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PHD or Doctorate Degree
If you want a high paying, reputable job in this day and age, you must have more than just a bachelor's degree and usually even more than a master's degree. A PhD degree can give you the recognition you need and desire to get started on the career that you want. Pursuing an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, is not always easy, yet it may be necessary in order to stand out above the crowd of bachelor and master degree graduates.
Getting a PhD does not mean that you have to become a doctor of medicine, practicing in a hospital, taking people's temperatures and making life and death decisions. PhD's can be earned in a huge variety of fields from clinical psychology to theology and everywhere in between. Medical doctors require the longest bout of study time, earning their doctor in around 8+ years. Other PhD degrees can be earned in as little as 3-5 years time. The length of time it takes for a student to finish their PhD's depends on a number of criteria. These criteria are the student's educational background and level of completion thus far and their selected field of study. Before completion of your PhD, you will be required to produce a thesis of your own writing in your given field. This thesis will be approximately 500 pages long and will be the deciding factor of whether or not you earn your
doctoral degree. Many people pursuing their masters' degree must also write a thesis, but these are
generally cut down to 250 pages.
If you do not have the time or financial means to leave a full time job to pursue your PhD degree inside of a classroom, there are many online PhD programs available that are suited towards the working group. These programs allow you the freedom of earning your doctoral degree at your own pace while still maintaining a career. If you are among the lucky ones who have the finances and the ability to focus entirely on school, take advantage of that opportunity and get in the classroom. You will get so much more out of this experience by having one on one time with your professor and being able to be more hands on with your studies.
Pursuing PhD Universities and The PhD Degree
Are you one of those that is never satisfied with your education? You have your Master's degree, now what do you do? For many the next step is to pursue a PhD degree. This starts with a review of the
different PhD Universities available to you. There are many PhD Universities and PhD Programs so
you must take your time and find the best fit for you.
To obtain your PhD you must select your field and take advanced courses in your area of study.
Typically you take smaller seminars, study independently with a distance learning or online program. The courses typically take three (3) to four (4) semesters of full time study.
Now the fun begins..After your coursework is completed, the doctoral student must pass a written or oral qualifying exam. This provides evidence that the candidate has sufficient expertise in the subject
matter to proceed with his/her independent research.
Usually the qualifying exam is given by a committee. For most PhD Universities this consists of three to five professors in the candidate’s program who have agreed to guide the doctoral students research. The PhD candidate starts his/her original research and writes a book size thesis or dissertation on the research. When this is complete, the candidate must orally defend the positions stated in the research before the committee. After the candidate has been the oral exam with the given PhD University, the title of “doctor” will have been earned.
How do I select the PhD University that's right for me?
Finding a good fit for you will take research in its own right. Many times the PhD University you select
will depend on what field you are studying as many Universities specialize in different areas such as
Business, Economics, Psychology, Medicine etc..
The other factor you may want to consider is if distance learning or online learning is a good fit for you
and your PhD Degree pursuit. This isn’t for everyone.
Simply sit down, open up your web browser and make a list of your top 5-10 PhD Universities that are
a good fit in your area of study. Start by marking down the pro’s and con’s and consider things such
as relocation, prestige, financial impacts etc..
Don’t take this decision lightly as you will be spending up to six (6) years in achieving the credential of
“doctor”. You may want to call some of the professors at each institution to get a good sense of each
program and so you can further weigh the pluses and minuses.
The pursuit of the doctoral degree is not for the light hearted but well worth the effort. Take your time in
selecting the right PhD University and set yourself up for success. Best of luck on your journey.
RESEARCH DOCTORATE DEGREE TITLES
NOTE: This is the list of frequently awarded research doctorate degree titles accepted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as representing degrees equivalent in content and level to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.
Doctor of Arts (D.A.)
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
Doctor of Church Music (D.C.M.)
Doctor of Canon Law (J.C.D./D.C.L.)
Doctor of Design (D.Des.)
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng./D.E.Sc./D.E.S.)
Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.)
Doctor of Hebrew Letters (D.H.L.)
Doctor of Industrial Technology (D.I.T.)
Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D./S.J.D.)
Doctor of Music (D.M.)
Doctor of Musical/Music Arts (D.M.A.)
Doctor of Music Education (D.M.E.)
Doctor of Modern Languages (D.M.L.)
Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A.)
Doctor of Physical Education (D.P.E.)
Doctor of Public Health (D.P.H.)
Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.)
Doctor of Science (D.Sc./Sc.D.)
Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.)
Doctor of Theology (Th.D.)



