Skip to main content
doctor's degree

doctor's degree

1 4.4
The highest university award for advanced study and research, often called a PhD
  • noun
  • /ˈdɑktərz dɪˈɡri/
translation icon : doctorado
  • After dedicating several years to her studies, she proudly received her doctor's degree in psychology.
  • master's and doctor's degree

Examples

  • Many students aspire to obtain a doctor's degree to advance their careers in academia.

  • In 1950, no university had granted a doctor's degree in folklore; in 1963, eleven such degrees had been earned at one university, and a second had newly announced the initiation of a graduate department in folklore.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Does a doctor's degree carry with it compulsory suicide?

  • "Will anyone pretend for a moment," James asked, "that the doctor's degree is a guarantee that its possessor will be successful as a teacher?"

    Academic text (1990)
  • At Indiana University, more than fifty graduate students are seeking master's and doctor's degrees in folklore, and they have come from ten foreign countries in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

    Academic text (2017)
  • He earned his doctor's degree in biology after completing years of research.

Synonyms

PhD
vsdoctor's degree
  • UK
139 4.8

A university degree given for advanced research after several years of study

is the overarching name for such advanced research qualifications
doctorate
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
58 7.0

A university degree you get after long study and your own research

is the common expression for this highest academic degree
Doctor of Philosophy
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A university degree that shows you did new research after several years of study

is the broader academic degree category that includes this research award
DS
vsdoctor's degree
  • Formal
1 8.6

A special degree given by a university for important work in science

is the standard academic degree term, not focused on honorary use
Doctor of Science
vsdoctor's degree
1 5.0

A university degree in science that universities give for important research or as an honor

is the general academic degree category that covers science awards
DEd
vsdoctor's degree
1 8.1

A university degree for people who work in education

is the general highest academic degree that includes this educational title
Doctor of Divinity
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A high university degree in religious study given to senior scholars

is the wider academic degree category encompassing this religious study award
Doctor of Medicine
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A university degree that lets a person treat sick people

is the broad label for highest academic degrees beyond professional titles
DMD
vsdoctor's degree
  • Formal
1 5.3

A university degree given to dentists after dental school

is the general university degree term rather than a specific professional title
Ph.D.
vsdoctor's degree
  • Formal
5.5

A university degree for advanced research in one subject usually earned after several years and a long research paper

is the general highest academic degree category covering this research form
DPhil
vsdoctor's degree
  • UK
7.3

An advanced university degree equal to a PhD often awarded by some British universities such as Oxford

is the general academic label covering this regional research title
D.A.
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
9.0

A university degree for people who teach in an arts or science subject

is the general highest degree that covers this specific focus
Doctor of Arts
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
7.1

A high-level degree for study or achievement in arts and humanities

is the broad academic degree category that includes this arts award
Doctor of Musical Arts
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
6.4

An advanced university degree for people who perform, write, or conduct music

is the general degree type that also covers musical specializations
Doctor of Music
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
6.7

A university degree that shows advanced study or performance in music

is the wider academic degree label that includes this musical award
Doctor of Education
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
4.5

A university degree for advanced study and research about teaching and schools

is the broad academic label that also embraces this education doctorate
Doctor of Laws
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
7.0

A university degree given after study or to honour someone for important work in law

is the general highest degree term that covers both earned and honorary forms
Doctor of Osteopathy
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
5.1

A doctor qualified in osteopathic medicine who can treat patients, prescribe medicine, and perform surgery

is the general academic degree category not limited to professional qualification
Doctor of Dental Medicine
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
3.5

A university degree that lets someone work as a dentist

is the wider academic degree concept not tied to dental practice
Doctor of Dental Surgery
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
4.4

A degree dentists receive after dental school that lets them operate on teeth

is the general highest academic degree label beyond this clinical award
Doctor of Optometry
vsdoctor's degree
  • Specialized
4.8

A high-level degree for people who test and treat problems with sight

is the overall academic degree category rather than this clinical qualification

How Advanced

doctor's degree
1 4.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

doctor's + degree

The meaning 'an academic degree associated with a doctor' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'doctor' (a person with a high medical or academic title) with 'degree' (an awarded academic qualification); the possessive construction signals ownership/association. This compositional pattern is common across languages and in academic contexts, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer that it means a doctoral/advanced university degree.

Etymology

Doctor's degree comes from the old use of doctor, a word from Latin that meant 'to teach'. In early universities a doctor was a senior teacher who had the highest skills, so a doctor's degree became the name for the top academic qualification.