Online PHD and Doctorate Programs

Distance Learning PhD Programs

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Distance learning refers to self-paced learning at a convenient time and at a convenient place. Unlike the traditional method of learning, distance learning does not require a student to attend college or any educational institute. It targets students who have the potential and will to study, but lack the resources to do so. Through distance learning, colleges are able to reach out to a large number of students. A doctorate degree is the highest degree that is awarded after verifying a student?s mastery over a subject. It demonstrates a student's ability to perform and present erudite research. This creative research is known as the doctoral thesis or dissertation. Online PhD degree programs are usually more professional than academic in nature.

A number of universities offer custom designed PhD programs. Admission to a doctoral program is usually based on a student's educational record with a bachelor and master's degree. It usually demands a considerable amount of experience in the specific field. Some institutions do not insist on a master's degree, if a student demonstrates relevant proficiency. Universities offer PhD programs in a number of disciplines such as applied management, business management, human resources, psychology and medicine. Most universities grant tuition waivers and stipends for up to four years. There is usually no entrance exam. Students have access to online libraries that facilitates research in their areas of specialization.

Students that decide to enroll in distance learning PhD programs have several resources at their disposal. Some web sites serve as databases for available online courses across the globe.

Modern lifestyles, the cost of living and working families dictate that individuals seeking post-professional education need educational options. People choose distance-learning programs for different reasons. Some of the factors that influence the decision regarding postgraduate programs include the perceived quality of the program, pre-requisites and delivery format.

Distance Learning PHD Program to Get the Job Done

Beginning a PhD program is a very big decision. Not only does it cost money, but you're making a very large time commitment as well. The sheer fact that you're considering this commitment suggests that you already have a very busy lifestyle. Generally a PhD candidate would be required to travel to the university/college to gain access to the best doctorate program in their field. This could mean taking leave from work and you family. How ever with todays modern education technologies PhD candidates can search for a program on the Internet. The distance learning PhD programs that are available online today are usually fully accredited and come with all the prestige that a PhD deserves.

Where should you start to look?

The Internet offers potential students all of the features of both a big and a small town or city. Using a good search engine will bring you right up to the community of your choice. One of the great things about online education is that no matter where you are in the world you can find as many options as you'd have in the largest cities in the world. Once you've begun your search your first task is to narrow down the distance learning PhD programs in your discipline. You want to learn as much about the institutions as possible, often schools will send you free information about their programs, it's a good idea to learn all you can about a school and their reputation.

It's very possible that you could never set foot on the campus of the university that graduates you with a PhD. Of course we all have the doubts that we without seeing it cannot be as good. Your mentor/advisor is someone you may only ever know through emails and work exchange. How ever this doesn't make the quality of the experience any lower. It's important to discover what your colleagues think of the potential program. Will you're degree be treated as equal in the professional world? A good source of education on each school and program are educational journals that may have articles regarding the distance learning PhD programs. These are an excellent source of valid information.

After you have completed your search and believe you've found the correct distance learning PhD program for you begin looking at the other required resources. If you're not going to be on a campus you're going to need a library. Does the school you're considering offer an e-library? Does it supply you with alternatives to not having a campus library at hand? Of course your work will be limited to the research you can do, and a library plays a big role in that.

More often then not a college close by will offer accessibility if you follow the correct channels during your time of enrollment. Of course you might like a distance learning PhD program that allows it's campus to be available. The bottom line is if you've made it this far to be ready to take on the challenge of a PhD, then you have what it takes to complete a distance learning PhD program. Find the right one, and it's smooth sailing.

Benefits of Doing an Online PhD Course

Any university degree is worth having, even more so are the advanced degrees such as the PhD's because these sort of degrees certify you as an authority in any field which you decide to specialize in. These fields may vary in nature but if you have a PhD you tend to set yourself apart from the rest in your field and increase your capacity for potential and future earnings. Few people can boast of having a PhD degree with no employment or career prospects as an advanced degree almost always guarantees some better form of career placement. This career placement better positions you in any career or occupation where you decide to place yourself.

