A doctorate is the highest academic degree which can be conferred by colleges and universities in the U.S. It signifies that the holder has become proficient in scholarship and indicates that one has successfully completed the exacting requirements of a course of study in a specific discipline in the estimation of his or her peers.
Although specific qualifications vary from discipline to discipline and from school to school, in most cases the Ph.D. or Ed.D. candidate must fulfill certain essential requirements, including previously earning a bachelor's degree; successfully completing required course work and comprehensive exams; satisfactorily completing extensive independent research that leads to an original contribution to knowledge; and successfully defending a formal dissertation. A typical doctorate program takes a minimum of three years of additional effort beyond the attainment of a master's degree; due to the strict qualifications of the degree, however, many students take far longer than this to complete their doctorate.
Among the doctorate-level degrees offered by many universities:Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
A general doctorate; a terminal degree, and the highest level degree which can be conferred by a university.
Doctor of Education (EdD)
A terminal degree awarded for advanced studies in the field of education, and the equivalent of a PhD.
Doctor of Computer Science (DCS)
Terminal degree for computer science professionals, consultants and academics.