Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field. The best known of these is the PhD, Doctor of Philosophy. In some countries, the highest degree in a given field is referred to as a terminal degree, although this is by no means universal (the phrase is not in general use in the UK, for example), practice varies from country to country, and a distinction is sometimes made between terminal professional degrees and terminal research degrees (such as the J.S.D., or S.J.D. in law). The term doctorate comes from the Latin docere, meaning "to teach." The "licentiate" degree shortened from the full Latin title licentia docendi,...