PhD Psychiatry: Admission 2025, Syllabus, Eligibility, Subjects, Colleges, Careers

A PhD Psychiatry is a doctoral degree with a comprehensive and research-oriented curriculum that aims to equip learners with a high level of proficiency in the theoretical and practical aspects of clinical psychiatry and related fields, with an emphasis on the field's historical and contemporary techniques, developments, and evolution. Typically, the program’s duration is 3 years, but under certain conditions, colleges allow learners to extend it for up to 5 years, enabling them to manage their final year research and other professional commitments in a balanced manner.

The average course fee in India ranges from INR 5,000 to INR 1,000,000, with Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences, and SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre being the leading PhD Psychiatry colleges here. Either a merit-based or an entrance-based criterion is used to assess a course’s eligibility, with merit-based criteria requiring candidates to have a minimum of 50%-55% in an MSc, MBBS, MD, M.Phil, or postgraduate degree in medical, psychology, or related fields, and entrance-based criteria requiring them to pass the relevant entrance exam in addition to meeting the basic merit criteria.

This professional course prepares individuals for jobs as Research Psychologists, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry), Telepsychiatry Consultant, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Outpatient Center Psychiatrist, Medical Director (Psychiatry), and more, with starting salaries ranging from INR 4-12 LPA and experienced professionals' salaries ranging from INR 25 – 35+ LPA.

PhD Psychiatry Highlights

Some of the key details of the PhD in Psychiatry program is mentioned in the table below:

What is PhD Psychiatry?

A PhD in Psychiatry is a professional research or doctoral degree that can be defined as an extensive period of persistent, in-depth study of psychiatry and associated fields.

• The 3-5 year curriculum has less formal teaching and includes rigorous training through seminars, ward rounds, psychodiagnostic service responsibilities, and a thesis in the final year.
• The course allows learners to critically examine and study the historic and contemporary literatures with a focus on the key areas of mental health disorders, their treatments, and advancements in recent years, clinical psychology, psychotherapies, statistics, and research methodologies.
• This enables learners to enhance their research, written, oral, and analytical abilities. A major component of the PhD in Psychiatry studies includes the preparation of a thesis based on a research project, which the learners must complete in the initial years under the supervision of a principal supervisor and later defend through thesis and oral presentations.

Also, read Ph.D in Philosophy

Why Study PhD Psychiatry?

As a doctoral-level degree, a PhD in Psychiatry is quite literally the highest level of qualification that one can obtain. As a result, there are several advantages of pursuing this professional degree, including:

• The PhD Psychiatry curriculum is created systematically and rigorously to provide students with the greatest degree of expertise in both theoretical and practical elements of psychiatry and associated disciplines.
• PhD in Psychiatry graduates have high chances of getting employed with prominent government and private organizations at prestigious positions, which generally include a high level of responsibility and power and frequently come with excellent salary options, even for entry-level roles.
• Pursuing a PhD in Psychiatry provides applicants with several opportunities to collaborate with some of the most prominent industry professionals in both international and national markets, allowing them to form professional ties with them and therefore expand their networks.
• By equipping learners with an advanced and proficient knowledge in the theoretical, practical, and analytical elements of Psychiatry and related disciplines, PhD Psychiatry holders can easily advance in their professional careers.

Who should study a PhD in Psychiatry?

The PhD Psychiatry course curriculum is clinically intensive, rigorous, and research-oriented, and it serves as a highly advanced and specialized area of study in the medical field. The course is thus suited for those who:

• Holds an MSc, MBBS, MD, M.Phil, or a postgraduate degree in medical, MSc Psychology or related fields with an aggregate score of 50%-55%.
• Are aspiring educators who wish to become professors or lecturers in Psychiatry and associated subjects.
• Are working as a medical or public health professional and wish to advance in their professional careers.
• Aims to contribute in the innovation of pharmaceutical drugs, medical therapies, digital techniques and tools, mental health treatments, etc.

