It is wise to plan a career well in advance and a common question I asked by colleagues and friends is what are the actual differences between a Doctorate and a PhD? Are these degrees of equal length? Is a PhD considered to be of higher quality than a Doctorate?

A PhD and a Doctorate are in many cases worth the same and can be considered approximately equal. The both require the same number of hours, normally 60 semester hours. The main difference is that the PhD dissertation is more theoretical, while the Doctorate is more practically based and applied.

If you are in a position where you need to make the choice of which to study then more often than not it is common sense. Go with the course that will suit your personality and style. If you have conducted yourself in a majority research role and want to stay on that path, go with the PhD, otherwise, take the Doctorate. This is a better option for those students who would like to ‘hit the ground running’ in the world-of-work before they actually start their post-doctorate job.

It is a commonly misunderstood assumption that UK universities have doctorates that are by dissertation, submitting a thesis only. This may be considered an almost easy way through the system compared with the US route which is to do coursework and then sit a comprehensive examination.

While US students must work through mountains of coursework, their British counterparts work through long research components and dissertations. Indeed many professors from both sides of the Atlantic working together consider their respective programs to have been fairly comparable in terms of workload.

At this stage in your career it is never too late to seek further advice from a trusted careers advisor or research partner/supervisor at your current or previously attended educational establishment. Even if they aren’t completely sure what advice to give, they will almost certainly know someone who is.

When you write letters to professors of renowned research schools seeking admittance, nothing looks worse than an undecided research student. Seek advice early and you will feel and act like you are prepared to take on a PhD or Doctorate program of your choice.