Ph.D
A PhD is a postgraduate doctoral degree, is awarded to the student who completes an original thesis offering a significant new contribution to existing knowledge in the researched subject. PhD qualifications are generally available in all subjects and are normally considered the highest level of academic degree a person can achieve.
The PhD research process
Unlike most Masters courses (or all undergraduate programmes), a PhD is a pure research degree. A typical PhD normally involves:
- Carrying out a literature review (a survey of current scholarship in your field).
- Conducting original research and collecting your results.
- Producing a thesis that presents your conclusions.
- Writing up your thesis and submitting it as a dissertation.
- Defending your thesis in an oral viva voce exam.
These stages vary a little between subjects and universities, but they tend to fall into the same sequence over the three years of a typical full-time PhD.