Doctorate Degrees - Explaining the differences
Doctorate degrees are the highest level of academic degrees that one can attain. Usually, when doctorate degrees are earned, it is a policy to consider that person to be equal to the faculty at the university where the person studied.
There are three types of doctorate degrees that a person can achieve: professional, research, and honorary. Professional doctorate degrees are usually awarded when someone is being recognized for research they have performed that has been published and makes a contribution to knowledge. Usually this is supported by a thesis or even published literature. This type of degree is awarded in professions such as medicine, law or religious ministry. Professional doctorate degrees are also terminal in certain fields such as Dentistry, Medicine, Optometry, Osteopathy, Physical Therapy, Psychology and Veterinary medicine. For someone to attain this type of degree, they need to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field first.
The most common type of research degree is a Ph.D. (which is a Philosophies Doctor or Doctor of Philosophy). Examples of a research degree that is equivalent to a Ph.D. are: Doctor of Arts (D.A.), Doctor of Computer Science (D.C.S.), Doctor of Engineering (E.Eng.), Doctor of Forestry (D.F.), Doctor of Geological Science (D.G.S.), Doctor of Industrial Technology (D.I.T.), Doctor of Information Technology (D.I.T.), Doctor of Liberal Studies (D.L.S.), Dictor of Library Science (D.L.S.), Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A., A. Mus. D.), Doctor of Ministry (D.Min/D.M.), Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc.), Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.), Doctor of Religious Education (D.R.E.), Doctor of Science (D.Sc./Sc.D.), Doctor of Science in Dentistry (D.Sc.D.), Doctor of Science in Veterinary Medicine (D.Sc.V.M.), Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.), and Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.), It usually takes someone three years to complete a Ph.D. and this type of degree is attained after someone earns a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. It’s possible to earn this degree in three years, but it isn’t uncommon for it to take longer, anywhere from five to possibly ten years.
The Ph.D. is the most widely accepted of the doctorate degrees as a standard qualification, it’s really relatively new. A person looking to achieve one of the doctorate degrees can plan to spend five to six years at a graduate school, depending on which school you would like to attend. This is to give someone as much knowledge as possible, train them to do the research and prepare them to be a member of the faculty. Earning a doctorate degree is a lot of hard work, but in the end, it’s worth it.