IGNOU PhD Admission 2025: Open Now, Entrance Exam, Last Date, Fee

IGNOU PhD Admission 2025-26: Admission process for the PhD July 2025 session has now started by releasing the online admission form. The applicants must fill out the PhD admission form 2025 before the last date of 24 July 2025 from www.ignouadm.samarth.edu.in. Admission is completely based on UGC NET followed by a personal interview. At the time of filling out the application form, they have to pay a non-refundable application fee of INR 1,000. After selection in the course, they have to pay the annual course fee is INR 17,850. The university releases the application form twice a year.

IGNOU PhD Admission 2025: Latest Updates

• IGNOU has commenced the PhD admission for the July session by inviting applications on the official website, and the last date to fill out the admission form is 24 July 2025.
• Admission is done based on the candidate's performance in the UGC NET entrance examination, followed by an interview conducted by the University.

PhD is a doctoral degree for those who want to pursue a career in the field of assistant professor and/or research field. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers PhD programs in 35+ disciplines, like Dance, Hindi, English, Management, Science, Home Science, Commerce, Social Science, Humanities, and Tourism. The program usually takes a minimum of 3 years to complete and can go up to a maximum of 6 years. To be eligible for an IGNOU PhD, the candidates generally need to have a Master’s degree in a related subject. Also, they need to pass the IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam (UGC NET/JRF).

IGNOU PhD Admission 2025 Important Points

IGNOU PhD Admission 2025

Admission to the PhD program at IGNOU has been opened on 4 July 2025, and the application form submission deadline is 24 July 2025. IGNOU PhD registration fee is INR 1,000, and the course fee is INR 17,850. To begin the PhD admissions process, candidates must go to IGNOU’s official website, ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in. The university offers PhD admission 2025 is based on the applicant's performance in the national-level entrance exam, like UGC NET/JRF or CSIR NET/JRF. The basic admission requirement is a Master's degree with at least 55% marks from a recognised university.

IGNOU PhD Application Form 2025

For those looking to pursue a Full-time or Part-time PhD from IGNOU an fill and submit the application form by 24 July 2025. To be eligible, applicants need to have completed a Master’s degree and to qualify the entrance exam UGC NET/JRF or CSIR NET/JRF.

At the time of filling up the application, a non-refundable fee of INR 1,000 is required to complete the application, which students can pay online using options like UPI, Netbanking, or debit/credit card. It is also important to have all necessary documents ready during the application process. This includes a valid ID, educational certificates, a recent passport-size photo, signature, proof of date of birth, and category or disability certificates (if required). The university offers a 5% reservation for candidates with at least 40% disability.

IGNOU PhD Eligibility Criteria 

IGNOU offers a wide range of PhD programs in many interesting subjects, including English, Hindi, Science, Home Science, Commerce, Social Science, Dance, Management, Tourism, etc. Candidates generally need to have completed a Master’s degree. IGNOU also accepts scores from national entrance exams like the UGC NET/JRF or CSIR NET/JRF, which are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). If the candidate belongs to the SC, ST, OBC, or EWS category, they will get a 5% relaxation in marks. 

When it comes to the Master’s degree itself, IGNOU considers two different types for PhD admission. For example, if the candidate has a one-year Master’s degree obtained after a 4-year Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, along with qualifying NET/JRF, he/she is eligible to apply. Similarly, if the candidate has a 2-year Master’s degree following a three-year Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, and has also qualified NET/JRF exam, that would also be accepted by the university for IGNOU PhD admission 2025.

IGNOU PhD Admission Process 2025

The university has started the PhD admission from 04 July 2025. Students who are willing to make a career in research or higher education may apply for the course through the official website. The last date of IGNOU PhD July session is 24 July  2025. Applicants must possess at least a Master's degree to take admission. Steps to fill the PhD admission form July 2025 session are given below:

IGNOU PhD Entrance Exam 2025

To pursue a PhD at IGNOU, one must have to qualify the UGC NET/JRF or CSIR NET/JRF exam, which is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). These national-level exams are usually held twice a year, and the upcoming exam is expected in the last week of June 2025. A PhD is an advanced degree in a particular area of study. IGNOU provides PhD in a number of areas, including English, Hindi, Science, Home Science, Social Science, Management, Commerce, etc.

The candidate can apply for the UGC NET/JRF exam by early May, with an application fee of INR 1,150 for General category candidates, INR 600 for OBC/EWS, and INR 325 for SC/ST/PwD candidates. Once they have cleared the NET/JRF exam, the university calls candidates for a PhD interview based on their scores in the exam and the availability of seats in the subject chosen by them. The university releases offer letters to selected candidates only. For any other information, students can reach out to the IGNOU Research Unit at [email protected].

IGNOU PhD Syllabus 2025

At IGNOU, the PhD program includes a special ‘coursework’, which gives a theoretical understanding to the scholars. It is divided into two parts, and every student has to complete the coursework before starting their thesis work/research work. 

• Part I of the coursework is all about Research Methodology in which students learn how to conduct research effectively. During the coursework, scholars learn about qualitative and quantitative methods of research, and how to collect and analyse the data as per the requirements of the study.

• Part II of the coursework focuses on the specific subject the candidate is enrolled in. This part of the coursework gives a comprehensive understanding of the chosen area before conducting their research. 

IGNOU PhD Fee Structure 2025

The university offers PhD in a variety of subjects, and the application fee is INR 1,000 for the July academic session 2025. IGNOU PhD fee is categorised into the course fee, and the thesis submission fee. A list of IGNOU PhD subjects along with the PhD fees is given in the following table:

*Note: The information is liable to change, depending on the academic year.

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