Question by Malachi Foster: What is the highest type of doctorate degree you can get in a field of study?
According to Wikipedia, there are research doctorates, higher doctorates, professional doctorates, and honorary doctorates. I just want to know: what is the highest type of doctorate? Also I would like to know if there’s a limit to the amount of doctorates one can get as long as they are each in different study? Lastly, what are the American equivalent requirements to get into Cambridge University in Britain?
Best answer:
Answer by CoachT
The highest is an earned doctorate. In your example, the honorary is not earned and it has no academic value whatsoever.
The PhD is generally considered the highest academic degree in any field. The PhD in the US is a combination research/coursework degree but in many countries is entirely a research degree.
“Higher doctorate” can have two meanings. In the US it refers to the terminal degree in a field and is “higher” than the first professional degree. In some other countries they place some degrees above others and have a hierarchy at that level.
A professional doctorate (aka first professional degree) isn’t an academic degree. It prepares the holder for one of the professions. Examples include the MD, DVM, JD, DDS, etc… If a physician with an MD wants to return to school and earn a higher degree he’ll return for a master’s and then an academic doctorate such as the PhD. The same is true of attorneys – they’d return to school to get the LLM (Master of Laws) even though they already have a degree titled Juris Doctor. You can’t really call these “lower” though because they are the absolute requirement to enter these professions and these professions are regarded pretty highly in society. They’re just different.
You can get as many doctorates as you’re able to earn. The costs are prohibitive though and the time involved would be incredible. The average time-to-degree for a PhD in the US is about 8 years with many, especially in the social sciences, taking 10 or more.
2 Comments on "Is it possible to get my masters and Ph D while in the Air Force?"
The military will pay for it all. Your problem would be time management, though. It’d be encouraged unless your performance slipped due to lack of sleep, et cetera.
You can certainly get your Master’s in four years, and the AF will help you pay for it. But why go in enlisted if you already have a bachelor’s degree? You’d make way more money as an officer.
Ph.Ds typically require 78-96 semester credit hours. That is an awful lot of school to complete while working full-time. You better plan on it taking at least six years, maybe more.
And yes, the Air Force will help you pay for your masters, but not your doctorate.