PhD's aren't all about career advancement and earning a bigger paycheck. In any field which you choose to get your PhD, there will be specialists imbued with such knowledge who can help you by telling you more about what you need to know in your field of learning. The level of knowledge that you get will also help you in deciding how best to proceed with any future career prospects. Sometimes in different work scenarios we need some differentiation between others who have more or less the same skills and capabilities that we possess. By getting and additional degree you give yourself an edge over other people.

There are different places where an individual can get a PhD degree. You can enroll in an institution of higher learning for such purposes. These institutions of higher learning have different faculties and different courses which you can enroll in all in order to get the knowledge that you desire. Most people however have problems with finding a university to enroll in, in their immediate neighborhoods, part of the reasons limiting their ability to enroll for these programs is largely due to their employment constraints.

For people who have these constraints in terms of getting the education that they need, they can easily enroll for higher learning courses online. Enrolling for these courses online will give you the ability to get your degree flexibly. All you have to do is have an internet connection and a computer with which to download your course material where you will. You can also submit your assignments and any project material that you have to submit through these same means. Attendance at the physical campuses of most online institutions is hardly necessary. You can get your degree while you're at home or in the office, it's all up to you.

There are different benefits to getting a PhD degree online; these different benefits include the flexibility in terms of scheduling and the cost issues. Getting a PhD online is cheaper than getting the degree by physically attending the institution. You save money from everything from the costs of tuition to the money you also save on transportation visiting one institution of higher learning or the other. Most schools also require that people physically attending courses in such institutions pay fees and dues for other unnecessary activities. As an individual taking a degree online you are usually exempted from auxiliary fees dues and other unnecessary payments that you'd have to make.

FAQ About PHD

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How long does a PhD take?

In the UK most PhD programmes last for three years. Students are expected to submit a thesis within 12 months of the end of the programme (and preferably within the three year period). There are an increasing number of programmes, such as the New Route PhD scheme or the Wellcome Trust 4 year PhD scheme, which incorporate a number of taught modules into the programme which increases the length to 4 years.

How much will it cost me?

This depends on where you are from, where you want to study and whether or not you qualify for funding. If you are a UK student, with appropriate qualifications (see below) then you should be able to apply for one of the many funded projects on this site. Funding in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is often more complicated than in the sciences and engineering - see our article on PhD Study in the Arts & Humanities for more information.

Can I fund myself?

You can fund yourself and, if you are not a home student, you may need to do just that (at least partially). Whilst self funding can make it easier to find a supervisor, you'll still need to prove to them that you are capable of completing the PhD successfully. A new section on Self Funding will be added to FindAPhD in the near future.

What qualifications do I need?

The normal prerequisite for a UK research council PhD studentship is a 2(i) degree or a 2(ii) plus an appropriate Masters degree. A small number of studentships are funded by charitable trusts or by the host university which can have less rigid qualification criteria. The other possibility is a job as a Graduate Research Assistant, where you can register for a part time PhD (it may still only take three years).

If you decide that a Masters degree would be a good first step then you should be prepared not only to support yourself during the course, but also to pay full course fees. A very small number of grants are available for Masters degrees; you will need to check this on a course-by-course basis. In certain circumstances your Local Education Authority may provide some support. Before accepting a place on a Masters course, make sure that it would qualify you for the types of PhD you're looking for. See our sister site FindAMasters.com to see what Masters courses are on offer. Students whose first language is not English will need a recognised English language qualification.

Is my qualification equivalent to a 2(i) degree?

Because of the wide variety of qualifications from each country it can be difficult to find out if your qualification is considered to be equivalent to a 2(i) degree. To give you a rough idea a British 2(i) degree (referred to as an 'Upper Second Class Honours Degree' or a 'Two-One') is the second highest mark available for a British Honours Degree.

Where the US/Canadian marking scheme is used, a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 is usually required.

