M Phil: Full Form, Eligibility, Admission 2024, Duration, Fees, Syllabus, Jobs, Salary

M.Phil or Master of Philosophy is an academic program. Master of Philosophy program enables one to research in the areas of specialization. The duration of the postgraduate academic program is two years. One can pursue MPhil degree in either of the streams like Humanities, Commerce, Science, Law, Teaching. The aspirants of M.Phil study the theoretical as well as practical aspects of the subject. The candidates are required to perform research and present their findings of the research.

Highlights - M.Phil (Master of Philosophy)

M Phil Degree Eligibility

• The candidates are required to complete a master’s degree in any specialization with an aggregate of 55 per cent of marks or equivalent to it.

• The minimum percentage requirement of a master's level degree may vary from institute to institute. Some colleges require 45 per cent of marks to meet the minimum eligibility while some require 60 per cent of marks in masters to meet the minimum eligibility.

• The candidates are required to appear in the entrance conducted by respective universities to provide admissions.

• The candidate’s performance in national level entrance examination, National Entrance Test or NET is considered to provide admission in M.Phil programme.

• The candidate’s performance in state level entrance exam, State Entrance Exam or SET.

M Phil Admission Process

The candidates are provided admission on the basis of merit. The candidates are required to meet the minimum eligibility requirement. The minimum eligibility requirement is completion of a masters-level academic program with an aggregate of 55 percent of marks or equivalent to it. Some universities conduct entrance exams to provide admissions. The students are required to give entrance exams to get admission in the respective university. The admission process may have several rounds.

• First-round is based on the evaluation of the entrance examination.

• Group discussions are generally considered for a second round.

• For the final round face to face interviews with students are conducted.

• The admission is provided on the basis of the evaluation of all three rounds.

Top M.Phil Entrance Exams

The candidates who wish to pursue an M.Phil are required to ensure their presence in the entrance examination conducted by respective universities. Some of the popular exams to provide admissions in the M.Phil are listed below:

Advantages of M.Phil Degree

A master of philosophy is a postgraduate level academic research programme. Candidates who successfully complete this programme get numerous opportunities to establish a research and teaching career. Candidates who do not opt a doctor philosophy programme to establish a career as a professor can opt for this programme.

Types of Master of Philosophy

Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate level academic programme. The students are taught about the research aspects of the subjects. The major subjects of the course are history, research methodology, literature, problem-solving, contemporary issues, population movements, culture, and management. The students acquire vast knowledge through studying the following subjects. It further makes it easier for them to work in research firms, academic institutions, and other related work places. They serve the society with their vast knowledge in the specialized subject.

Master of Philosophy Courses

Masters of philosophy is offered in different modes of education. Candidates who are not willing to opt for a full time programme can opt for masters level course from distance learning. The duration of masters of philosophy through distance learning is extended to three more years as compared to the short duration of full time masters of philosophy programme. The fees also vary for both the regular and distance learning M.Phil.

Full-time M.Phil: A master of philosophy through the regular program is an ideal pre-doctoral course. It is a regular academic program with a completion duration of one to two years. The students are required to apply the portion of research methodologies they learn in the class and conduct a thesis under supervision.

M.Phil Distance Education: A master of philosophy through distance learning is a flexible program. The duration of the course M.Phil through distance learning can extend up to five years. After the completion of the degree of masters of philosophy, the students can opt for a Ph.D. or post-doctoral academic program. One can also continue the research as per their area of specialization.

M.Phil Specializations

There are specializations in philosophy. Some of the popular specializations are mentioned below:

English: The students are taught research methodologies. They are exposed to literary theory and criticism. They read and learn the literature of past centuries i.e. 18th and 19th century. They learn popular culture and texts. The students are made to participate in drama. They are made to read culture and crime fiction.

