PhD and iPhD

Both PhD and iPhD will add a prefix "Doctor" with your name. If so, what is the difference between both of them?

• If you have master's in any subject, you can continue your studies and get a degree named PhD.
• Full form of PhD is Philosophiae Doctorate, which is a Latin word which implies Doctor of Philosophy.
• In PhD you will have to do research in any area of your subject.
• iPhD or Integrated PhD is also the similar work but that you can do just after your bachelors.
• For iPhD you have to give atleast 1 or 2 years more in comparison to PhD.
• iPhD option is there mainly for Science and Technology students.
• Most of the research institutes and Indian Institute of Technologies are providing the facilities for PhD as well as iPhD.

Question comes in mind that how can we get in for PhD or iPhD?

• There are many ways to do so. Many research institutes are conducting their own exam to take students in their PhD or iPhD programs. Eg. TIFR (Graduate Studies), BITS Pilani and most of the Universities.
• There are some common exams for many institutes. Eg. CSIR NET (for science), UGC NET (for arts), DBT JRF (for bio students), GATE (common for IIT's and IISc), AIIMS (for medical sciences), JEST (for Indian research institutes, mainly Physics), IIT-JAM (for iPhD in IIT's and some research institutes of India) etc.
• Direct approach: If you have a good academic record and have done good projects in your own college or in any reputed institutes, you can directly apply in most of the research institutes or you can approach professors of any institute directly with your academic record and write-up about your interest in research. There are a variety of rules in all places which gives many different ways to get in.

What should I do? PhD or iPhD?

• Depends on your qualification. If you have done masters, you should do PhD. But if you have just completed your bachelors and confused in PhD or iPhD, then you should know about your interest. If you are really interested in research, you should go for iPhD but you don't know your interest, first you should complete masters from any good place and give your best in masters. After masters, you can decide whether you have to do PhD!
• If you have completed your masters and thinking that you will learn more in iPhD. You are wrong, because it is fine that you will learn more but all those things you want to learn in iPhD course work, you can learn in your PhD course too. There is no institute, which stops you from learning.

I think you will get solution of many of your questions. Even if you have questions, you can comment.