You’ve probably heard the metaphor of standing on the shoulders of giants, and it’s true that as a PhD student, you’re building on the work you’ve done before in the field. One does not usually expect to make enormous intellectual progress. In reality, you are probably going to give a small boost to a small part of the field. For some people this can be a relief and make the original research idea much more accessible, while for others it can derail the whole research idea!
The reality is that graduate students can be seen as a profitable workforce for the advancement of science. Although we often work on projects with complex and extremely clear descriptions such as “nanoparticles filled with silver ions for the treatment of cancer” or “biphasic smearing mechanics for soft technical materials”, genetic intelligence is not required to be practical. Often, behind those big content titles, you’re doing some pretty abnormal stuff. These tasks require you to know what you are doing, but you have rarely developed it yourself.
What are the benefits of skipping a master?
Ignoring a master has certain advantages.
Directly from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. You save time and money. You don’t need to finance the extra years of study and you can access the job faster.
Which degree is more effective: masters or doctorate?
On paper, the answer should be clear: a doctorate is the highest degree one can get, and therefore has more influence than a master’s, which has more influence than a degree bachelor.
The reality is that the amount of impact (if any) really depends on the specialty and the career you choose (where the amount of impact is how your career prospects improve to positive).
What is right for you?
You have a PhD if:
- Your goal is to become a university professor or other professional researcher .
- You love research and are passionate about finding the answer to a particular question.
- You are ready to work on your research for years, even if you face many obstacles and dead ends.
Curriculum
The Doctorate in Education program prepares graduates for leadership roles in education. Therefore, the curriculum includes some difficult subjects.
During Ed.D. program, doctoral students strengthen their skills in qualitative and quantitative research. They examine educational theory and conduct applied research.