Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy (often abbreviated as PhD or D.Phil.) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities. The academic level known as a Doctorate of philosophy varies considerably according to the country, institution, and time period, from entry-level research degrees to higher doctorates. A person who attains a doctorate of philosophy is automatically awarded the academic status of doctor.

A Doctor of Philosophy degree is a type of doctorate degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree has been awarded by European universities since the Middle Ages.

The term "philosophy" does not refer solely to the field of philosophy, but is used in a broader sense in accordance with its original Greek meaning, which is "love of wisdom". In most of Europe, all fields other than theology, law, and medicine were traditionally known as philosophy, and in Germany and elsewhere in Europe the basic faculty of liberal arts was known as the "faculty of philosophy".

History

The doctorate (Latin: doceo “I teach”) appeared in medieval Europe as a license to teach (Latin: licentia docendi) at a medieval university. Its roots can be traced to the early church when the term "doctor" referred to the Apostles, church fathers and other Christian authorities who taught and interpreted the Bible.

The right to grant a licentia docendi was originally reserved to the church which required the applicant to pass a test, to take an oath of allegiance and pay a fee. The Third Council of the Lateran of 1179 guaranteed the access – now largely free of charge – of all able applicants, who were, however, still tested for aptitude by the ecclesiastic scholastic. This right remained a bone of contention between the church authorities and the slowly emancipating universities, but was granted by the Pope to the University of Paris in 1213 where it became a universal license to teach (licentia ubiquie docendi).

Requirements

The degree is awarded upon the successful completion of a varying number of coursework modules or quality research achievements in the stipulated fields or both, a dissertation that is often required to be of a particular length, in a number of fields of study, and in some others, a project or thesis to be presented before a panel of experts.

See also

• Doctorate
• Postgraduate education
• Academic degree
• Licentia docendi
• University

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