CESS has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Telangana University, Nizamabad in 2016 to conduct a full-time research programme leading to Ph.D. degree in development studies. Along with the subjects offered for the part-time programme.

The Ph.D. programme is offered under the overall supervision and guidance of a Research Programme Committee (RPC). The Director, CESS is the Chairman of the RPC and the other members are from Telangana University, CESS and a few eminent academicians as subject experts. The RPC in all its practical purposes acts as academic council in academic matters, and as a managing committee in administrative matters. The RPC would review the programme and would take decisions from time to time to improve the quality of research and evolve the guidelines of the programme. The full-time Programme was inaugurated on 17 October, 2016 by Prof. Amit Bhaduri, Professor at Pavia University, Italy and visiting professor at the Council for Social Development, New Delhi.The Centre (CESS) offers regular Ph.D Programme in Development Studies in collaboration with Telangana University, in the following disciplines/subjects:

1. Economics
2. Sociology/Anthropology/Social Work
3. Geography/Geo-Informatics
4. Public Administration/Political Science
5. Statistics (with specialisation in Econometrics)
6. Commerce & Business Management (related to the research of CESS)

Candidates admitted to the Ph.D Programme have to undergo the course work which is organized in two semesters.