The British Council in your home country will be able to help you. Before you apply you could try asking your former course tutors or alternatively you can visit The National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom. They will give informal advice free of charge. An official 'letter of comparability', which will be accepted by employers, costs £30 (+VAT), but should not be necessary for most universities, who will assess you themselves.

It is generally the case that international students are required to have a Masters level qualification as well as a 2(i) equivalent qualification.

How do I choose a research project?

Primarily you should look for a project which interests you. It is generally considered better to study for a PhD in a different university from the one where you did your first degree, as it will expose you to a different set of academic influences. However it is not uncommon for people to stay in the same place, either because of family commitments or because of the quality of projects on offer.

To decide whether or not to accept a place you should look at a number of factors:

The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)

The research rating of a department or school is known as its RAE rating. Most departments will publish their RAE score on their web sites or you can see the results of the whole RAE on the HERO web site. The RAE takes place is a long process and the latest RAE for which results are published is from 2001. Results of the 2008 Research Assesment Exercise will be published in spring 2009. Any department or school with a 5 or 5* rating is doing very well for itself and studying there will make you look good. It does not however mean that every research group in that department is at the top of their game. Universities have a degree of flexibility in how they are assessed for the RAE. They sometimes group departments together, so if they've got two outstanding life science departments and one not so good one they may submit all three as one unit, hiding the bad department. They can, and do, choose not to submit some of their academics for inclusion in the assessment (sometimes because they are young and haven't had time to build up a publication record or sometimes because they're not very good). The reason they go to so much effort is that a large amount of funding for the five years following the RAE is based on the result.

The Research Group

Some of the criteria upon which the RAE is graded include research publications, industrial collaborations, grant income, and numbers of research students. You can get an idea of this yourself by looking up the publications of your potential new supervisor. It is unlikely that you will know which journals are more prestigious but you can always ask around. A pretty good measure of grant income is to count the number of students and postdocs in the group. Postdocs are an invaluable source of help and inspiration, particularly in larger groups where time with your supervisor may be limited.

Having said all this, work with a younger academic at the start of their career can have many advantages. They are likely to have much more time to give to you and will be very pleased to have you as grants are hard to come by.

The best source of information on who to work for will come from your current course tutors. Academia is a small world and is highly collaborative, people know who the leaders and the stragglers are in their own fields.

The Supervision

At most PhD interviews you will have the opportunity to see where you are going to be working and probably be given a tour by a current PhD student. Ask them about how the team works, how often they present group seminars, how often is the supervisor absent (does it make a difference when they are). It helps a lot during a PhD if you like, or at least respect, your supervisor, bear this in mind during your interview.

The Training

PhD students used to be left at the total mercy of their supervisor. These days most departments offer some degree of support. As well as your supervisor the department should provide one or more advisors. These will be academics from the same department, their job is to check that your project is on track to get you a PhD and to listen to any complaints about your supervisor. Many departments also run seminar programmes covering research methodologies, thesis writing and other relevant subjects.

Taking these relatively new developments a step further, 4 year programmes such as the New Route PhD or many similar schemes funded by the EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust and others, offer an even greater degree of formal training.

When should I apply?

Most PhD studentships begin in October. However they can start at any time of year. You should begin applying as soon as posible. Although new studentships are advertised throughout the year, competition for places gets higher and higher the closer you get to October.

Do I need to write my own research proposal?

The answer for scientists and engineers is only if you're asked to. Most funded projects in the UK (and particularly those on this site) have been thought up by the supervisor concerned and peer reviewed. Your job is to convince them that you'll be able to do the work. If you have your own research proposal, then you may find it very difficult to get it funded. You'll certainly need the support of a leading academic in your field of interest and even then obtaining funding in this way outside of the Arts and Humanities is unusual.

Our article on PhD Study in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences has its own section on writing a research proposal.

