PhD coursework in India is a set of taught courses, a minimum of 12 credits under the UGC 2022 regulations, that every scholar must complete in the first semester or two, including a compulsory Research and Publication Ethics (RPE) course and a research methodology course, with at least 55% or an equivalent grade needed to continue. Most universities add a subject or specialisation paper, and set the syllabus, exam pattern and timing themselves.
This guide explains what the regulations require, what each paper usually contains, how the RPE course is structured, how the coursework exam works and how to prepare for it without letting coursework swallow your first year. Last reviewed September 2026.
What do the UGC 2022 regulations require for PhD coursework?
The national rules are short. Clause 9 of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2022 sets the minimum, and your university fills in the rest through its ordinance.
| Rule | What the UGC 2022 regulations say | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum credits | At least 12 credits of coursework. No maximum is set. | 9(1) |
| Compulsory content | Two named courses: Research and Publication Ethics, in the form UGC notified in 2019, plus research methodology. | 9(1) |
| Online courses | The Research Advisory Committee may recommend UGC-recognised online courses as part of the credits. | 9(1) |
| Pass standard | A minimum of 55% (or the matching grade on UGC’s ten-point grading scale) is needed both to stay in the programme and, later, to submit. | 9(3) |
| What a credit means | Hours of instruction per week over a semester; a three-credit course means three one-hour lectures a week. | 2(1)(d) |
| Teaching training | Every scholar, in any discipline, gets training in teaching or writing related to the PhD subject, and the institution may assign between four and six weekly hours of tutorial, lab or evaluation work as a teaching or research assistant. | 9(2) |
Two points often confuse scholars. First, 12 credits is a floor. Many universities set 14, 16 or more, split across two or three papers. Second, the 2022 regulations contain no general exemption from coursework, for M.Phil. holders or anyone else. Some universities still grant partial exemptions under their own rules, especially for scholars who completed an M.Phil. with similar papers. If you think you qualify, ask for the exemption in writing before the semester starts.
Coursework usually happens in the first one or two semesters after admission, and your research proposal is normally approved by the Research Advisory Committee only after you clear it. Our PhD timeline guide shows where coursework sits among the other milestones, and the PhD admission guide covers the stage before it.
What papers are in PhD coursework?
A typical structure at a state or central university is three papers. The names vary, but the content is recognisable.
Paper I: Research methodology
Usually 4 credits. Research design, types of research, formulating problems and hypotheses, sampling, data collection tools, measurement and scaling, reliability and validity, and basic statistics (descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression, often with SPSS, R or Excel). Science and engineering departments add experimental design, error analysis and scientific writing. Many syllabi also include literature search, reference management and report writing.
This paper is the most useful one if you take it seriously. Read it with your own study in mind; the chapter on your design and sampling that you write later draws directly on it. Our guide to writing research methodology picks up from there.
Paper II: Research and Publication Ethics
The 2-credit RPE course described in the next section. Some universities teach it as a separate paper with its own exam; others fold it into Paper I and set questions from it.
Paper III: Subject or specialisation paper
Usually 4 to 6 credits, set by your department and often chosen with your supervisor. It may be a survey of advanced topics in your field or a paper built around your research area. Some departments ask for a review paper or seminar presentation as part of the assessment (for an article review, see how to critique a research article). Where the RAC agrees, a relevant SWAYAM or NPTEL course can sometimes replace or supplement this paper.
What is the Research and Publication Ethics (RPE) course?
The RPE course was approved by the UGC at its 543rd meeting on 9 August 2019 and sent to all universities by a letter from the UGC Secretary in December 2019 (D.O. No. F.1-1/2018 (Journal/CARE)), asking them to make it compulsory for PhD coursework. The 2022 regulations then wrote it into clause 9(1). It came out of the same UGC effort that created the CARE journal list, and its purpose is practical: to help scholars choose journals well and avoid unintentional misconduct.
