Ph.D. Program

BRC is affiliated with the University of Mumbai for a PhD program in Philosophy under the Faculty of Arts. Students interested in pursuing a PhD in this field can apply to BRC. The program involves conducting research on a self-chosen topic in the discipline of philosophy, culminating in a thesis. Additionally, students are required to complete coursework, which typically spans one to two years.

Duration of the Program

The duration of the program is minimum 3 years and maximum 6 years.

• After the selection of the students they need to submit their topic proposals within 6 months.
• It will take 3 to 6 months for the University of Mumbai to review it and approve it.
• In case of a student coming from a different background than Philosophy then he will be called for an interview from the University of Mumbai.
• Once the student gets the approval he can register through the University of Mumbai.
• All this process from topic submission to registration may take around 6 months to 1 year. Meanwhile, students can continue their coursework and research. This is considered part of their duration of PhD since after registration he can submit his thesis in 2 years.
• After registration, he can submit his thesis in 2 years.

 

Course Work

The BRC's PhD program is unique in offering a comprehensive two-year coursework structure, making it accessible even to working professionals. The coursework is conducted so that every year there are four modules, two in summer and two in winter. Each module requires 2-3 months of preparation, followed by 2 weeks of classroom instruction, and 1 to 1.5 months of evaluation. This results in approximately 5 months of coursework per semester..

• The PhD coursework consists of 12 credits and is a prerequisite for the program.
• Each course involves 2-3 months of preparation, followed by 2 weeks of classroom instruction and 1 to 1.5 months of evaluation, totaling approximately 5 months per semester.
• Courses are conducted at BRC’s Mumbai campus, located in Govardhan Eco Village, requiring students to attend in person for 2 weeks per semester for two to three semesters.

Research Proposal

• Students need to prepare a research proposal within six months of their joining.
• This should be in the standard format that the University of Mumbai requires. The standard format will be given to the student once he joins.
• The topic needs to be chosen from Philosophy subject only and should be according to the research methods in Philosophy. For this one needs to go through the research methodology syllabus and MA philosophy syllabus. So please be prepared to study these subjects before applying to us.
• Study material for MA by Philosophy and research methodology syllabus can be downloaded from http://www.ignouhelp.in/ignou-mapy-study-material/

Thesis Submission

• Students can start writing their thesis once they submit a research proposal. The approval or rejection of the research proposal will be done by University of Mumbai. It may take some time for this, meanwhile students can work to complete their research proposal.
• Once the student got approval and registered with the University of Mumbai he can submit his thesis after two years’ time.

PhD Program More Details

One can refer to the following flowchart prepared by the University of Mumbai for more details.
https://mu.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PHD-S.O.P.-Flowchart-17-03-2021.pdf

BRC courses are conducted in BRC premises in Govardhan Eco Village. So one should make plans to come for 2 weeks in a semester for two to three semesters to Govardhan Eco Village.

Program Highlights

• BRC offers the opportunity to receive guidance from international faculty who are experts in the field of Philosophy.
• Some courses at BRC are taught by these international faculty members.

 

Admission

Eligibility Criteria

• A candidate holding a PhD degree can directly apply to BRC. BRC will conduct the Faculty change exam in case their Masters is in a subject other than Philosophy.
• A candidate holding a Masters degree in Philosophy needs to write a NET exam in the subject of Philosophy conducted by UGC-NTA. After clearing this test he can apply to BRC.
• A candidate having Bachelors or Masters in any other subject needs to do Masters in Philosophy or Masters by Research in philosophy (this is being conducted in BRC)
• Student needs to prepare and send their rough topic proposal based on the guidelines given in research proposal below.

Roadmap

The roadmap for a student to apply for PhD is given in a table below

#	Academic background	Steps
1	Bachelor Degree holder	Do an MA in Philosophy in any University. Or Do MA by Research program in Philosophy conducted by BRC. (Only after completing a Masters Degree one can apply to PhD.)
2	MA in Philosophy	Write NET in Philosophy Then one can approach BRC
3	Masters in subject other than Philosophy	Do Masters in Philosophy or Masters by Research in Philosophy (this is being conducted by BRC)
4	PhD in any field	They can approach BRC Clear Faculty change exam in Philosophy consisting of 2 papers (essay and general questions) conducted by BRC After their proposal is submitted they will be facing an interview by the University of Mumbai

 Persons interested to apply can send their email to info@brcmumbai.com  by sending their resume.
Currently foreign nationals are not directly admitted to BRC for PhD program.
 

Guides

• BRC has the facility of taking guidance from international faculty who are very experts in the area of Philosophy.
• Some of the course work of BRC are conducted by these international faculty experts.

Our official guides with University of Mumbai who will guide the students in their PhD thesis are

Dr. Manali Londhe

Associate Professor, Philosophy,
In charge Principal,
S.K.Somaiya College of Arts, Science and Commerce,Vidyavihar, Mumbai

Dr. Londhe is an Associate Professor in Philosophy at S.K. Somaiya College in 1996. She is also currently holding a post of In charge principal, S.K. Somaiya College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar, Mumbai. She has completed her masters degree in Philosophy from University of Mumbai followed by a doctoral degree in the same discipline. She has published various books and articles in journals of both national and international repute. She is currently a life member of various institutes and has been a volunteer at different social institutions.

Dr. Thanigaimalai Thirumalai

Guide for Ph.D. programme in Philosophy
J.J.T. University, Rajasthan

Dr. Thirumalai is currently an Adjunct professor in the department of Philosophy at J.J.T. University Rajasthan. He completed his Ph.D in the department of Philosophy at University of Mumbai in the year 2008. His dissertation topic was "The concept of Consciousness in Vedanta in the Light of Contemporary Developments in Consciousness Studies". He has published various books and articles.

 

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