Many people wonder if there are any degrees higher than a PhD. Earning the highest qualification possible is a goal for many people. It can help you obtain employment in a university setting. There are certainly many different types of Doctorate programs that are considered equivalent to a PhD.
Doctorate degrees are the highest level of education you can achieve in many countries. However, there are some countries that have qualifications considered higher than a PhD such as professional degrees, habilitation degrees, doctor of science and doctor of technology.
Sometimes doing a PhD in an elite institution such as Oxford or Cambridge can also increase the prestige of your PhD among your peers and other PhD students.
This article will cover types of qualifications considered higher than a PhD.
A doctorate is the highest degree one can achieve in most fields of study and in most countries. However, depending on the field of study, there may be a higher level of education than a doctorate.
For example, in some medical fields such as surgery, an individual may complete a fellowship or residency program after completing their doctorate.
Ultimately, the highest degree within any field depends on the requirements and specialization within that particular field.
They will continue to evolve over time and it is likely we will see other professional degrees emerge above the PhD as further education.
Here is a rundown on the different types of qualifications that could be considered higher than a PhD in some countries.
These include:
A professional degree is sometimes considered one step above a doctorate and is designed for those who wish to pursue a career in the legal or medical field. It is a professional qualification for a particular field.
Research doctorates like the PhD provide academic research opportunities, while other professional degrees such as a Doctor of law (LLD), Doctor of civil law (DCL) and DS (Doctor of Science) focus on specialized knowledge.
Professional doctorates tend to emphasize practical application of knowledge, while research doctorates are focused more on theoretical knowledge and research skills.
They are often completed upon completion of a Dr of philosophy degree.
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a person can achieve in some European and Asian countries.
The qualification was developed in Germany in the 19th century “when holding a doctorate seemed no longer sufficient to guarantee a proficient transfer of knowledge to the next generation”.
In many German states, the habilitation results in an award of a Dr. Habil degree.
Portugal (Agregação), Brazil (livre-docência), Austria (Priv.-Doz.), France (Habilitation à diriger des recherches), Italy (Abilitazione scientifica nazionale), Romania (abilitare), Hungary (Dr. habil.), Switzerland (Dr. habil.), and Poland (doktor habilitowany), have all had their own version of Habilitation.
It often requires four to six years of study beyond a PhD and involves assessment of an individual’s skills and knowledge as both a teacher and researcher.
The process culminates in either an opus magnum thesis (contributions exceeding the standards of a dissertation) or several scientific publications of outstanding quality, which are then evaluated by experts in the field.
This degree is especially important for those looking to pursue a professorship in their chosen field.
Habilitation is not necessarily considered an actual degree, but it carries a great deal of prestige within academia. By completing the habilitation process, individuals demonstrate their commitment to furthering their education and advancing their knowledge base.
To achieve this level of qualification, the candidate must have already earned a doctorate degree. This is typically a PhD or other equivalent research-based doctoral program, and can take up to seven years of full-time study.
The Doctor of Science (DSc) is sometimes considered a higher degree than a PhD, typically awarded to those with significant expertise and knowledge in their field.
It is considered to be the highest terminal degree in many countries and is often a requirement for academic positions within universities and research institutions.
The Doctor of Science requires 6-8 years after obtaining a PhD, and involves rigorous coursework, research, and examinations.
Candidates must demonstrate their mastery of the subject matter as well as their professional skills and innovative contributions to the field in order to receive the DSc.
The Doctor of Science signifies that you have achieved an advanced level of knowledge in your chosen field, making it an impressive credential for both academia and industry alike.
A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and a Doctor of Science (DSc or Sc.D) are two types of doctoral degrees. While both are considered terminal degrees which signify the highest level of academic achievement, there are some differences between them.
A PhD is usually an academic degree awarded by universities in recognition of advanced research and original scholarship in a particular field. It typically takes 3-5 years to complete and involves writing an extensive dissertation that makes an original contribution to knowledge in the field.
The Doctor of Science is a higher doctorate than the PhD in some countries and is bestowed upon those who have already achieved distinction in their professional field or through their research accomplishments.
It may be awarded for distinguished contributions to science or industry, including technological advancement, creative works, development of new applications and methods, or breakthrough contributions in applied research.
Unlike the PhD, which requires a dissertation, a dissertation is not necessarily required for the Doctor of Science degree but rather a portfolio demonstrating one’s achievements in their chosen field.
Earning this degree can take 6-8 years depending on the individual’s experience and qualifications.
Some other postgraduate doctorates are considered higher than a doctor of philosophy.
For example, In the United Kingdom, the degree of Doctor of Technology (DTech) is offered as a higher doctorate by a number of universities.
Yes, there are several degrees that are considered higher than a doctorate in some countries.
Each country has its own system of academic achievement which can make it very confusing to work out which qualification is actually higher than another.
One thing is for certain though.
All these degrees require extensive study, research, and written dissertations in order to be completed.
These degrees often take several years to obtain and require an individual to demonstrate proficiency in the chosen field in order to receive their degree.
These advanced degrees allow individuals to further their knowledge base, become more specialized within their chosen field, and help them gain further recognition within the industry they work.
If you are looking for another challenge after a PhD, further education and experience to achieve a habilitation degree or a professional degree can also satisfy your desire for more education.
It’s certainly a very long road but, after years of hard work and dedication to a particular field you may achieve it – that’s just hope you love the process as it will be the only way to ensure that you have enough staying power to get to the end.
There's no strict hierarchy. Every degree has a specific purpose or meaning, so sometimes a degree will completely eclipse another, but this is not always the case.
The PhD is a research doctorate. It specifically means that someone has performed some worthy amount of original academic research in their field, and would be qualified to conduct further academic research on their own. This requires a high level of general understanding in the field, and in fact most degree programs will require students to have the equivalent of a master's degree before they propose their dissertation. For these reasons the PhD eclipses earlier degrees like the BA, BS, and MS.
Professional degrees are a good example of degrees that are orthogonal to the PhD. For example, the MD specifically prepares someone to practice clinical medicine. Another, the JD specifically prepares someone to practice law. There are lots of people running around with MD-PhDs and JD-PhDs. Sometimes the PhD is a PhD in Law or a PhD in Medicine, but often it is not- someone with a JD and a PhD in Chemistry or Computer Science could make a very good living at the frontiers of intellectual property law.
Someone with a MD-PhD doesn't have a "higher" degree than a PhD, they have two separate degrees that each describe a single specialization. There are people with PhDs but no MD who do research in medicine, but an MD-PhD brings together the medical training and the research training in one person, and hopefully better understands the medical issues presented than the only-PhD does.
Generally the PhD is a terminal degree in any field in most countries, meaning there is no degree that builds upon the PhD the same way that an MS builds upon a BS.
The UK is notable for having a system of "higher doctorates" and "junior doctorates" though I'm not sure exactly how the system there works in practice (I'm from the USA). Every country does things a little differently based on tradition, but the UK seems to do things a little differently a little more than most.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate#Higher_doctorates
Some cursory Wikipedia browsing suggests that the UK's higher doctorates are somewhat honorific in nature, and would be considered equivalent to a PhD in the US system.
There are lots of US universities that offer oddball degrees, like an S.J.D. in law, but most of these are designed to be equivalent to a Ph.D. in practice. My guess is that they keep the old degree titles out of a combination of tradition and uniqueness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Juridical_Science