M.Phil. And Ph.D.

The MPhil is referred to as the “Master of Philosophy,” and the Ph.D. is the “Doctor of Philosophy.” The programs differ in several ways, including admissions, length, stipend, program structure, and many more, even though both degrees are highly valued in their respective disciplines.

MPhil

The full form of M Phil is Master of Philosophy. 

• This two-year postgraduate academic research degree is designed for advanced students. Prospective MPhil students may come from any field, including the Humanities, Commerce, Science, Law, and Education.

• There are two types of MPhil:
• Standalone qualifications-   A stand-alone MPhil requires two years to finish, however, if you’re pursuing an MPhil while pursuing a PhD, you’ll typically “upgrade” to a PhD after the first year through an oral examination.
• As a sub-part of a PhD programme : Instead of working on a specific MPhil dissertation for integrated MPhil/PhD degrees, you will start work on what will eventually become your PhD thesis.

• An MPhil can be obtained in any field, not just philosophy, despite the name! A PhD is the highest degree available, while an MPhil is typically thought to be the most advanced Master’s degree you can pursue.
•  Despite being formally classified as a master’s degree, the degree bears a doctoral resemblance. This is because an MPhil emphasises the independent study and a more tightly focused subject, going above and beyond the traditionally taught Master’s degree.
• The Masters degree is solely focused on research. A dissertation and a variety of taught modules and examinations are included in more popular master’s degrees like the MA and MSc, however, the MPhil only includes an extended dissertation, often 60,000 words in length. The student then defends their dissertation in a viva voce examination.
• After completing their study, students are awarded a postgraduate degree based on advanced academic research work. The MPhil degree, usually referred to as an academic research degree, enables students to become subject matter experts while also assisting them in acquiring the necessary knowledge.
• It is anticipated that the candidates will turn in their entire dissertation within a year or less. A highly regarded worldwide external examiner oversees the thesis (dissertation) examination and conducts vivas on the thesis. Upon passing the conducted viva, students are awarded an MPhil degree certificate. In light of this, the students must also provide a presentation on their findings.
•  Applicants are typically ranked in order of performance on an entrance exam, which is followed by a Personal Interview (PI) phase, before being selected for admission to an MPhil programme.
• •The requirements may fluctuate throughout universities, but generally speaking, applicants must have earned at least 55% of the points in the topic (or subject) in which they wish to pursue a postgraduate MPhil degree.
• The course fee for MPhil ranges between INR 1100 to INR 1 lakh(15$ to 1030$). After completing the MPhil course candidates can consider pursuing a PhD programme.
• The MPhil degree can be pursued in a variety of specializations, and graduates are eligible to seek for positions as academic researchers, professors, economists, and psychologists, among others. Depending on their employment areas, MPhil graduates can expect to get an average salary between INR 7 and INR 9 LPA.

PhD

Ph.D. stands for ‘Doctor of Philosophy.

• The degree that students must have obtained after completing their Master’s programs is known as the Doctor of Philosophy or PhD. A master’s degree that is recognized (M.A., M.S.C., M.COM, etc.) is required to be admitted to a PhD program. Applicants to a PhD program may enroll in any stream.
• A PhD is the most advanced professional degree that may be obtained by students who have finished their research in a particular discipline.
• Students can apply for lectureships in the fields in which they have earned their PhDs.
•  A PhD entitles students to apply for faculty positions in colleges and universities. To gain admission to a specific university, the candidates might be eligible to take the CSIR NET, GATE, and other PhD entrance exams.

MPhil Vs PhD:

• The MPhil is a research degree that can be part of a PhD or a standalone qualification.
• Compared to the PhD, the MPhil involves a shorter research project which shows an advanced understanding of the field and sources. Whereas a Ph.D. is a longer degree that should end with an original contribution to a scholarly field.

• Usually, the title of ‘Doctor’ is applied to individuals who have attained the degree of PhD in a certain field. Both degrees are prestigious in their own right and are attained by individuals who are passionate about the field of research. Scroll down to understand the different aspects of the variation of M.Phil vs. Ph.D.
• An MPhil is a substantial piece of research, but it doesn’t need to provide a completely new scholarly contribution to the subject in question. Instead, it needs to display the student’s comprehensive knowledge and critical understanding of its topic.
• A PhD, by contrast, must consist of a significant academic contribution that will add to the existing research done on the subject. A PhD should also be of publishable quality – generally speaking, an MPhil doesn’t need to meet that standard.
• Unsurprisingly, at two years in duration, an MPhil is shorter than a PhD, which takes between three and four years to complete on a full-time basis. It’s also worth knowing that a standalone MPhil dissertation is also shorter than a PhD thesis.
• Another important difference between an MPhil and a PhD is their funding status. If you’re intending to do a standalone MPhil, you should apply for a Master’s loan. When your intention is to upgrade to a PhD, you should look for PhD funding.
• Unsurprisingly, at two years in duration, an MPhil is shorter than a PhD, which takes between three and four years to complete on a full-time basis. It’s also worth knowing that a standalone MPhil dissertation is also shorter than a PhD thesis.
• Another important difference between an MPhil and a PhD is their funding status. If you’re intending to do a standalone MPhil, you should apply for a Master’s loan. When your intention is to upgrade to a PhD, you should look for PhD funding.

Is a Ph.D. or MPhil program better for me?

• An MPhil may be the ideal degree for you if you’ve chosen a research area that doesn’t exactly have the same breadth as a full PhD. Without the additional stress and dedication that a doctorate entails, you’ll have far more time and flexibility to fully explore your subject than you would on a traditional taught master’s degree.
• A master’s degree in philosophy also provides you with the chance to gain important research skills that jobs outside of academia would value.
•  You could be concerned that the MPhil is stigmatized and that having one of these degrees will be seen as a failed PhD attempt. Although it is occasionally the case that an MPhil is the product of a failed viva or PhD exam, this is the case for very few MPhils. It goes without saying that you can justify in any job application why you completed an MPhil instead of a PhD.
• You might apply for an MPhil rather than a PhD for a few different reasons. For instance, at some universities, the term “MPhil” might refer to a standard one-year Masters’s programme. This is the case at the University of Cambridge, which grants MPhil degrees that are both taught and research-based.
• Similar to this, the MPhil is a research degree that falls between a taught master’s degree and a full doctorate in certain higher education institutions, such as those in Pakistan and India.

Author: Master Vikrant RohinMaster Vikrant Rohin is an international author, and more than four countries’ schools are using his books in the core curriculum of education. He is the author of twenty different subject books. History, Economics, Chemistry, Physics, English, Biology, Geography etc. Most of his students hold high-ranking positions in the public and private sectors. He has cracked the world’s toughest exam, the "Civil Services Examination (UPSC)," eight times. Always a topper in academics, he was also a top-class sportsman, a state boxer, and a basketball player.