International students do not generally qualify for UK Research Council funding and may be required to submit their own research proposal to the people from whom they wish to get funding. The input of a potential supervisor is recommended if it is available.

What should I put in my application?

Your application should include all the usual information on qualifications and employment history. You should also list the degree modules covered in your final year and the title of any dissertations or research projects. If you're fortunate enough to have been published include the reference. In your application letter state why you are interested in the particular research project and what you enjoyed about any research you have already done. If you intend to find your own funding, make this clear in the application.

When applying from this site apply to the person indicated in the 'Enquiries To' line, unless the description of the project says anything different. You can write to the supervisor to ask for further details of the project. If you send an email make sure it is personalised, if you send a letter saying "Dear Dr Smith, Please send me an application form for a PhD in your lab with funding" you will be very unlikely to get a reply.

What happens at a PhD interview?

It's not really for us to say what you might be asked. PhD interviews vary tremendously depending on the supervisor concerned. It is likely however that you will be asked about your third year project or any other research experience you may have.

If you have been given details of any particular references then make sure you do your best to read them. If you've not been given this info, then use the web to find relevant papers (particularly those by your potential supervisor). You are not likely to be examined on these things, but the supervisor will be looking to see that you were at least interested enough to read them.

The other question you are likely to be asked is why you want to do a PhD in general, and this PhD in particular. You should think about the answers to these questions before you go to the interview. Many people apply for a PhDs because they can't think of anything else to do. A good supervisor will try to avoid these people.

Finally, remember to find out as much as you can while you're there. Try to speak to PhD students working in your potential new lab/Department and see if you like the atmosphere. Don't be afraid to ask the PhD students about the quality of supervision. Three years is a long time to be stuck with a bad supervisor or to work in an unfriendly environment.

What's it like to do a PhD?

The million-dollar question. Past and present PhD students can fill you with tales of dread and delight. Our books section lists a number of helpful publications. We've also come across a few articles on the web which take a sideways look at the next three years of your life.

Online Education PhD Degree Programs

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Student populations are shifting, and technology is changing the way we process information. If you're interested in the administration of learning, consider earning an education doctorate degree. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of adults attaining a bachelor's degree has increased over the last twenty-five years. The total number of public and private elementary and secondary schools has also increased steadily since the early 1980s. This means more job opportunities for those interested in education management, and higher education is usually required for those who desire a job in education administration. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), if you want to be a principal, a school district administrator, or a university department head or chief academic officer, higher education is a must.Earning a PhD in education will do more than prepare you for a higher teaching position; it will help you understand what environments and procedures enhances teacher effectiveness and student learning. You can specialize in elementary and secondary education, adult education, higher education, or special education. Your doctoral degree program will present you with coursework in human and societal development and learning methods. If you want to manage the policies and operations of a school, university or college, consider earning a doctorate degree in education.

Walden University Online

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) With this online doctorate in education, you will learn the advanced skills you need to shape the future of education in your school, district and community. Designed for experienced teachers and administrators, this program offers leadership tracks for both professions.

Ph.D. in Education Prepare to address the nation’s most urgent educational challenges with Walden University's online PhD in Education. You'll bring specific learning goals with you to the classroom, and design a unique program of study that will enable you to research and illuminate answers to those questions.

Capella University
PhD in Education - Curriculum and Instruction
PhD in Education - Instructional Design for Online Learning
PhD in Education - K - 12 Studies in Education
PhD in Education - Leadership for Higher Education
PhD in Education - Leadership in Educational Administration
PhD in Education - Nursing Education
PhD in Education - Postsecondary and Adult Education
PhD in Education - Professional Studies in Education
PhD in Education - Special Education Leadership

Jones International University Online
Ed.D. in K - 12 Education Leadership As federal regulations impose ever-more stringent standards on our schools, the education sector needs competent, committed leaders. JIU's Doctorate of Education in K-12 Education Leadership is designed to produce educators who have the dedication, vision, and focus to meet the educational challenges of today and tomorrow.

