A PhD in Guidance & Counselling is a doctoral degree expanding between 3 – 5 years, which is especially designed for individuals who aspire to become experts in the field of mental health, education and much more. Unlike a master’s degree that emphasizes practice and a more theoretical framework, a PhD degree focuses more on evidence-based practices, innovations in counselling models, and research work.
The course enables individuals to conduct independent research on various specialized areas including educational counselling, career guidance, and mental health interventions. Researchers can work to integrate psychology, education and social sciences to create impactful strategies that can improve well-being and improvement.
PhD in Guidance & Counselling can help an individual in gaining job in positions like Lecturer, Rehabilitation Counselor, Career Guidance Expert, Mental Health Counselor, and much more. With a PhD, an individual can work in many different fields. This article talks about PhD in Guidance & Counselling and goes into detail into eligibility criteria, admission process, job prospects and much more.
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PhD in Guidance & Counselling Overview
| Course Name | PhD in Guidance & Counselling |
| Course Level | Doctorate |
| Course Duration | 3 – 5 years, depending on the university |
| Admission Eligibility | Master’s degree with an aggregate of 55% or above along with an entrance exam |
| Course Fee | INR 50,000 – INR 2 lakhs |
| Top Institutes | TISS Mumbai, Jamia Millia Islamia, BHU, University of Delhi, Christ University, etc. |
| Salary | INR 6 – INR 15 LPA |
| Job Positions | University Professor, Rehabilitation Counselor, Career Guidance Expert, Mental Health Counselor, Researcher, etc. |
| Entrance Exams | UGC NET, CSIR NET, GATE, and other university-specific exams |
| Recruiting Sectors | Educational Institutes, Universities, NGOs, Government Department, Corporate HR & Training and much more. |
What is a PhD in Guidance & Counselling?
PhD in Guidance & Counselling is a 3–5-year doctoral program that focuses on the study of human behavior, emotional well-being, career development and educational or psychological support systems. It is especially designed for individuals pursuing a career in academia, research, and advanced counselling services.
The PhD course in the study curriculum includes psychological theory, counselling techniques, ethics, research methods, and eventually working on a thesis. The PhD program helps practitioners and trained scholars to work as advanced counselling techniques, therapy models, psychological assistant, and research methodologies to address the challenges faced by clients.
PhD in Guidance & Counselling: Eligibility Criteria
To be a part of the PhD program for Guidance & Counselling, an individual should know about the important eligibility criteria and if they fit as the right person with the same. Mentioned below is PhD eligibility in Guidance & Counselling.
- An individual should have a master’s degree in psychology/ applied psychology/ counselling psychology and other related fields with an aggregate of 55% or above from a recognized university.
- In addition to that, an individual should also appear for an entrance exam like UGC NET, CSIR NET, GATE or university-based entrance. The entrance exam acts as the main criteria.
- The candidate who wants to fill in the admission form should also prepare their research proposal as it is one of the main discussions in the interview. The research proposal should be reflected in guidance and counselling.
- Some universities also require an individual to have prior experience in teaching, counselling, or other related fields.
PhD in Guidance & Counselling: Admission Process
PhD in Guidance & Counselling equips an individual with the knowledge and skills to create a new counselling framework, conduct interventions, and help in influencing mental health policies. Mentioned below is the admission process for the same.
Step 1: Researching: The first step is to research the universities and institutes that provide an individual with a PhD in Guidance & Counselling. Research about the other arenas including eligibility criteria, admission process, prospects, faculty and curriculum.
Step 2: Admission Form: Once you have chosen your desired university. The next step is to make sure to mark the important dates for the release of the admission form. Fill in the admission form as soon as possible to avoid the traffic. Along with that, the admission form should only be filled out using the original documents without making any errors.
Step 3: Entrance Exam: With the completion of admission form, an individual should start revising for their entrance exam. Refer to the PYQs and mock papers to get better help in understanding where you are lacking. The preparation should be done at least 6 months before for a successful result.
Step 4: Personal Interview: The selected students would be asked to appear for the Personal Interview as the next and final step. Personal Interviews for PhD usually deal with the theoretical aspects of the field with respect to real-life applications. Along with that, the candidate is requested to present their Research Proposal and their thoughts behind it, in detail.