Sociology: The students learn the various aspects of society and its development. They get the learning exposure of reflections on ethnography. They understand contemporary class analysis. They gain theoretical knowledge on global issues such as democracy, equality, and social justice. They learn about nature, society, and the environment from a wide perspective. They learn the sociological aspects of civil war.

Political Science: The students get the learning exposure of various research aspects such as the idea of research, quantitative methods, and ethnographic research. The students learn hermeneutics and phenomenology. They are asked to involve in alternative readings of the philosophy of science.

History: The students are asked to research the language of their interest such as Persian, Urdu, English or any other language. They learn about the trends of historiography. They learn the various aspects of research methodology. The course is more focused on early Indian history, medieval Indian history, and modern Indian history.

Business Management: The students are involved in the study of organizational behaviour. They learn management principles. They learn all the important aspects of business management such as human resource management and problem-solving approaches. The study also involves a review of the literature.

Economics: The students are expected to learn research methodology in economics. They learn quantitative techniques, the methodology of dissertation writing, and logic and methodology of science. The students are involved in reading contemporary economic issues. They get exposure to current issues in the World Economy and Indian Economy.

M.Phil Syllabus

Here, in this table below, we will be discussing the Master of Philosophy Syllabus.

Scope of M.Phil in India and Abroad

The candidates awarded with an M.Phil degree sees an enormous scope in the field. Each sector whether it is Government, Private or Corporate employs M.Phil degree holders in various roles. The recruiters see great potential in postgraduate M.Phil degree holders.

Scope in the Government Sector: The M.Phil degree holders serve in academic institutions run by the Government. They are offered the role of Assistant Professor in colleges. They serve as high school teachers. The research companies also hire M.Phil degree holders. They are offered the roles of research assistants, quality control analysts, and scientists.

Scope in Private Sector: The candidates holding an M.Phil or masters of philosophy degree serve in private sectors as well. They are employed in numerous publishing houses. They work on an editorial role such as editor or writer. They serve as a consultant in many organizations as per their specialization in the subject. They are also offered with academic roles i.e assistant professors and high school teachers in private institutes.

Ph.D: The candidates can consider a Ph.D. after completion of M.Phil. A Ph.D. after M.Phil has a great scope. The Ph.D. degree holders can work nationally and internationally. The Ph.D. degree holders are offered senior academic roles. They teach in colleges and universities as professors. The candidates can work in senior roles in research firms with a Ph.D. degree.

Careers Opportunities after Master of Philosophy

A masters of philosophy in a respective specialization opens up an ocean of enormous career opportunities with high baggage of salary. A masters of philosophy is a knowledge enhancing programme in the specialized subjects. The individuals acquire vast knowledge with respect to history, research, literature overview and other related aspects.This knowledge builds a ground to opt for an academic profession, research, social service, public speaker, scientist and other professions.

Lecturer: The M.Phil degree holders work as a lecturer in colleges and universities.

Teacher: The candidates with an M.Phil degree are also employed as high school teachers.

Assistant Professor: The candidates serve as assistant professors in colleges and universities. They teach the subjects as per their specialization.

Consultant: The candidates holding an M.Phil degree with a specialization in the business management, economy or statistics serve as a consultant in the companies. They advise the management on issues of financial management, reducing unnecessary expenditures, budget planning, and other related areas. Similarly, other M.Phil degree holders provide consulting services as per their specializations.

Scientist: A scientist works in a research firm. An M.Phil degree holder candidate is offered a senior role and responsible for supervision.

Social Worker: M.Phil degree holders with a specialization in sociology, social work, or human development serve the role of social workers. Either they are self-employed or employed by non-government organizations or NGOs.

Research Associate: A research associate is employed in research firms. A research associate works under the supervision of their seniors or scientists.

Quality Controller: Quality Controller is responsible for quality assurance of the manufactured product. A quality controller is employed by the research organizations, healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, food manufacturing industry and related industries.

Editor: An editor works in a publishing house in an office setting. He or she is responsible for the published content.