ABD
Almost a doctor
ABD stands for "all but dissertation," describing a doctoral student who has completed all requirements except the final thesis: She's been ABD for three years now.
The term often carries a faint suggestion of stalled progress, though many ABD candidates are actively working on their dissertations. (Lowercase abd is an Arabic name element.)
Pursuit of office
- postgraduateScholar past undergraduate level
- graduateOne who earned degree
- qualifyingMeeting required criteria
- comprehensiveIncluding all elements
exams · advancement · milestone · requirements · completion · stalled · incomplete · unfinished
Extended academic treatise
- thesisAcademic argument requiring defense
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- proposalFormal plan for consideration
- defenseProtection against harm
advisor · adviser · committee · chapter · draft · writing · revision · methodology
Learned, studious person
- scholarshipEducational funding or erudition
- academiaHigher education community
- universityHigher education institution
- departmentDistinct unit within organization
faculty · stipend · funding · fellowship · mentorship · colloquium · seminar · conference
Spelled-out letter shortening
- acronymWord made from initials
- shorteningReducing length or duration
- initialsAbbreviated personal letters
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
candidacy
Pursuit of office
- postgraduateScholar past undergraduate level
- graduateOne who earned degree
- qualifyingMeeting required criteria
comprehensive · exams · advancement · milestone · requirements · completion · stalled · incomplete · unfinished · attrition
dissertation
Extended academic treatise
- thesisAcademic argument requiring defense
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- proposalFormal plan for consideration
defense · advisor · adviser · committee · chapter · draft · writing · revision · methodology · analysis
scholar
Learned, studious person
- scholarshipEducational funding or erudition
- academiaHigher education community
- universityHigher education institution
department · faculty · stipend · funding · fellowship · mentorship · colloquium · seminar · conference · publication
initialism
Spelled-out letter shortening
- acronymWord made from initials
- shorteningReducing length or duration
- initialsAbbreviated personal letters
- college termsuniversity, community college, fall semester, spring semester, liberal arts college
- DoctoratesPhD, doctorate, doctoral program, doctoral candidate, doctoral student
- grad schooldissertation, thesis committee, doctoral program, PhD program, graduate school
- grad studentsgrad student, doctoral candidate, master's student, masters student, postgrad
- PhD lifedissertation, thesis defense, qualifying exams, coursework, seminars
- student statusenrolled, withdrawn, graduated, suspended, expelled
ABDPhD
Highest academic credential
doctoral graduate · credentialed · Dr. · degree holder · doctor
Faculty with permanent appointment
One with academic certification
qualified · certified · undergraduate · non-academic · dropout
- alien abductionClaimed capture by extraterrestrials
- child abductionUnlawfully taking a minor
- abdominal painDiscomfort in the belly
- lower abdomen
- abdominal musclesTorso's anterior musculature
- abdominal crampsPainful torso muscle contractions
abdomen, abduct, abdicate, abduction, abdication, abdominal, abductor, abdominals