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Online Doctorate Degrees Programs
A doctorate is an academic degree of the highest level. Traditionally, the award of a doctorate implies recognition of the candidate as an equal by the college or university faculty under which he or she studied.
The two primary types of doctoral degrees are research doctorates and professional doctorates. Research doctorates are typically awarded in recognition of peer-reviewed academic research that is of a publishable standard. Professional doctoral degrees are awarded in fields such as medicine (MD) and law (JD) where candidates focus on qualifying for professional licensure rather than on research. (cont.)
To qualify for a research doctoral program, candidates must first earn a Master's degree. Candidate must complete a course of study, do original research, write a thesis or dissertation and successfully defend it before a faculty committee. The time required to complete a doctoral program varies widely from a minimum of three years and longer, depending on the program and whether the student is full- or part-time. The most common research doctoral degree is the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), with other designations in various specialties such as EdD (Doctor of Education) and PsyD (Doctor of Psychology).
