About the Programme
Programme Description: The Ph.D. in Cultural Studies is one of the few programmes in India which offers a practice-based as well as a dissertation-based mode of research. The programme operates in dual-mode, whereby applicants can register either as full-time or part-time candidates. Located in the culturally active city of Bengaluru, the programme encourages a lively engagement with our everyday and immediate contexts, with the objective of generating original critical and creative work that can make a contribution to society, as well as the disciplines concerned. We are especially interested in applications from practitioners in the cultural and creative industries, who would like to draw upon their existing sites of work/practice, for their doctoral research.
Programme Requirements:
• All candidates will be required to undergo 6 months of training/coursework in Bangalore from June-November. This will be a full-time commitment, irrespective of whether a student is registered as a full-time or a part-time candidate.
• At the end of the 6 month training period, candidates will be required to get their research proposal approved by a panel of experts, after which they begin independent research, under the supervision of a Ph.D. guide, who will be assigned by the University.
• During the period of independent study, candidates may be based in any part of India, however, they will be required to meet their PhD supervisor in person once a month, or as part of a monthly (1-2 day) PhD workshop.
• At the end of the programme, candidates must produce i) an 80,000-100,000 word dissertation containing original research OR ii) a practice-based ‘artefact’ in any form or medium approved by the research committee, along with a 40,000-50,000 word dissertation that includes a critical reflection on the practice/artefact.
• Duration: Full-time: minimum 3 years & maximum 5; Part-time: minimum 4 years & maximum 6. Students will have to de-register if they are unable to complete their Ph.D. within the stipulated period.
Intake:
• Six per year
• Only one cycle of intake per year along with the June Cohort.
Eligibility & Fee Structure
Message from the HOD
Bangalore Bannerghatta Road Campus
The Department of English and Cultural Studies (BGR Campus) is a vibrant community of faculty and students who strive towards intellectual growth and societal engagement. In keeping with the times, the department offers courses in emergent fields of English and Cultural Studies with focus on the literary, the social and the cultural. The courses offered in the department are an interdisciplinary fusion of history, anthropology, digital humanities, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies.
Our faculty have expertise in various fields that include Translation Studies,
Message from the HOD
The Department of English and Cultural Studies (BGR Campus) is a vibrant community of faculty and students who strive towards intellectual growth and societal engagement. In keeping with the times, the department offers courses in emergent fields of English and Cultural Studies with focus on the literary, the social and the cultural. The courses offered in the department are an interdisciplinary fusion of history, anthropology, digital humanities, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies.
Our faculty have expertise in various fields that include Translation Studies, English Language instruction, Gender Studies, Screen Studies, Fandom Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies and Sociolinguistics. This eclectic mix contributes to the intellectual, social and holistic development of the students, enabling their growth as thinkers and practitioners in society. The department also fosters the creative and thinking spirit in students through a set of student managed clubs and forums like the FIlm Club: 24FPS, the Theatre Club: Prathibimb, the Research Club: Tafteesh, the Book Club: Shared Shelf , the Gender Studies Forum, a student run blog Christribute, a monthly literary magazine Litscape and a biannual research magazine Paracosm.
Ms Renu Elizabeth Abraham
hod.english.culturalstudies.bgr@christuniversity.in
Admission Process
- Register with your Email ID
- Login to the Admission Portal
- Fill the Application Form
- Pay Application Fee
- Entrance Test (If Applicable)
- Assessment
- Interview
- Check login page for result
- If selected, Offer Letter attached
- Pay Course Fee Online
- Complete Admission Process
Ready to Apply?
Applications for the 2026 batch are open. Deadline: 14-Jun-2026.