What is a PhD?

PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. While the PhD name comes from the Latin roots of (Ph)ilosophiae (D)octor, modern-day doctoral degrees cover a variety of subjects – not only philosophy. The PhD is a doctoral research degree and is one of the highest-level academic degrees that can be awarded. It is a qualification that earns you the title of ‘Doctor’ not to be confused with a professional doctor.

Is a PhD different to a doctorate degree? The PhD is the most common type of doctorate and is awarded in almost all subjects at universities around the world. Simply put, all PhDs are doctorates, but not all doctorates are PhDs.

Study for a PhD in the UK

Almost all universities in the UK offer PhD and Doctoral courses. The most popular universities for PhD studies and doctoral courses are the prestigious University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and the Russell Group of Universities as they are renowned for producing world-class research and developing some of the best researchers.

Why use TopCourses PhD and Doctorate Admission Service?

• Help students identify suitable PhD and Doctorate programmes, plus check vacancies
• Advise students on contacting potential supervisors and provide contact letter template
• Help students apply to PhD and Doctorate programmes
• Professionally build, edit and manage student applications
• Review and feedback on student’s research proposal

Professional Advisor Service

Getting a PhD or Doctorate degree is no easy feat and requires intense dedication. Be prepared to spend 3 – 5 years researching an area of study day in and day out. Often, this can be exhausting, consume other areas of your life, and be mentally stressful.

Every PhD student is assigned an advisor or supervisor from the start to help them develop their research and keep them on track, however; advisors are not always available to provide input on-demand. Also, their guidance may not always extend to moral support or advice outside of the subject area.

Different doctoral degrees

Surprisingly, there are multiple types of degrees for any subject area that you wish to study in. For example, a student pursuing a doctorate in law could choose to study a Juris Doctorate (JD) or a PhD in Legal Studies. These degrees sound very similar, but they have very different focuses and uses after graduating. The first is considered a professional doctorate whereas the latter is an academic doctorate.

Academic Doctorate (Research Degree)

Academic doctorates tend to be research-oriented and graduates tend to pursue academic careers such as becoming a professor or researcher with the aim of expanding knowledge and extending boundaries of what is currently known about a field of study. The most common doctorate is the Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD, which is intended to teach students how to perform original research within their chosen field. A PhD usually takes 3 – 6 years to complete.

Popular PhD Research Degrees for International Students:

• Phd in business administration
• Phd in finance
• Phd in education
• Phd in computer science
• Phd in data science and data analytics
• Phd in economics
• Phd in nutrition
• Phd in engineering
• Phd in english
• Phd in physics

Integrated PhD

Many universities now provide students with an option of studying an Integrated PhD. An Integrated PhD provides a route into research study if you do not have a Master’s degree, or have very little research training. It is a unique Masters and PhD combined program.

Integrated PhD students spend their first year completing Masters-level training, followed by a full-time PhD.

Integrated PhDs are different from standard PhDs in a few ways. It combines both taught study (in your Masters year) as well as independent research (during the PhD element of the course). Integrated PhD’s take longer to complete because it includes the Masters year. It can take anywhere from 4-8 years to complete an Integrated PhD.

Professional Doctorate (Professional Degree)

Professional degrees, include the Juris Doctorate (JD) or Doctor of Law as well as other similarly named degrees, such as a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD), Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD). Professional degrees generally lead to a professional career within a chosen field. For example, in order to practice law or medicine, it is necessary to earn the appropriate professional degree.

A professional doctorate degree usually takes 1 – 5 years to complete.

Professional degree programs are based around the practical application of knowledge and are often very carefully designed so as to meet the expectations of that role, including any necessary licensing requirements.