PhD Contemporary India Research
The King's India Institute offers supervision for PhD research degrees relating to contemporary India and draws on academic expertise in a range of disciplinary departments across the College. Supervision may be provided from within the Institute or jointly with other staff of the College.
To apply for a place on the PhD Contemporary India Research, please follow the standard graduate application procedure for King's College London. We are now accepting applications for entry in September 2013. For any enquiries relating to the admissions process, please contact the Centre for Arts & Sciences Admissions.
To start the process, you should first read our staff profiles to determine who is most suited to your research interests, and discuss your proposal with them. We prefer that you approach a faculty member first with a research proposal, rather than send a general enquiry -- you will also save your time by approaching the respective faculty member directly. Once you are satisfied that you have found a suitable academic who is willing to supervise your work, you should then submit your application with a formal research proposal via the online applications portal. Supervision is also available jointly with our Affiliates, and you may find it useful to read their profiles as well.
The heart of your application is your research proposal. The ability to identify and propose a viable research project is a major indicator of your potential for doctoral study. This proposal should be a document of no more than 4-5 pages in which you explain in some detail precisely the field of study that you want to contribute to and current research gaps, what you want to do and how you propose to do it.
A good research proposal typically includes the following components:
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A clear statement of the proposed research question.
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An explanation of the importance and originality of the proposed topic. This may include a section on the lack or shortcomings of existing academic work in your proposed area.
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A section describing not only your proposed methodology but also an explanation of why this methodology is the most appropriate for the proposed topic.
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A prospective chapter outline of the proposed thesis.
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A timetable showing a realistic plan, including critical milestones, for the completion of your research and writing within three years.
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A concluding section showing why this research should be conducted specifically here, within the India Institute at King’s College London, rather than anywhere else.
In addition to the research proposal, applicants should submit a personal statement outlining their reasons for pursuing further research.