Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agriculture (Agricultural Extension)

About the Programme

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agriculture (Agricultural Extension) is a research intensive program focused on developing strategies to bridge the gap between agricultural research and farmers through effective communication, technology transfer, and rural development initiatives. Typically spanning 3 to 5 years, the program is designed for candidates with a Master’s degree in Agricultural Extension, Extension Education, or related fields, requiring a minimum of 55%–60% marks along with qualification in ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF, UGC-NET, CSIR NET, or institutional entrance exams. The admission process generally includes an entrance test, interview, and research proposal submission, allowing scholars to specialize in key areas such as innovation diffusion, participatory rural appraisal, ICT in agriculture, capacity building, entrepreneurship development, and policy analysis. This program equips scholars with advanced knowledge and skills to enhance agricultural outreach, improve farmer adoption of modern techniques, and contribute to rural empowerment. Graduates can pursue careers in academia, research institutions, government agencies, NGOs, agribusiness firms, and international organizations such as FAO, ICAR, and NABARD, playing a crucial role in shaping sustainable agricultural development and extension services worldwide.

Eligibility

• A candidate seeking admission after a 2-year (4-semester) master’s degree should have at least an aggregate of 55% marks or its equivalent grade ‘B’ on the UGC 10-point scale.
• A candidate seeking admission after a 4-year (8-semester) bachelor’s degree in research should have a minimum CGPA of 7.5/10 with DBT-BET/ ICMR-JRF/ GATE/ UGC-NET/ CSIR-JRF/ ARS-NET/ GPAT qualifications.
• Candidates who have secured their master’s degree under (10+2) +3+2 or (10+2) +4+2 or (10+2) +4 patterns of study are eligible to enroll in the PhD programmes as per NEP 2020.
• A 1-year (2-semester) master’s degree after 4-year undergraduate degree/ 5 years integrated master’s degree with at least an aggregate 55% marks or its equivalent grade ‘B’ in the UGC 10-point scale or an equivalent grade on a point scale wherever grading system is followed or an equivalent degree from a foreign educational institution accredited by approved, recognized by an authority, and established or incorporated under a law in its home country or any other statutory authority in that country to assess, accredit or assure quality and standards of educational institutions.
• GU may decide its selection procedure for PhD admission of international candidates, keeping in view the guidelines/ norms issued by statutory/regulatory bodies from time to time.
• The PhD candidates from other universities can transfer their PhD to GU; the PhD credits are acceptable with the NoC from the Registrar of the migrating university if they have completed the course credits as per the minimum standards of PhD regulations of UGC, 2022. Additionally, the candidate must submit a self-attested letter stating the reason for migrating and the coursework completion certificate.