Doctorate Degree from the US
A
doctorate degree or PhD is the
highest academic degree, which is awarded to the students for
undertaking academic research. It demonstrates expertise in a particular
subject and indicates that the earner is able to conduct and present
research of a scholarly nature. The
doctorate program can be taken up after the Masters degree.
Masters
degree prior to doctorate degree is preferred because a Masters’ degree
holder comprehends the subject quite well than a student who is going
for a Doctorate degree straight after undergraduate degree. Some
doctorates prepare graduates for work in a particular field, such as a
Doctor of Education or Doctor of Musical Arts. These degrees may not
involve as much original research, though they still require a sound
thesis. It usually takes 3 to 6 years to complete a doctorate program.
Doctorate degree is of three types:- Research Doctorate-Research doctorates are awarded in recognition of academic research that is (at least in principle) publishable in a peer-refereed academic journal. In United States, earning a research doctorate also requires successful completion of a regimen of coursework beyond the masters level.
- Professional Doctorate-Professional doctorates are awarded in certain fields where scholarly research is closely aligned with a particular profession, such as law, medicine, or psychology.
- Honorary Doctorate-When a university wishes to formally recognize an individual's contributions to a particular field or philanthropic efforts, it may choose to grant a doctoral degree, the university waiving the usual formal requirements for bestowal of the degree.
Some of the broad subject areas that one can opt, for pursuing a doctorate degree are:
- Applied Management
- Business & Management
- Education
- Health & Medical
- Human Services
- Leadership
- Psychology & Counseling
- Public Health
- Public Policy
- STEM