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| Doctorate Degree |
Personal Empowerment with an Online Degree
With an associate degree or certificate from a Community College, students can move up the educational ladder toward attaining a doctorate degree. The highest academic degree level possible, doctorate degrees are awarded in many areas of study and profession. When most people hear of doctorates, they think of medical doctors who have earned an M.D. degree. Law students who have completed their courses of study achieve a Juris Doctor or J.D. degree. Ph.D. (Doctor in Philosophy) candidates earn degrees in a multitude of areas, including education, science, psychology, computer technology and more.
Advantages of Doctorate Degrees
Successful completion of a doctorate degree gives people the opportunity to reach toward the upper echelons of their professions. The degree also increases people’s marketability and sometimes, the likelihood of earning higher salaries. A Ph.D. is often a prerequisite of applicants seeking professor jobs at many colleges and universities. In most parts of the U.S., licensed psychologists must have a Ph.D. Certain high-level government jobs in areas such as science and engineering require doctorate degrees of all candidates. For people who have been out of the workforce for several years, earning a doctorate degree may represent a way to jump-start a career. Attaining a doctorate degree is also a profound personal achievement for the person who has worked hard to achieve it.
How to Earn a Doctorate Degree
Although programs vary greatly in each area of study, most doctorate degrees take four years to achieve after having attained a bachelor’s degree. Candidates with a master’s degree in the same area of study may be able to earn a Ph.D. in three years. One must demonstrate complete knowledge of the subject of study, and then, must personally add to the amount of available knowledge. Until fairly recently, most students pursuing doctorate degrees were required to write a lengthy thesis or dissertation involving a heavy amount of original research. Upon completion of the thesis, oral examinations usually follow. However, some programs, particularly those offered by online universities, award degrees based upon a combination of supervised, paid work as well as a less-intensive thesis.
Career Outlook for Doctorate Degrees
Certain specialties requiring doctorate degrees are poised for growth during the next ten years. Job growth for biophysicists and biochemists, both positions requiring Ph.D. degrees, is expected to have grown by 37 percent between 2008 and 2018. The need for medical scientists is projected to increase by 40 percent during the same ten-year period. A doctorate degree is necessary to become a medical scientist.
Community College as a Springboard Toward Advanced Degrees
Obtaining an associate degree from a Community College is the first step toward exploring a higher degree. By attending local or online Community College, students can gain initial knowledge about their fields of study, and determine whether they would like to continue pursuing higher-level knowledge. Community College represents a relatively inexpensive way to delve into subject matter and earn an initial degree. Armed with an associate degree, students are free to obtain bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from educational institutions throughout the world.
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