CONTINUED: How to make sense of the confusing clutter of post-secondary academic credentials

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Doctorate

Some students just can’t get enough of academics—they want to reach the pinnacle. The doctorate is the highest academic credential you can earn in most fields of study. And the process of achieving that honor is generally far different from that of any of the lower credentials. In fact, if you’re considering this path, it’s probably a wise idea to honestly evaluate your motivations for doing so. Doctorate students frequently must deal with academic politics. They often become research apprentices—at the whim of professors who must treat their departments like a business (attract outside funding, deliver on the expectations of their “investors” or perish).

The most well-known type of doctorate is the Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy). Contrary to its name, a Ph.D. can actually be granted for several disciplines within the arts, sciences and humanities. Other than the research, academic and government sectors, job market demand for people with Ph.D.s is relatively low. However, there are professions like psychology in which state or provincial licensing requirements may call for a doctorate. And the highest paid positions within some companies also require a Ph.D.

Admission into a traditional graduate school for a doctorate is much like that for a master’s degree—but even more highly competitive since there are precious few openings. You’ll still need at least a bachelor’s degree from a well-respected institution, all the transcripts from your college years, good test scores and pristine references. But you’ll also have to make the case that your research interests line up well with those of the department to which you’re applying. Research professors don’t care to take on grad students who won’t have the interest, knowledge or motivation to assist them.

Of course, a few proprietary schools also offer Ph.D. programs. But just like the requirements for their master’s degrees, the programs at these schools tend to be different from their traditional counterparts. While many still require some form of thesis or dissertation, some of these programs make that aspect optional, requiring supervised work experience in your field of study and a capstone paper instead. The perceived value of such Ph.D.s is a little murky. Perhaps more than with any other type of academic credential, snobbery can really come into play with doctorates. And some people—rightly or wrongly—believe that a doctorate from a school with “non-traditional” requirements isn’t as good as one from a conventional college or university.

The time it takes to achieve a doctorate varies significantly from student to student and program to program. If you already hold a master’s degree, it should take less time than if you’re starting out with a bachelor’s. Most graduate schools will give you a time limit to complete the necessary work—usually no more than seven to 10 years. But you can realistically expect to spend about three to six years working towards a doctorate, assuming you can pay for it.

Every doctorate program has its own set of individual requirements that need to be fulfilled before graduation, but they are always very demanding. Traditionally, two examinations are involved—a general examination at the beginning of your studies, and a final examination after about two years of coursework which plays a role in determining whether you are qualified to advance in the program as a doctoral candidate. Once you are accepted to continue, you’ll then need to develop a topic for a dissertation (a book-length research project that makes an original scholarly contribution to the field you are studying). Your dissertation topic will need to be approved, and you will ultimately have to pass a defense of your completed dissertation in front of a committee, usually made up your adviser and other professors within the department. At that point, whether or not you are awarded a doctorate is at the discretion of the committee.

Some doctorate programs also require that their students teach lower level undergraduate classes or work as teaching assistants for a predetermined amount of time. This is one of the primary ways that grad students help fund their education. Many students also find it necessary to take on other forms of work, sometimes delaying their studies and research.

No matter where you get it from, earning a legitimate doctorate requires extreme commitment and passion for the subject matter you intend to study. So do your homework, talk to current and former grad students and speak with potential employers to make sure that pursuing a doctorate really makes sense for you.

One last comment

Your credentials are supposed to be proof that you’ve acquired a certain set of skills and body of knowledge. Without them, it can be difficult to even be granted an interview. However, simply having the right credentials doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve learned everything you need to know or have what it takes to be successful. It’s not really the piece of paper that employers are after; it’s the competent person they want. So if you slide by, doing the minimum effort, or even cheating or plagiarizing, then your ineptitude may become apparent very quickly. You’ll be disqualified before you even start your run. And that’s a problem even Dr. Phil can’t help you solve.