| Module | Part | Hours (UGC annexure) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPE 01: Philosophy and ethics | Theory | 4 | What philosophy and ethics are; moral judgement |
| RPE 02: Scientific conduct | Theory | 4 | Research integrity; fabrication, falsification and plagiarism (FFP); duplicate publication and salami slicing; selective reporting |
| RPE 03: Publication ethics | Theory | 7 | COPE and WAME guidance; conflicts of interest; authorship and contributorship; complaints and appeals; predatory publishers |
| RPE 04: Open access publishing | Practice | 4 | Open access initiatives; checking publisher self-archiving policies (SHERPA/RoMEO); tools for spotting predatory journals; journal finder tools |
| RPE 05: Publication misconduct | Practice | 4 | Group discussion of real cases from India and abroad; hands-on use of plagiarism software such as Turnitin and Urkund |
| RPE 06: Databases and research metrics | Practice | 7 | Indexing and citation databases (Web of Science, Scopus); impact factor, SNIP, SJR, CiteScore; h-index, g-index, i10-index, altmetrics |
The hours are as given in the course-structure table of the UGC annexure; the detailed syllabus in the same annexure splits the first two modules slightly differently (3 and 5 hours), but the total is 30 hours either way. The annexure describes continuous assessment through tutorials, assignments, quizzes and group discussions, with a final written exam at the end. Universities set their own marks split.
The practical modules overlap with what you will need later anyway. RPE 04 is the skill behind our predatory journal guide, RPE 06 is explained in our metrics guide, and RPE 05’s plagiarism software session is the start of learning to read a Turnitin report.
How does the PhD coursework exam work?
Most universities hold a written examination at the end of the coursework semester, conducted either by the department or by the university’s examination wing. A common pattern is a three-hour paper for each course, with essay questions, short-answer questions and short notes, plus internal marks for assignments, seminars or attendance. Some universities call the whole thing the “pre-PhD examination” or “PhD qualifying examination”.
The pass standard is the UGC minimum of 55% (or the equivalent grade) unless your university sets it higher. Rules for a second attempt differ widely. Some universities allow a supplementary exam within a few months; others make you wait for the next regular exam, which can delay your proposal approval by a semester. Find this out before the exam, not after.
How to prepare without losing your first year
- Get your university’s syllabus and past question papers from the department or research section in the first week. The UGC sets the RPE outline; your university sets the paper.
- For RPE, do the practical parts yourself. Look up one journal on Scopus Sources and Web of Science, check a publisher on SHERPA/RoMEO (now Jisc’s Open Policy Finder), and find your supervisor’s h-index in Scopus and Google Scholar. Exam questions on these are easy if you have done them once.
- Learn the definitions exactly. FFP, salami slicing, gift authorship, predatory journal, h-index, impact factor. Short-note questions test these.
- Tie research methodology to your own study. Write one page on your design, sampling and analysis plan as you go through the syllabus. It becomes the draft of your proposal and your methodology chapter.
- Attend the classes. Many universities set a minimum attendance, often 75% or 80%, for eligibility to sit the exam. Check the figure in your ordinance.
- Know the pass mark before the exam: 55% or the equivalent grade under the UGC rules, and your university may set it higher.
Coursework should take a semester, not a year. Keep reading for your literature review alongside it. Scholars who treat coursework as the whole of semester one often reach their RAC proposal meeting with nothing to propose.
How do part-time scholars and online courses fit into coursework?
Part-time scholars do the same coursework as full-time scholars. The 2022 regulations require a no-objection certificate from the employer stating, among other things, that the scholar will be relieved from duty to complete coursework if required (clause 13). Many universities run coursework in contact blocks, on weekends or in vacation periods to make this possible, but you may still need leave. Plan it with your employer early.
Online courses can count toward credits if your RAC recommends them and they are UGC-recognised. In practice this usually means SWAYAM courses, including NPTEL courses offered through SWAYAM, with a proctored exam and a certificate. Check three things before enrolling: that your RAC has approved the specific course in writing, that the credits match what your university needs, and that the exam date falls before your coursework deadline.
Sources
FAQ
Questions scholars ask
Is the RPE course compulsory for every PhD scholar?
Yes, for PhDs under the UGC regulations. The UGC asked universities to make it compulsory from December 2019, and the 2022 regulations list it as a required part of coursework in clause 9(1).
I did an M.Phil. Am I exempt from PhD coursework?
The UGC 2022 regulations contain no general exemption. Some universities grant partial exemption under their own ordinances. Ask your research section in writing, and do not assume an exemption until you have it.
What happens if I score below 55% in coursework?
You cannot continue to the research stage or submit a thesis until you clear it. Most universities allow another attempt, but the timing varies, so check the rules before your exam.
Can I do the coursework online?
Parts of it, if your Research Advisory Committee recommends UGC-recognised online courses such as SWAYAM courses. The RPE course and the research methodology course are usually taught by the university itself.
Can I work on my research proposal during coursework?
You should. Formal approval normally comes after coursework, but reading, a search log and a draft gap statement during coursework save months.