PhD Psychiatry Eligibility Criteria

Both merit and entrance-based eligibility criterias are used to determine a candidate's eligibility for the PhD Psychiatry program, with the majority of Indian colleges preferring the entrance-based criteria to ensure a standard admission criteria for all the applicants. Some of the key conditions under the course's eligibility criteria are as follows:

• Merit Based: The candidate must hold an MSc, MBBS, MD, M.Phil, or a postgraduate degree in medical, psychology or related fields completed from a recognized university with a minimum aggregate score of 50%-55%.
• Entrance Based: The candidate must qualify the relevant entrance exam (NIMHANS Pre‑PhD Entrance Exam (Psychiatry), PGIMER PhD Entrance Exam, UGC NET, SRMIST PhD Entrance Test) and must also meet the basic merit requirement.
• Merit requirements typically vary between applicants, candidates in reserved categories are usually expected to have a minimum of 50% score, whereas those in unreserved categories are expected to have a minimum of 55%.
• A personal interview round with the college’s faculty is also conducted to evaluate applicant’s academic and job profiles, interests and communication skills.

PhD Psychiatry Entrance Exams 2025

Majority of Indian institutions offer entrance-based admissions to their PhD in Psychiatry program, requiring candidates to pass the relevant entrance exam conducted either at the state or university level. The following are the details of some of the top entrance exams conducted in India for PhD programs in Psychiatry:

PhD Psychiatry Colleges in India

Being a doctoral degree that requires highly experienced faculty and well-established infrastructure and research facilities, only a few Indian universities offer the PhD Psychiatry program. The table below covers the crucial course-specific details and the names of the colleges that offer this niche course of study in India:

PhD Psychiatry Admission Process 2025

As a professional degree, the admission procedure for a PhD in Psychiatry program is somewhat technical, involving three primary steps: registering on the college's website, passing the relevant entrance exam, and ultimately appearing for the personal interview round. A detailed guide to this process at SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre is as follows:

Step 1: The candidate must register on the official website of the SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre to apply for the PhD Psychiatry program at SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre.

Step 2: After completing the registration, the candidate will be able to access his/her dashboard on the college’s admission portal, which he/she can use to fill out the application form.

Step 3: To fill out the application form, the candidate must provide the requested personal and academic history information and must also upload the scanned copies of the necessary documents. To avoid future errors, he/she must double-check all of the information submitted to confirm that it is accurate.

Step 4: The candidate is then required to pay the non-refundable application fee costing INR 1,200 through Debit Card/Credit Card/ Net Banking to submit the application form.

Step 5: Once the form is submitted, the candidate must attend the university-level entrance exam, namely, SRMIST PhD Entrance Test. It is an online exam, and the details of the same are provided to the candidate through his/her admission portal and email ID.

Step 6: If the candidate is able to qualify for the exam, he/she is called in for a technical and personal interview round with the college’s faculty.

Step 7: Ultimately, based on merit and entrance exam scores, and their performance in the interview, candidates are shortlisted for the PhD Psychiatry program, and provisional admission letters are sent to them via mail.

Step 8: After receiving the provisional offer letter, the candidate is required to pay the tuition fee for the course and visit the college’s campus for physical verification of documents. Once all the formalities are completed, the candidate receives a final admission letter confirming his/her admission in the course.

Documents Required

• 10th marksheet and passing certificate issued by the board.
• 12th marksheet and passing certificate issued by the board.
• School Leaving Certificate
• Bachelor’s Marksheet
• Bachelor’s Passing Certificate
• Master’s Marksheet
• Master’s Passing Certificate
• Provisional Certificate
• Coloured Passport Size Photographs
• Entrance Exam Admit Card
• Entrance Exam Scorecard
• Caste Certificate (If applicable)
• Identity Proof issued by the government (Aadhar Card/PAN Card/Passport, etc.)

PhD Psychiatry Syllabus

As the highest level of educational qualification that an individual can obtain, the syllabus for the PhD in Psychiatry program is rigorous, research-oriented, and clinically focused.

At the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, the first and second years of the course require students to complete a highly practical and extensive training program through informal and formal means, while the final year focuses entirely only on preparing and submitting the thesis. For reference, the PhD Psychiatry syllabus here is provided below:

PhD Psychiatry Job Opportunities in India

A PhD in Psychiatry, as a Doctoral degree, equips students with advanced, specialized, and industry-relevant analytical and practical abilities, allowing them to pursue jobs in research, clinical, analytical, and intellectual positions that typically require a high level of responsibility and authority. The top career opportunities for PhD Psychiatry include:

PhD Psychiatry Vs PhD Psychology

A PhD in Psychiatry is more medically focused on mental illnesses as being medical conditions, whereas a PhD in Psychology is more broadly focused on research and therapy in psychology.

PhD Psychiatry FAQs