Doctor of Philosophy

<p>A Doctor of Philosophy  is a <a href="/facts/Terminal_degree/NnaQxTlf">terminal degree</a> that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of <a href="/facts/Postgraduate_education/VhXDbhBz">graduate study</a> and <a href="/facts/Original_research/mo8joeTL">original research</a>. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated PhD (or, at times, as Ph.D. in <a href="/facts/North_American_English/vX9W1Xz1">North America</a>), pronounced as three separate letters (/ˌpiːeɪtʃˈdiː/ PEE-aych-DEE). The <a href="/facts/University_of_Oxford/ExVVQL6V">University of Oxford</a> uses the alternative abbreviation "DPhil".
</p><p>PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Since it is an earned research degree, those studying for a PhD are required to produce original research that expands the boundaries of knowledge, normally in the form of a <a href="/facts/Thesis/dYnTaYqQ">dissertation</a>, and, in some cases, defend their work before a panel of other experts in the field. In many fields, the completion of a PhD is typically required for employment as a <a href="/facts/University_professor/JNqot4sU">university professor</a>, researcher, or scientist.
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Doctor of Philosophy open-in-new

Doctor of Philosophy