University of Phoenix
Doctor of Education in Ed. Leadership/Educational Technology
Doctor of Education/Curriculum and Instruction
Doctor of Education/Educational Leadership

Grand Canyon University
Dr. of Education in Organizational Leadership

Types of Doctorate

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Since the Middle Ages, there has been considerable evolution and proliferation in the number and types of doctorates awarded by universities throughout the world, and practices vary from one country to another. While a doctorate usually entitles one to be addressed as "doctor", usage of the title varies widely, depending on the type of doctorate earned and the doctor's occupation.
Broadly speaking, doctorates may be loosely classified into the following categories:Academic doctors gather before the April 2008 Commencement exercises at Brigham Young University

Research Doctorates

Research doctorates are awarded in recognition of both mastery of research methods (as evidenced in class grades and a comprehensive examination) and academic research that is ideally publishable in a peer-reviewed academic journal, but that will minimally be assessed by submission and defense of a thesis or dissertation. The best-known degree of this type is that of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD/DPhil) awarded throughout the world but others include the US degrees of Doctor of Engineering (DEng) and Doctor of Education (EdD), the UK Engineering Doctorate (EngD), and the German degree Doctor rerum naturalium (Dr.rer.nat.).
The minimum time required to earn a doctorate varies by country, and can be as short as three years (excluding bachelor's and master's studies). However, some candidates can take anywhere from five to ten years to complete. The mean number of years to completion of doctoral degrees for all fields in the US is seven years. Students are discouraged from taking unnecessarily long to graduate by having their financial support (stipends, research funds, etc.) relinquished and/or by being required to re-take comprehensive exams. Furthermore, doctoral applicants were previously required to have a master's degree, but a few programs will now accept students straight out of undergraduate studies. When so admitted, the student is expected to have mastered the material covered in the masters degree even though the student does not officially hold a masters degree.

Higher Doctorates

In some countries, especially the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Scandinavian, Commonwealth nations or former USSR and other Socialist Bloc countries, there is a higher tier of research doctorates, awarded on the basis of a formally submitted portfolio of published research of a very high standard. Examples include the Doctor of Sciences (DSc/ScD) and Doctor of Letters (DLitt/LittD) degrees found in the UK, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries, some older Norwegian doctorates like dr.techn. (technology) and dr.agric. (agriculture), and the Danish doctorate (doktorgrad; e.g. dr.theol., doctor theologiæ, Latin for Doctor of Theology).
The German habilitation postdoctoral qualification is sometimes regarded as belonging to this category, even though, strictly speaking, the habilitation is not an academic degree, but rather a professional license to teach at a German university.
Higher doctorates are often also awarded honoris causa when a university wishes to formally recognize an individual's achievements and contributions to a particular field.

Professional Doctorates

Juris Doctor candidates gather before commencement at the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law, May 2008
Professional doctorates are awarded in certain fields where most holders of the degree are not engaged primarily in scholarly research, but rather in a profession, such as law, medicine, pharmacy, music or ministry. Examples include the U.S. degrees of Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Juris Doctor (JD), the Dutch Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng), and the Czech degrees of Doctor of Dental Medicine (MDDr.) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (MVDr.).
The term Professional Doctorate is also used to refer to research doctorates with a focus on applied research, or research as used for professional purposes. Among others, these include the degrees of Doctor of Practical Theology (DPT), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS in the U.S. or DProf in the U.K.), Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy (DSc or DScPT), and some others in various specified professional fields.

Honorary Doctorates

When a university wishes to formally recognize an individual's contributions to a particular field or philanthropic efforts, it may choose to grant a doctoral degree honoris causa (i.e., "for the sake of the honor"), the university waiving the usual formal requirements for bestowal of the degree. Some universities (e.g., Cornell University, the University of Virginia) do not award honorary degrees, feeling the bestowal unethical.

