Doctor of Philosophy in Media, Arts & Design

Faculty of Arts and Design (FAD) offers admission in PhD and Executive PhD programmes in the disciplines of arts, design, and media. Students can take up research in various aspects of performing arts including dance, music, theatre, and puppetry. The world of fine arts and visual arts including painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography is also open to them for research. Students can decide to do research in graphic design, motion graphics, industrial design, game design, product design, fashion design, production design, and other forms of design. The vast spectrum of media is also open to them for research. This includes communication, journalism, broadcast, podcast, TV, films, advertising, public relations, and video. production. Research ideas can also emerge from an amalgamation of arts, design, and media. Students who wish to take up research not only in inter-disciplinary, but also in multi- disciplinary areas are welcome. The connection can be between arts, design, and media on one hand, and economics, sociology, international relations, and legal studies on the other hand.

Candidates must have completed a minimum of 17 years of formal education, i.e. 12 years of schooling followed by either a 3-year Bachelor’s degree and a 2-year Master’s degree, or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree and a 1-year Master’s degree. The Master’s degree should be in Journalism/Mass Communication/Mass Media/Media Studies/ digital Media/Advertising/Public Relations/Film Studies/Film Production, Electronic Media/TV Production/Broadcast Journalism/Media Technology, or related disciplines such as Political Science, Economics, Sociology, History, Law, Development Studies, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Climate and Environment Studies/International Relations/Theatre/Music/Dance/Fine Arts/ Art Production/ Design/Fashion. The degrees must be obtained from an institution recognized by the government of any SAARC country, with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks or an equivalent grade.

Candidates with 4-year Bachelor degree in the subject are also eligible for admission to PhD programme provided they have secured a minimum of 75% marks or equivalent grade.

Modes of Admission

Admission to various PhD programmes is offered through two modes:

1. SAU Entrance Test Mode:

• For Indian Candidates: Center-based online tests conducted by the University on stipulated dates.
• For other SAARC Candidates (excluding India): Proctored online tests on stipulated dates.

2. Direct Admission Mode (Without SAU Entrance Test):

• In India: Based on scores from national-level tests.
• In Other SAARC Countries: Based on national-level test scores or qualifying examination results from recognized institutions/boards.
• For Non-SAARC Candidates: Based on scores obtained in their qualifying examination (from recognized institutions).

Under the Direct and Executive modes, candidates will be shortlisted and called directly for the interview.
For further details, please refer to the General Guidelines for the PhD Programmes.