Full form of PHD

Full form of PHD

We all have a level of respect for PhD holders, and once in a life, we all have dreamt of acquiring a PhD degree. But do we know what the full form of PhD is?

The full form of the abbreviation PHD is ‘Doctor of Philosophy’.

This tutorial will briefly discuss about the definition, eligibility criteria, objective and other detailed information about the Doctor of Philosophy or PhD.

Topics Covered:

1. What is PHD?
2. Eligibility criteria for taking admission in PhD
3. Objectives of the PhD degree
4. Subject offered in PhD program
5. Frequently Asked questions/FAQ’s

What is PHD?

“Doctor of Philosophy or PhD is the highest doctorate degree awarded by universities after a course of study in a specialized field. PhDs are conferred for subjects across the entire breadth of educational courses.”

Ph. D is also known as Ph.D., DPhil or D.Phil. The Ph.D. holders are honored with the word ‘Dr.’. Once you pass your PhD course with flying colors, you can use the title of Dr (an abbreviation of Doctor) before your names. Ph. D curriculum is the most specialized education in a field, and a person with a PhD degree is respected as extremely qualified and equipped with knowledge in his field.

Doctor of Philosophy is a universally acknowledged PG program that necessitates years of persistent study, researchers and specialization. However, the specificities of a Ph.D. differ from subject to subject depending on the country or the university you decide to pursue. In general, almost all the doctoral courses demand the completion of the coursework, comprehensive exams and a thesis and require at least three years of supervision for the research analysis. 

Generally, a PhD is considered the highest degree a man can reach (although some countries have higher degrees than a Ph.D.). It is normally pursued after a master’s degree, but some universities also enable students to proceed directly to a PhD from their bachelor’s degree. 

Eligibility criteria for taking admission in PhD

A PhD holder must submit a project, thesis, or research usually consisting of a collection of unique academic analysis. But there is certain eligibility criteria required to earn a PhD degree: 

Note: The following criteria may differ considerably according to the country, university, and time period.

1. Students can only pursue a PhD program if they have accomplished their Master’s degree in any distinct stream or sector in which they wish to start a Ph.D.
2. Some universities also demand the candidates to uphold an Mphil degree before undertaking admission in the Ph.D. program. 
3. Nevertheless, various institutes ask the students to fulfill the qualifications they appear for PhD programs whether they have cleared UGC NET.
4. The students who intend to seek a PhD in the Engineering field must have a valid GATE exam number.

Objectives of the PhD degree

• PhD is one of the measures and most prestigious educational qualifications conferred by any university.
• The PhD doctoral program's prime purpose is to train the next generation of commencing researchers and scientists.

Subject offered in PhD program

The list of various subjects offered in PhD degree are as follows:

1. PhD in Bioscience
2. PhD in Management of Health Care
3. PhD in Engineering
4. PhD in Biochemistry
5. PhD in Zoology
6. PhD in Biotechnology
7. PhD in Chemistry
8. PhD in Accounting
9. PhD in Mathematical and Computational Sciences
10. PhD in Economics
11. PhD in Finance
12. PhD in Organizational Behavior
13. Statistics
14. Physics
15. Mathematic

PHD Frequently Asked questions/FAQ’s

Question 1: What are the higher degrees than PhD?

Answer: Although PhD is a higher professional degree in most countries, some universities offer ‘higher doctorate’ programs considered a level above the PhD course.

• Doctor of Science or DS or SD
• Doctor of Literature/Letters or DLit or DLitt or LitD
• Doctor of Divinity or DD
• Doctor of Music or DMus
• Doctor of Civil Law or DCL

Question 2: What are the equivalent alternatives to a PhD?

Answer:  There are few equivalent alternatives to a PhD which have the term “doctor” in their title are as follows:

1. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
2. Doctor of Pharmacy (DPharm)
3. US and Canada version of the Doctor of Medicine (MD).