PhD in Vocational Education

The PhD in Vocational Education is an interdisciplinary research program designed to promote innovation, knowledge creation, and societal development through vocational and professional education. The program encourages scholars from diverse academic backgrounds to undertake research across disciplines, enabling the integration of knowledge from fields such as education, tourism, psychology, geography, management, commerce, humanities, social sciences, skill development, and entrepreneurship.

A key objective of the program is to foster synergy between vocational education, skill development, entrepreneurship, and industry needs by combining theoretical perspectives with practical applications. It emphasizes research on emerging trends, employability, curriculum innovation, policy development, sustainable practices, and workforce readiness. The program also seeks to develop innovative models and strategies that address contemporary challenges while contributing to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.

By promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, the program prepares scholars to generate industry-relevant knowledge, advance professional education, and contribute to transformative change at national and global levels. Interdisciplinary research remains the defining feature and core philosophy of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Vocational Education.

Currently, the PhD in Vocational Education is offered under the following specialisations:

Tourism & Hospitality
Accounting & Finance
Retail Management
Early Childhood Centre Management and Entrepreneurship

The PhD programme in Vocational Education has two stages i.e. Coursework and Thesis.

Course Work

In the first academic year, over two semesters, the scholars will undertake the compulsory coursework, worth a minimum of 14 credits, which is a prerequisite for starting the research journey and conducting research. The coursework guidelines are based on the regulations of the Standing Committee (Research) of the Academic Council (SCR) of AUD.

The coursework will comprise 14 credits, earned from compulsory research foundation courses or elective courses (domain specialisation), over two semesters in the first academic year. The coursework will be prescribed to each student by the Research Studies Committee (RSC) of SVS.

Semesters	Courses	Credits Allocated	Core/Specialization
Semester-1	Perspective of Vocational Education in India	2 Credits	Core
	Research Methodology	4 Credits	Core
	Academic Writing	2 Credits	Core
Semester-2	Emerging Trends in Research (In Specialised Field)	4 Credits	Specialization
Semester-2	Research and Publication Ethics	2 Credits	Core

Based on the expertise available in the School at present, the following disciplines are included as allied field for the research in vocational education

Sr. No.	Specialisation
1	Travel and Tourism Management
2	Tourism & Hospitality
3	Commerce
4	Economics
5	Education
6	Management
7	Psychology
8	Early Childhood Education
9	Child Development,
10	Food & Nutrition

The researchers should be in a position to:

Analyse and critically evaluate interdisciplinary vocational educational theories, policies, research and practices across the specialisation.
Collaborate with others to set direction, design and enact improvements as a researcher in allied specialisation.
Design and conduct research and inquiry to improve practice and promote interdisciplinary vocational education.
Theorise the research ideation and develop a theoretical framework for chosen topic.
Analyse and interpret the data to draw conclusions and contribute to the body of knowledge.
Communicate effectively to scholarly and practitioner audiences.
Demonstrate skills in oral and written communication sufficient to publish and present work in their specialisation or prepare grant proposals
Demonstrate and conduct the application of research to professional practice comprehensively.

Fee: As per the University Norms

No. of Seats: As per UGC/University Norms

Minimum Tenure: As per the University Norms

Eligibility: As per UGC/University Norms

Learning Pedagogy and Assessments:

Teaching-learning: The scholars will regularly present their teaching skills.

Research: Doctoral candidates need a solid grounding in strategies for literature reviews, data analysis, research writing, and a strong observational and research bent of mind. Hence, a research symposium and a guest lecture by a research expert will be organised.

Expertise in the field of specialisation: To become transformative agents, candidates must be familiar with existing discourses and practices in the concerned field. SVS will offer a first-year course on subject specialisation, especially designed for PhD candidates. In addition, students are encouraged to take elective courses from both within and outside the school to develop expertise in their specific area of study. To gain a broader understanding of the field of specialisation, scholars are expected to participate in SVS seminars, workshops, and conferences in related fields.

Academic writing: Overcoming poor communication skills is a basic requirement to be a good researcher. Hence, a comprehensive academic writing exercise will be organised.

Also it is needed to provide the national and international exposure, as well as interdisciplinary research bent of mind to the scholars.

Research Network: Students will organise/participate or collaborate with the organisation.

Field Visit: To sensitise the researchers to 3PI (Planet, People, Profit, and Interdisciplinary research) by taking them to the field.

Submission Guidelines: The school will follow the guidelines issued by the University vide notification No. AUD/SCR/2023/17 dated 1st September 2023

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