THE PROGRAMME
The D.Th Programme shall consist of two parts, namely, the Assessment period and the Dissertation period.
The Assessment Period
During this period candidates shall further equip themselves in the following areas:
- Comprehensive knowledge in the field of study
- Research Methodology
- Critical competence
- Awareness of the Indian/Asian context
- Competence in language/s required for research.
- Certain level of competence in languages may be required on entrance to the programme, which may be tested by the respective Centres, at the end of the Assessment period through some suitable method.
- Atleast a minimum of six months Clinical Counselling training may be required for counselling students.
- In case of additional language requirements (as in the case of O.T. and N.T.) or additional experience in practical oriented branches (as in the case of Pastoral Care and Counselling), a term/semester can be added for this purpose only.
- A Committee consisting of three scholars shall guide a candidate’s study; the Committee for Research shall appoint one of them. To maintain the inter-disciplinary and integrated approach, one of the members appointed by the Centre can be from the branch other than that of the candidate.
- The candidates shall write during the assessment period three (3) research papers. The first paper shall deal with the Methodological issues in the field of study; the second one deals with the comprehensive knowledge of the branch of study; and the third one shall be a specialized paper demonstrating the broader framework of the actual research the candidate intents to undertake. It is not to be understood as the dissertation proposal. No paper shall exceed 12,000 words. The Doctoral Research Centres may prescribe more than three papers as per the requirements of the field of research.
- The Centres shall send a comprehensive report to the Committee for Research on each of the candidates at the end of every year with a clear recommendation whether or not a candidate should continue his/her studies.
- The Assessment papers shall be submitted at the end of a trimester (i.e. four months) to the Doctoral Research centre, which shall be evaluated by the members of the supervisory committee. A copy of Supervisor’s report shall be sent to the Department of Research/SATHRI for the consideration of the Committee for Research.
- The Supervisors, through the Doctoral research centre, should assure that the research students get feedback for each Assessment paper from all three members of the Supervisory Committee. If needed, the candidate should be asked to revise the Assessment paper/s.
- Each Assessment paper may be presented to a Seminar audience consisting of the faculty and the research students to get the feedback before submitting the same to the other two members of the supervisory committee.
- The assessment period shall normally be one year, but it can be extended depending on the progress of the candidate. However, if the assessment period goes beyond 18 months, the doctoral research centre should inform the Dean of Research/SATHRI with a progress report for the consideration of the Committee for Research.
- Candidates who fail to complete the requirements of Assessment period, including the dissertation even after the end of second year of residential study shall be terminated from the doctoral programme by the Committee for Research. Such candidates can apply for re-registration only after a period of three years after from the termination of the programme.
- Doctoral research centre shall recommend to the Department of Research/SATHRI in a proper Performa that the requirements of the Assessment period of the candidate is completed which will be presented to the Committee for Research.
- At the end of this period of study, candidates shall be assessed according to regulations laid down by the Committee for Research. If the candidate is unable to fulfil such requirements in a reasonable time (i.e. 18 months), the Committee for Research, on the basis of a report from the Centre, shall terminate his/her studies at this stage.
The Dissertation period
After the successful completion of the three required Assessment papers the candidate shall prepare a dissertation proposal as per the direction received from the Methodology Seminar, for example:
- A brief statement of the problem
- The method or methods intended to be used in researching the problem
- A basic bibliography and/or list of resources
- And others as per requirement.
The researcher shall then submit the Dissertation proposal, duly approved by the Supervisory Committee, through the Doctoral Centre to the Department of Research/SATHRI in order to be approved by the Committee for Research.
The candidate shall be in full time residential study for at least two full years after the completion of the assessment period. Part of this period may be spent, if necessary, in full time residential study abroad, or in one of the Indian universities or Centres of advanced learning or with persons of competence. The Centre shall make such arrangements with the concurrence and help of the Committee for Research. Such arrangements shall be made after careful review of both the candidate’s needs and the facilities at the proposed Centre on the basis of the approved programme.
Supervision of Dissertation
- The Committee for Research shall appoint a supervisor for each candidate from a panel of persons recognized by the Committee for Research as his/her dissertation supervisor.
- During the period of research, the Centre may recommend a change of supervisor, to the Committee for Research on representation from the candidate/supervisor.
- The Committee for Research may permit a candidate to change the Centre. The Centre shall be consulted prior to the decision.
- The candidate shall submit a progress report of his/her study annually through the supervisor and doctoral centre to the Department of Research/SATHRI. Failure on the part of candidate in submitting report shall result in the cancellation of his/her registration.