History of the PHD

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The origins of the doctorate dates back to the ijazat attadris wa 'l-iftta ("license to teach and issue legal opinions") in the medieval Madrasahs from the 9th century, though it was limited to Islamic law at the time, as in a Doctor of Laws degree. The doctorate was later extended to philosophy in the European universities in the Middle Ages which generally placed all academic disciplines outside the professional fields of theology, medicine and law under the broad heading of "philosophy" (or "natural philosophy" when referring to science). The degree of Doctor of Philosophy was a doctorate, generally granted as honorary degrees to select and well-established scholars.

According to Wellington, Bathmaker, Hung, MucCullough and Sikes (2005), the first Ph.D. was awarded in Paris in 1150, but not until the early nineteenth century did the term "Ph.D." acquire its modern meaning as the highest academic doctoral degree, thanks to university practice in Germany. As Wellington et al. explain, prior to the nineteenth century professional doctoral degrees could only be awarded in theology (Th.D.), law (J.D.), or medicine (M.D.). In 1861, Yale University adopted the German practice (first introduced in the 19th century at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin) of granting the degree to younger students who had completed a prescribed course of graduate study and successfully defended a thesis/dissertation containing original research in science or in the humanities.From the United States the degree spread to Canada in 1900, and then to the United Kingdom in 1917. This displaced the existing Doctor of Philosophy degree in some universities; for instance, the D.Phil. (higher doctorate in the faculty of philosophy) at the University of St Andrews was discontinued and replaced with the Ph.D. (research doctorate). Oxford retained the D.Phil. abbreviation for their research degrees. Some newer UK universities, for example Buckingham (est. 1976), Sussex (est. 1961), and, until a few years ago, York (est. 1963), chose to adopt the D.Phil., as did some universities in New Zealand.

Online Doctoral Degree in Education

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Achieving this educational pinnacle will enable you to help implement relevant instructional changes to improve the quality of life and education for your students and peers. You will also enjoy the prestige of being considered an expert in your field, along with the possibility of making your educational visions a reality.

Generally, a masters degree in a related field is required to pursue educational studies at a doctorate level. An education online PhD program is an ideal program for people who want to hold an academic research role in the field, such as an educational theorist or policy maker. A PhD program in education offers you the opportunity to specialize in certain areas such as special education or adult education. Acquiring an online doctoral degree in education prepares you to work as an administrator, teacher educator, superintendent or other leadership position.

Doctor of Philosophy

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Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated Ph.D. or PhD for the Latin Philosophiæ Doctor, meaning "teacher of philosophy", (or, more rarely, D.Phil., for the equivalent Doctor Philosophiæ) is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities. In many, but not all countries in the English-speaking world, it has become the highest degree one can earn and applies to graduates in a wide array of disciplines in the sciences and humanities. The Ph.D. has become a requirement for a career as a university professor or researcher in many fields.

The detailed requirements for award of a Ph.D. vary throughout the world; however, there are a number of common factors. A candidate must submit a thesis or dissertation consisting of a suitable body of original academic research, which is in principle worthy of publication in a peer-refereed context.[1] In many countries a candidate must defend this work before a panel of expert examiners appointed by the university; in other countries, the dissertation is examined by a panel of expert examiners who stipulate whether the dissertation is in principle passable and the issues that need to be addressed before the dissertation can be passed. There is usually a prescribed minimum period of study — typically two to three years full time — which must take place before submission of the thesis. This requirement is usually waived for academic staff submitting a portfolio of peer-reviewed published work.

The candidate may also be required to successfully complete a certain number of additional, advanced courses relevant to his or her area of specialization. In some countries (the US, Canada, Denmark, for example), most universities require coursework for Ph.D. degrees. In many other countries (especially those which have a greater degree of specialization at the undergraduate level, such as the UK) there is no such condition in general. It is not uncommon, however, for individual universities or departments to specify analogous requirements for students not already in possession of a master's degree. Universities in the non-English-speaking world have begun adopting similar standards to those of the Anglophone Ph.D. for their research doctorates.

