The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) maybe the most prestige degree in existence. In fact, the amount of time necessary to get a Ph.D. is 5 years, though the degree’s fiscal payoff is great. Actually, professionals having doctorates earn roughly $37,265 more annually than workers having bachelor’s degrees.
Indeed, the doctoral degrees are the highest academic credential possible to get. Whether it is a research DPhil (Ph.D), a Doctor of Arts (D.A.), or other variant, the degree usually requires 4 to 6 years of extra study beyond a master’s level. In order to earn a doctoral degree, graduate students should complete courses of study, conduct original research as well as create a publishable dissertation or thesis. Not surprisingly, 1 in 100 US grads call themselves “doctor.” Thus, doctorates command respect.
Doctoral studenst take the advanced courses in a selected area, usually in independent studies or small seminars. The coursework generally takes 3 to 4 semesters of full-time education. When the coursework is finished, doctoral candidates have to pass oral or written doctoral qualifying examinations, proving they have adequate background to proceed with their independent research.
The qualifying examination is provided by the candidate’s committee, typically 3 to 5 professors in a candidate’s program agreeing to guide a candidate’s research. Ph.D. candidates pursue original research as well as write a book-length dissertation or thesis. When the thesis is complete, then candidates should orally defend the conclusions before a committee. When candidates successfully do this and deposit the finished thesis with the college, the title “doctor” is earned.