Introduction
The Doctor of Philosophy, a three-year full-time research degree, allows students to further specialize in an area of study or discipline by conducting extensive research in the relevant field. Students may be asked by the relevant Board of Study to follow a few recommended courses on a non-credit basis. The training aims at transforming a graduate to a highly skilled scientific researcher with effective communication and interpersonal skills. This degree is placed at Level 12 of the SLQF.
Admission Requirements
Applicants with the following qualification may be admitted to follow the Doctor of Philosophy degree programme:
- A Master of Philosophy degree in the relevant subject area, OR
- A Master’s degree with a research component in the relevant subject area; OR
- A Master’s degree with research publications of good quality in the area of study as acceptable to the relevant Board of Study.
Disciplines
The Doctor of Philosophy degree can be obtained from the following areas: Geography, Sociology, Archaeology, History, Political Science, International Relations, Sinhala, Tamil, English, Arabic, Economics, Management, Accountancy, Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Buddhist Studies, Pali, Sanskrit, Greek and Roman Studies, Fine Arts, Hindu Civilization, Islamic Civilization or any interdisciplinary area of study such as Religious Studies, Cultural Studies, Language Studies, etc. and any other specialized area of study such as social work, environmental management, public administration, etc. in the fields of the Humanities and Social Sciences as decided by the relevant Board of Study.
Degree Requirements
For the fulfillment of the requirements of the degree, a student registered for the Doctor of Philosophy degree programme of the Institute shall submit a thesis, from an extensive and in-depth research in the area of study, ranging between 60,000-80,000 words.
The thesis should create new knowledge with relevance of applicability by way of demonstrating critical reading, acquisition of knowledge with critical analysis and responding efficiently and effectively to the changing needs of the discipline through original research of a quality that makes a significant contribution to development of the discipline and satisfies peer review and merits publication. The thesis should be completed within the maximum period of the registration. The student is also required to pass a viva-voce examination of the thesis.
Though the degree awarded is completely based on the merit of the thesis, the relevant Board of Study may recommend the student to follow courses equivalent to 15 (maximum) credits as non-credit courses based on his/her prior academic records. In addition, the student may follow some courses as audit courses if they are relevant for his/her research.
