Students must go through three stages before they earn a Ph.D. They must first earn a bachelor’s degree. In most cases, this credential requires the student study a subject area related to the eventual Ph.D. For example, when the student seeks a Ph.D. specializing in Chaucer’s literature, the student will usually earn a bachelor’s degree in literature. Under some circumstances, a doctoral student can branch into a different discipline for the doctoral degree.
The requirements for the degree vary from discipline to discipline. For example, education majors usually have to engage in student teaching and receive a passing grade from the observing teacher before the student can receive the degree. The student must earn a certain number of credit hours designated by the college to graduate. Credit hours are earned by taking classes and earning a passing grade. This process usually takes four years, though some students finish the degree sooner when they take more than five classes a semester and take summer classes.
After earning the bachelor’s degree, the student must pursue a master’s degree. As with the bachelor’s degree program, the student must earn a predetermined number of credit hours to qualify for the master’s degree. The master’s student must often complete a task to receive the master’s degree, such as taking an exam or writing a thesis, which is a long essay that puts forth a new idea that advances the field.
Students pursuing a Ph.D. must read comprehensively on their subject to master it. Different programs have other requirements before a student is awarded the Ph.D., which can include several examinations, graduate-level courses and a high-grade average. In most cases, the student must do something to extend the knowledge of the field. For example, a physics doctorate student must conduct an experiment that adds new knowledge to the world of physics. Some doctoral and master’s degree programs have a foreign language requirement.
A Ph.D. can take many years to complete. Academics must be creative and original, since they cannot rely only on their knowledge alone. Students must also be self-motivated, since they are often operating at the edge of their field’s knowledge, so there is often no one who has knowledge to guide them.