Step 5: Result Awaiting: With the completion of Entrance Exam and Personal Interview, an individual should patiently wait for their result. The results will be announced on the university’s website and along with that, an email will be sent to you as an “offer letter”. This promises your acceptance.
Step 6: Fee Submission: With the official email as the ‘Offer Letter,’ an individual will be requested to get the documents verified, physically. With the verification, an individual should submit the fee and get enrolled.
Research Trends in PhD in Guidance & Counselling
A PhD in Guidance & Counselling goes beyond the fundamental concepts of mental health and counselling practices. For a PhD, an individual needs to go through rigorous coursework and research in order to complete their thesis.
Mentioned below are some of the research trends for PhD in Guidance & Counselling which can help you figure out your thesis topic.
- Digital and Online Counselling Models: Online Therapy is becoming increasingly mainstream due to its accessibility, convenience, and reduced stigma. Many of the platforms and counselors provide teletherapy or text therapy. CBSE launched a counselling hub to help the students in their school, thereby fostering mental health awareness, scalable counselling delivery and much more.
- AI & Large Language Model: PhD in Guidance & Counselling research and thesis can also use AI & LLM to showcase the increasing and dependent use of these resources. The recent trend of chatbots over voiceover is also a new pattern that seems to be important as some youth want to talk on text rather than teletherapy.
- Culturally Sensitive and Indigenous Counselling Practices: In India, there has been an increasing shift towards indigenous healing practices including Ayurveda, Yoga and much more with the modern counselling approaches. Pursuing a PhD thesis related to tackling and assessing the efficacy of integrating yoga with modern counselling practices in anxiety or stress.
PhD in Guidance & Counselling: Job Prospects and Salary
| Job Prospects | Description | Salary |
| University Professors | The University Professor works on teaching counselling psychology, guidance methods, and supervising research scholars for their thesis writing. | INR 8 – 15 LPA |
| Mental Health Counsellor | Mental Health Counsellor assesses client’s needs, develops individual plans and helps in providing therapy individually, group or family, to help with serious mental health issues. Counselling programs are also conducted for individuals to learn about the importance of therapy. | INR 6 – 12 LPA |
| Career Guidance Specialist | A Career Guidance Specialist guides individuals in making informed decisions about their education and work by assessing skills, and values to make a personalized plan for the individual to help make better decisions. | INR 5 – 10 LPA |
| Rehabilitation Counsellor | Rehabilitation Counsellor supports the individuals to heal from their traumas, addiction or disabilities. They can work in an NGO or rehab centres. | INR 4 – 9 LPA |
| HR Consultant | HR Consultant works in a firm or a company and designs workplace counselling programs, employee wellness initiatives, and stress management workshops. | INR 7 – 15 LPA |
Conclusion
PhD in Guidance & Counselling focuses on individuals who want to pursue a career in academia, counselling services, and research. An individual who is looking forward to helping the youth and other individuals can learn a lot from this course. It provides an individual with many career opportunities including Mental Health Counselor, HR Consultant, Mental Health Counselor and much more.
No, as per the UGC guidelines, a PhD in Guidance & Counselling cannot be conducted in a fully online mode. Some universities do offer a part-time or distance supported PhD programs, but they also require a frequent visit to the university.
PhD admissions for Guidance & Counselling are conducted two times in a year, in India. As the national entrance exams take place two times a year, admission to the PhD program takes place in February and July.
No, you don’t need any special skills to excel in before applying for a PhD in Guidance & Counselling, but basic knowledge of statistical tools is also crucial for a better usage and understanding during your PhD thesis.
Yes, some more research trends which can be used for PhD in Guidance & Counselling for Thesis Writing include Career Guidance & Vocational Counselling, Special Population Counselling, Trauma-Informed Counselling and much more.
PhD in Guidance & Counselling usually has a time duration of 3 – 5 years. Depending on which university you are pursuing your PhD in Guidance & Counselling, the university can either extend your degree to 6 years, or they can ask you to pay a fine due to exceeding the years of completion.
