Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree of the highest level. Traditionally, the award of a doctorate implies recognition of the candidate as an equal by the university faculty under which he studied. There are essentially three types of doctorates: research, first-professional (USA only), and honorary. Research doctorates are nearly always awarded in recognition of academic research that is of a publishable standard (even if not actually published) and represents at least a modest contribution to human knowledge. It is usually assessed by submission and defense of a doctoral thesis or dissertation, though in some cases a coherent body of published literature can be accepted instead. Honorary doctorates are awarded for a substantial contribution to a field but this need not be academic in character. In the EU, UK, Australia, and some other Commonwealth countries, a distinction is made among research doctorates, into doctorates (generally awarded after a course of 3-5 years postgraduate research and study and submission of a thesis), and higher doctorates -- awarded on the basis of ~10 years outstanding research, judged through examination of publications. These higher doctorates are also used as honorary doctorates, but those awarded on the basis of academic research are non-honorary.

General information

In the United States, first-professional doctoral degrees are first degrees in a given field and include: Chiropractic, Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Optometry, Osteopathy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Podiatry, Psychology and Veterinary medicine. There are many others. Although these degrees may be both the initial and terminal degree in their field, students seeking to enter degree programs for them must have already completed a Bachelors degree, usually in a related field. Internationally, however, these first-professional degrees are in most cases equivalent to a first Bachelors degree in content and in length from other countries. Holders of the first-professional degrees from the United States may be obliged to take further examinations if they wish to practice their profession in another country. The host country may not allow the title of "Doctor" to be used as a form of address unless a research doctorate or higher doctorate has also been awarded. Under European Law, holders research doctorates from any EU country are recognised. The duration of a medical degree may vary between EU countries and may require the holder to take further examinations.

Related Topics:
United States - Chiropractic - Dentistry - Law - Medicine - Optometry - Osteopathy - Pharmacy - Physical Therapy - Podiatry - Psychology - Veterinary medicine - Bachelors degree

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First-professional doctoral degrees such as the M.D. and J.D. do not require completion of a thesis/dissertation or publication of a coherent body of literature. The minimum term for a first-professional doctorate is 3 years past secondary education, the same minimum term required for a research doctorate. First-professional doctoral degrees are not research doctorates. Actual practice (and legal recognition) within the field requires that the degree holder become licenced by the appropriate body (an organization not affiliated with the schools granting the degrees) and registration can require a certain amount of work experience. The titles from the first-professional doctoral degrees are not equivalent to the same title conferred in other countries. For example, outside the United States (and countries that mimic the North American medical educational system), the title of M.D.or D.M. may be only conferred as a research or a higher doctorate. This M.D or D.M. is in recognition of clinical or preclinical academic research many years after the original (professional or first) degree in medicine or veterinary medicine.

Related Topics:
Secondary education - United States - M.D or D.M.

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The most common type of research doctorate is a Ph.D. (Philosophiæ Doctor or Doctor of Philosophy), though there are many other designations, listed below. Some British universities, including York, Oxford and Sussex refer to the Ph.D. degree as the D.Phil..

Related Topics:
Ph.D. - York - Oxford - Sussex - D.Phil.

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Minimum periods for research doctorates vary considerably: In the UK and USA the minimum time for completing a Ph.D. is usually 3 years from time of enrollment (which usually takes place after the award of a bachelor's or master's degree). Although completions within this period are possible, most candidates take considerably longer, with a common average of roughly 7.5 years often seen in the USA for the 'hard' sciences, such as physics, engineering, and chemistry. In the USA, the research doctorate normally requires 2+3 years of taught courses and then research respectively. The courses taught in the first two years maybe equivalent to the content of a master's degree from other countries. Taught courses however are increasingly becoming an additional component in many research doctorates around the world.

Related Topics:
Bachelor's - Master's degree

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Although the Ph.D. is almost universally accepted currently as the standard qualification for an academic career, it is a relatively new invention. The older-style doctorates (now usually called "Higher Doctorates" in the United Kingdom) take much longer to complete, since candidates must show themselves to be leading experts in their subjects. These doctorates are now becoming rare, and are usually only awarded as Honorary degrees. In Germany the higher doctorate is "Dr. h.c." and in France, the higher doctorate doctorat d'État. The latter was replaced for academic recruitment purposes by the "habilitation to direct theses". The Habilitation is still used for academic recruitment purposes in many countries within the EU and is a research doctorate involving either a new long thesis (dissertation), a second book or a portfolio of research publications. The "Habilitation" is a qualification that demonstrates independent and thorough research ability, experience in teaching and lecturing, the potential to have a research group and, more recently, the ability to generate extra funding within the area of research. The "Habilitation" is regarded as a senior post-doctoral qualification, many years after the Ph.D.

Related Topics:
Honorary degree - Germany - France - Theses

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