What is a PhD?

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This might seem like an unusual topic, as most scientists seem to know exactly what a PhD is and for what it stands. But on closer inspection, a PhD has as many meanings as there are educational systems. It is not—and has never been—a single, well-defined qualification. As research practices and funding change, the situation becomes even more confused, with consequences for the quality of both scientific training and research.I received my PhD from a British university. After three years of research, I submitted a three-centimetre-thick thesis that addressed a specific problem. Being awarded my doctorate meant that I knew my topic, I understood enzymology, I could work with proteins and I was able to navigate the complexities of enzyme kinetics. I was not qualified for the title until I was able to demonstrate all these things. In essence, my PhD showed that I developed from a dependent student into an independent scientist.Since then, PhDs in the UK seem to have changed. More often than not, a PhD is now awarded after the completion of a fixed term of research. Of course, there is an overall topic, but if the student does not reach a hypothesis-based conclusion within a timeframe of about three years, this is no longer a hindrance to earning the degree. Increasingly, the thesis has become a report with an emphasis on training rather than the detailed description of a scientific project.Other countries have different systems. In the USA, the PhD phase is a genuine period of postgraduate training that includes both theory and research, with a greater emphasis on course work and the possibility of rotating through different laboratories. In Nordic countries, the situation is more complex: some universities adopt the US model, whereas some focus on publication output, and others are variations of these. In Germany, it is necessary to spend up to two years on a diploma degree before moving on to a PhD. Many other countries require their PhD students to teach undergraduates. In some systems, the final examination is a mere formality with an inevitably positive outcome; in others, it is a rigorous cross-examination by jury.Against this background of different systems, new aspects have arisen that are moulding the PhD into a different entity to what it was. For example, the concept that a student must carry out an individual piece of research seems outdated. Most publications list many authors, each of whom contributed to the overall content of the paper. In fact, scientific research increasingly demands teamwork, and the PhD system must adapt accordingly; indeed, an important lesson for a young scientist is to learn how to work in a team. But if the thesis is a cooperative effort, then it becomes even more difficult to judge the input of each individual—yet a PhD is awarded to an individual.Finances are another matter. In some countries, there is only a limited amount of money available to support a PhD student. Once that is spent, the student must survive by the most precarious means: relying on parents or partners to cover the gap, finding a grant to stay afloat, or taking a part-time job, even if this eats into the precious time and energy needed to complete the thesis. If we accept these realities, it makes sense that a PhD is awarded on the basis of time and effort spent, rather than on scientific work alone. But in that case, a PhD is merely an apprenticeship and no longer represents a stamp of achievement.Is this really a cause for concern? Even if all PhD programmes followed the same rules and regulations, there would still be many theses chronicling failure rather than achievement. But if we collectively become unconcerned about what a PhD is, then we have little basis for expecting the pre-doc students in our laboratories to go through the diligent work that ultimately enables experiments to work and provides robust results. The 'three years and out' mentality concentrates on time and investment rather than quality, and runs the risk of producing substandard scientists.Thus, there might be real consequences for research if we lower the standards for earning a PhD. Perhaps one of the reasons behind the success of the US research system is the quality and structure of their PhD training. Maybe one reason why European countries produce such a high number of papers of more moderate quality is the frequent requirement for a defined number of first-author publications to complete a PhD. Perhaps the concept of writing a thesis on the basis of a well-defined body of work is so foreign to today's students that they prefer the easier route of collating a few papers on which they contributed.If we change the standards and requirements for obtaining a PhD, this will inevitably shape the next generation of scientists. Thus, we should know more and ask more about what a PhD really means. Instead of treating the degree as an 'access card' to the laboratory, we should ask for more information: how the candidate was examined, who sat on the jury, and what comprises training in the applicant's country or university. Most importantly, we should insist that a PhD is not merely a vague title but actually means what it implies: it is an award to an expert who has proven their scientific worth and not to someone who stayed in a tolerant group for long enough.