PhD Botany: Course Details, Colleges, Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus & Career Options

Updated on Mar 20, 2025

Dharti Bhadla

PhD Botany is research-based doctoral degree where an individual conducts research in the plant science domain. This research is submitted in the final year of course as THESIS. PhD generally takes 3 to 5 years to complete, depending on learning ability, available facilities, fundings, and institute policy.

PhD Botany involves studying coursework, design experiments, data collection, analysis, presentation, and viva along with thesis submission and research publication. However, UGC has now removed the compulsion in research paper publication in order to complete PhD.

Average college fee ranges between INR 10,000 to 20,000 in government universities.
For private institutes, it can be around INR 2,00,000 to 3,00,000.
One can work in research sectors, academics, and industries after completion of PhD Botany.

PhD Botany: Course Highlights

PhD in Botany deals with research and development in the field of plant science. It provides opportunities for research publication, presenting at conferences, attending seminars, and training the graduate students.

Programme name	Doctorate of Philosophy in Botany
Duration	3 to 5 years.
Eligibility	MSc Botany with 55% marks and qualifying entrance exams like UGC NET, CSIR NET, SET, etc.
Admission	Based on entrance exam merit and performance in personal interview.
Course Fee	Government university: INR 10,000 to 20,000 Private university: INR 2 to 5 Lakhs
Average Starting Salary	INR 1.5 to 6 LPA
Top Recruiting sectors	Biotechnology Firms, Seed And Nursery Companies, Plant Resources Laboratory, Educational Institutions, Plant Health, Inspection Services, Forest Services, etc.
Job Positions	Mycologist, Administrators, Ecologist, Fruit Growers, Plant Biochemist, Forester, Researchers, etc.

Why Pursue PhD Botany

PhD Botany offers a promising career in plant research as well as education. Along with such a well reputed career, pursuing PhD Botany equip the students with problem solving skill, analytical and critical thinking ability, and expertise in plant science domain.

Doing a PhD adds knowledge to the existing one.
It imparts writing and presentation skills.
The course offers an opportunity to work with the environment and farming community.
It also gives an opportunity to teach and assess BSc MSc Botany students that prepares for an academic career in future.

PhD Botany Eligibility Criteria

To get registered in PhD Botany, one must complete MSc or MPhil Botany with at least 55% in aggregate, Entrance exam cut-off marks, Personal Interview/Project Proposal and Group Discussion rounds.
Students who completed MSc with other majors like Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or relevant biological streams are eligible to apply for PhD in Biochemistry.
Qualifying entrance exam is compulsory for PhD Botany admission.

PhD Botany Admission

Admission is based on entrance exam scores, performance in interview, potential of research proposal, and available seats in specific institutes.

Check the admission guidelines and selection process for the chosen university.
Fill out the application form with required information.
Upload the supportive documents like educational and identity proofs.
Appear in the exam and subsequent interview round.
University will send the confirmation if the applicant is selected.
Selected candidates will be asked for selection of supervisor.

It is important to visit the institute personally before finalizing admission as knowing about research culture, approach, and facilities in the institute is necessary.

PhD Botany Best Colleges in India

There are several colleges/universities offering this course. Each institute has its own policies in accordance with UGC guidelines.

College name	NIRF Ranking	Average course fees (INR)
Christ University	67th (university category)	51,667
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai	8th	5,000
Indian Agricultural Research Institute	4th	29,500
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad University	151-200	1,00,000
Nirma University	151-200	3,00,000
Gujarat University	94th	25,000
Delhi University	6th (university category)	-
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad University	151-200	1,00,000
Nirma University	151-200	3,00,000

PhD Botany Syllabus

As PhD Botany is a research-oriented programme, there is no defined syllabus for it. According to the UGC policy, it must include coursework, presentation, and academic duties.

Coursework depends on an individual's research requirements and domain related electives. One can also undertake NPTEL online courses.

Common coursework subjects are as mentioned below.

Research Methodology
Qualitative and quantitative Techniques
Research Specific Course
Research writing and Publication
Research ethics
Good Laboratory Practice
Academic Writing
Literature review & Seminar/conference/workshops

Coursework>Assessment>Literature review>Experimentation & data collection>Presentations>Viva Defense>Thesis Submission

PhD Botany Career Options

PhD Botany jobs offer a lucrative package in the field of plant biotechnology, breeding, plant pathology, forestry, etc. Some of the reputed job profiles and salaries as per the Pharma, and UGC pay scale policies are tabulated below.

Job Position	Job Description	Average Annual salary (INR)
Taxonomist	taxonomists research and sub-divide types of plants into classifications, subsequent to observing their species and grouping them based on similarities.	4,80,000
Agronomist	Agronomists are soil and plant researchers who work to enhance the yield of field crops.	6,45,000
Assistant Professor	They are responsible to teach graduate students in the university and conduct research by bringing government funding to the university.	4,00,000
Research Scientist	They are responsible to conduct research for product development for the company.	6,50,000
Research Associate	Research Associates are responsible to design experimentations, manage procurement, documentations, and publications.	3,00,000

PhD Botany FAQs

What is the future of PhD Botany?

PhD Botany ensures a stable career as research scientist or academician as it offers doctorate degree with 3 to 5 years of research. In India, farming and agriculture are the major contributors to the economy thereby, PhD Botany promises a guaranteed job.

Which topic is best for research in PhD in Botany?

An individual pursuing PhD in Botany can explore areas like Plant Pathology, Herbal Product Development, Pigment synthesis, Allopathy, etc.

How do I choose my PhD topic?

To choose a PhD topic, you must have to read a lot. There is plenty of literature available to identify research gaps in the respected field. After identifying a research gap one can plan to work on that considering the facilities, funding, and time required to complete it.

What is the procedure to apply for fellowship?

To apply for a PhD fellowship one has to go through the selection process and eligibility of that scheme. After verifying the criteria, one has to submit an application along with a research proposal. A scrutiny team will evaluate the application. Some funding agency may call for a personal interview.

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