Ph.D.
Humanities & Social Sciences
Offered at: Pilani, Hyderabad, Goa, Dubai
Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Humanities & Social Sciences
The Ph.D. in Humanities & Social Sciences at BITS Pilani supports scholars to pursue original research on a wide range of topics- language, culture, media, development, philosophy, politics and psychology. Students benefit from strong mentorship, high-quality labs and a rich academic community with both theoretical and research empirical work. The programme is also committed to ethical research, a global perspective and strong analytical skills in preparing students for future work in the academy, policy, research institutions, cultural institutions and other venues. This diverse doctoral experience, which rests on programming relevant to the pressing social problems of contemporary society, fosters critical engagement with the humanities and social sciences, as well as innovation and academic engagement.
Students offered an Institute fellowship will receive ₹37,000 per month. The fellowship may be enhanced to ₹40,000 or ₹42,000 after two years, based on performance.
Institute Fellows will also receive a contingency amount of ₹20,000 per year. Students admitted through Sponsored Projects will receive fellowship support in accordance with the funding agency guidelines.
Key Research Milestones
Exploring Diverse Research Areas in Humanities & Social Sciences
The Department offers a full-time Ph.D. programme in the following research thrust areas.
Theatre Studies
Film and Visual Culture Studies
International Relations
China Studies
Postmodernism
American Fiction
Tourism Theory
Ecocriticism
Indigenous Studies
Environmental Humanities
Renaissance Drama
Cross-cultural communication
Film Studies
Gender Studies
Digital Humanities
Digital Environmental Humanities
Spiritual Intelligence
Indian writing in English
Indian Writing
Literary and Cultural Studies
Sociology of Gender
Globalization and Transnational Feminisms
Dalit Literature
Postcolonial Literatures
Disaster Management
Environmental Adaptation
Tribal Development and Sociology
Development Studies
Ecology and Public Policy
International Relations
Maritime Studies
Cognitive Science
Philosophy of Mind
Culture and Mental Health
Education
Ethics
Ph.D. Admission and Support Information
Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:
- M.E./M.Tech./M.Pharm./MBA/M.Phil. (or equivalent) with minimum 60% aggregate.
- M.Sc./B.E./B.Pharm. (or equivalent) with minimum 60% aggregate.
- M.A. degree holders with minimum 55% aggregate may apply.
- Minimum one year of relevant work experience is mandatory.
Additional Notes
- Meeting minimum eligibility does not guarantee admission.
- Departments may set additional shortlisting criteria—candidates must check departmental webpages for details.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a written test and/or interview, as recommended by the Department Research Committee (DRC).
- Coursework requirements:
- First Degree holders (M.Sc., B.E., B.Pharm., etc.): Minimum 6 courses / 24 units in the first two semesters.
- Higher Degree holders (M.E./M.Tech./M.Pharm./MBA/M.Phil., etc.): Minimum 2 courses / 6 units in the first semester.
- Admission is provisional and confirmed after clearing the qualifying exam and/or approval of the PhD proposal by the DRC.
- All full-time PhD students admitted to the PhD program will receive a fellowship for up to a maximum of five years.
- The fellowship could be from the Institute or the Sponsored Projects. PhD students may also be eligible for their own fellowship if qualified through the UGC/CSIR NET.
- Students offered an Institute fellowship will receive ₹37,000 per month. The fellowship may be enhanced to ₹40,000/- or ₹42,000/- after two years, based on performance. Institute Fellows will also receive a contingency amount of ₹20,000/- per year.
- Students offered admission through Sponsored Projects would receive the fellowship in accordance with the funding agency guidelines.
- BITS Pilani provides International Travel Support of up to ₹1.5 lakh to full-time PhD students to present their work in an international conference
Application Process
- The online admission portal opens on 26 September 2025.
- Eligible candidates must apply through the official application form available at the provided admission website. No hard copy needs to be sent.
- Applicants must register online using a valid mobile number and email ID to generate login credentials.
- Candidates must select their preferred BITS Pilani campus(es) while filling the form.
- Preferences must be chosen carefully.
- They cannot be changed after submission.
- The completed application form and the prescribed application fee must be submitted online before the deadline.
- Last date to submit the application form: 17 November 2025, 5:00 PM.
- A non-refundable application fee of ₹2600 is payable at submission.
- Only one application is allowed.
- An edit option will be available until the deadline for correcting any mistakes.
- The final admission decision will be made by the Institute’s Admission Committee, and the decision will be binding on all applicants.
To learn more about the Ph.D admissions process at BITS Pilani, please visit the website https://www.bitsadmission.com
Faculty Guiding Emerging Scholars in the Humanities & Social Sciences
Abhishek Verma
Assistant Professor,
Department of Management, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Achint Nigam
Assistant Professor,
Department of Management, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Ajay Prasad Adepu
Instructor (Off Campus),
Department of Management, BITS Pilani