MPhil PhD Admissions

MPhil programme in Women's Studies

Location: Mumbai

School: School of Development Studies

Centre: Advanced Centre for Women's Studies

Intake: 10

Eligibility

Candidates are requested to check the eligibility criteria before filling the application form. Candidates found ineligible will be rejected at any stage in the admission process and no grievances will be entertained in this regard.
Applicants will be shortlisted for the Research Aptitude Test (RAT) on basis of them meeting the following considerations with regard to educational qualifications, work experience and research proposal:

Educational Qualifications: The minimum academic qualification for admission to the M.Phil. & Ph.D programmes is a Second Class Master’s or equivalent degree in the relevant subject awarded by a recognised university in India or abroad, with at least an average of 55 per cent of aggregate marks, or a grade point average of 3.5 under the seven-point scale of the University Grants Commission (UGC). In the case of SC/ST/OBC(non-creamy layer)/differently-abled candidates, the minimum eligibility is an average of 45 per cent of aggregate marks, or a grade point average of 2.50.
Candidates who are likely to complete all the requirements of their final year Master’s Degree examinations by July 1, are also eligible to apply for M.Phil, provided they have successfully completed their first year Masters degree. In such cases, admission will be provisional. If a provisionally admitted student successfully completes the admission formalities such as clearing the Research Aptitude Test, but fails to score the minimum required mark/grade at the end of the final year examination of his/her Master’s degree, the offer of provisional admission will be automatically cancelled.
Work Experience: A minimum of five years of post graduation work experience is required for Ph.D. programmes. In case of the M.Phil. Programme, there is no requirement of work experience. However, candidates with one to two years of work experience, will be preferred.
Research Proposal:

Submission of a research proposal is a compulsory requirement for admission to the M.Phil and Ph.D. Programme. A research proposal consisting of approximately 1,000 words should accompany the proposal and indicate the Specification of the broad field of study, Statement of the research problem and scope and objectives of the study, rationale for and the significance of the study, methodology to be followed, references, and the candidate’s research/work experience in that area, if any.
Candidates who have an M.Phil or equivalent degree awarded by a recognized university in India or abroad are also eligible for a PhD
 

Description

The M.Phil. and the Ph.D. programme in Women’s Studies is built on our experience and learning from the M.A. in Women’s Studies offered at TISS since 2009. The purpose of the M.Phil. and the Ph.D. programme in Women’s Studies at TISS, Mumbai is to train scholars with a theoretical and empirical commitment to gender justice, and to advance the research and scholarship objectives of the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies (ACWS). The M.Phil Programme in Women’s Studies is offered for 2 years spread over the 4 semester teaching calendar of TISS. The first year of the Programme will consist of two semesters of course work followed by one year for completing an M.Phil. dissertation. The coursework for the programme focuses on feminist theories, practices and research methods, and engages with other social science perspectives. The dissertation topics selected by students will specifically be in the domain of Women's Studies, keeping in mind interdisciplinary perspectives.

Distribution of Credit Hours:

Programme Structure
The duration of the M.Phil. Programme in Women’s Studies shall be two years, spread over four semesters and coinciding with the academic calendar of the Institute.
The M.Phil. programme shall carry a total of 46 credits and will have the following components:
i. Basic Courses (BC) (12 Credits): These consist of three courses (6 credits) in the theory and practice of research including feminist research; two courses (6 credits) that provide foundational knowledge in the major currents of social science discourse, and basic concepts related to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s Studies.
ii. Optional Courses (OC) (4 Credits): The two courses of 2 credits each, to be chosen by a student from the list of courses (that can be revised from time to time) will help extend or update her/his knowledge in the (sub) discipline that s/he has chosen to do research in.
iii. The Dissertation under the supervision of a faculty member will proceed through the stages of synopsis formulation, preparation of a bibliography, familiarisation with the literature available on the selected research problem, and the student’s original research per se. The dissertation shall be evaluated and graded by the guide and an examiner external to the Centre.
The Structure of the M.Phil. Programme
1. Semester I Courses: There will be three basic courses (8 credits) that provide the foundational knowledge in the major currents of social science discourse, and basic concepts related to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s Studies.
2. Semester II Courses: There will be two basic courses (4 credits) and two optional courses of 2 credits each, to be chosen by a student from the list of courses (that will be revised from time to time) will help extend or update her/his knowledge in the (sub) discipline that s/he has chosen to do research in.
3. Semester III & IV- Dissertation: The coursework in the first year of the Programme is intended to prepare students for research, and the research undertaken by students in the second year culminates in a dissertation (30 credits) submitted by the students at the end of the Programme. The usual process of M.Phil. dissertation evaluation will be applicable.

Semesterwise Courses:

1. Courses for the M.Phil.Programme in Women’s Studies

   Semester	Course No.	Course Title	Credits
   I	BC 01	Contemporary Social Science Discourses and the Feminist Engagement	4
   	BC 02	Feminist Approaches to Disciplines, Methodologies, Methods and Tools Part I	2
   	BC 03	Theorizing Feminisms*	2
   	Total Credits (semester I)		8
   II	BC 02	Feminist Approaches to Disciplines, Methodologies, Methods and Tools Part II	2
   	BC 04	Reading, Writing and Interpreting: Texts and Contexts	2
   		(choice of any two of the following optional courses)	[2+2]
   	OC 01	Disability, Body, Intersectionalities
   	OC 02	Perspectives and Themes on Labour, Migration and Globalization
   	OC 03	Women in South Asia: Movements and Writings
   	OC 04	Technology and Women’s Bodies: Revisiting the Lived Experience Debate
   	OC 05	Citizenship, Human Rights and Women
   	OC 06	Women, Violence, Justice and Peace: An Introduction to Feminist Peace Studies
   	Total credits (semester II)		8
   III & IV	Dissertation	(process including synopsis preparation, literature survey, original research and writing)	30
   	Total Credits (semesters I,II,III &IV)		46

1. Notes: 1. BC = Basic courses, OC = Optional Courses.

2. 1 credit is equivalent to 15 hours of instruction

3. Mode of Instruction

Apart from lectures, there will be other pedagogical methods in use: seminars, specialized workshops designed by faculty and the research scholars, projects, and so on. Additionally the Centre organizes talks; students could initiate discussion fora for seminars and guest lectures.

Fee Structure:

Fee Structure for M.Phil and Ph.D Programme

(Prices in INR and subject to revision)

The full fees and deposits should be paid within the stipulated time after the announcement of the admission results. In addition, Rs. 50/- towards bank processing charges should be paid in any branch of the State Bank of India. If students fail to pay the fee on time, their candidature can be cancelled. Once the students details have been entered into the Online platform, a scanned copy of the fee receipt must be submitted via the online platform. Non-adherence to the above will be considered as equivalent to non-payment of fees.

*subject to revision