. Phil holder can work as a research associate, guide and advisor with companies or organisations. Besides, he can be employed in research wings of various government and private institutions and establishments, and earn a reasonable income.”
M.Phil versus PhD – The main differences:
An M.Phil. is a stepping stone to various jobs while being a shorter programme than a PhD. While both programmes are thesis based, an M.Phil thesis lays the foundation for a PhD and is not a comprehensive thesis on its own. A PhD thesis is comprehensive and does not lead to another thesis. An M.Phil. course also has theory courses which have to be learnt whereas there is no theory classes in a PhD. The theory part is covered in the M.Phil., before the PhD commences. An M.Phil is a sort of a mini PhD, some also call it a pre-PhD. Candidates acquire skills and theory that is necessary for PhD and therefore qualify for all PhD jobs after a n M.Phil itself. Whether it is for research or for teaching.