Ph.D.
Highest academic credential
Ph.D. is the abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy, the highest academic degree awarded by universities.
Despite the name, it applies to all fields—chemistry, history, literature, engineering.
Earning a Ph.D. typically requires years of original research culminating in a dissertation.
The degree qualifies holders to teach at the university level and conduct independent research: She's finishing her Ph.D. in neuroscience.
Extended academic treatise
- thesisAcademic argument requiring defense
- advisorOne who gives guidance
- committeeAppointed group for duties
- candidacyPursuit of office
postdoc · tenure · professor · faculty · department · university · seminar · curriculum
Act of starting
- hoodingCovering the head
- convocationFormal ceremonial gathering
- regaliaCeremonial emblems of authority
- mortarboardSquare graduation headwear
tassel · cap · gown · procession · conferral · diploma · viva · laureate
Formal procedural framework
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- publicationIssued written material
- citationsAcknowledged source mentions
- journalsPeriodicals or personal logs
fieldwork · laboratory · experimentation · data · analysis · findings · empirical · qualitative
Concentrated expertise in one field
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- masteryComplete skill or control
- eruditionExtensive scholarly knowledge
- scholarshipEducational funding or erudition
proficiency · knowledge · intellectual · theorist · savant · expert · thought-leader
dissertation
Extended academic treatise
- thesisAcademic argument requiring defense
- advisorOne who gives guidance
- committeeAppointed group for duties
candidacy · postdoc · tenure · professor · faculty · department · university · seminar · curriculum · pedagogy
commencement
Act of starting
- hoodingCovering the head
- convocationFormal ceremonial gathering
- regaliaCeremonial emblems of authority
mortarboard · tassel · cap · gown · procession · conferral · diploma · viva · laureate · alumnus
methodology
Formal procedural framework
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- publicationIssued written material
- citationsAcknowledged source mentions
journals · fieldwork · laboratory · experimentation · data · analysis · findings · empirical · qualitative · quantitative
specialization
Concentrated expertise in one field
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- masteryComplete skill or control
- eruditionExtensive scholarly knowledge
scholarship · proficiency · knowledge · intellectual · theorist · savant · expert · thought-leader
Ph.D.high school dropout
One who quit secondary education
high school diploma · GED · elementary education · dropout · associate's degree
Ph.D.uneducated
Lacking formal instruction
illiterate · unschooled · untrained · dropout
Ph.D.autodidact
One who teaches themselves
self-taught · street smarts · school of hard knocks · practical experience · on-the-job training