It is possible to pursue doctoral studies in a very wide range of areas, including those set out under Chapter 7.2.1 Bachelor. However, as with Masters degrees (see Chapter 7.3 Second Cycle Programmes), more generic titles are typically used. There is no common national approach to the naming of doctoral qualifications; universities themselves make the decisions.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), the most common qualification, may be awarded for studies in a wide range of humanities, arts, social sciences or scientific studies. A PhD (or DPhil in some universities) is awarded for the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, or application of existing knowledge in a new way, at the forefront of an academic discipline - usually through original research.
A usual prerequisite of doctoral study is that students will have studied either a Masters degree in research methods, or a Masters with a substantial research methods component. This is to ensure doctoral candidates have a good grasp of research methods.
Professional doctorates, which usually have the discipline name in the title awarded (e.g. EdD for Doctor of Education, DClinPsy for Doctor of Clinical Psychology, EngD or DEng for engineering), also have a research component but this is coupled with a substantial taught element. They typically involve work-based as well as university-based study and research.
The length of programmes vary across universities and types of programme. Doctoral programmes generally take three to four years full-time. It is possible to undertake doctoral studies on a part time basis, and this would generally take five to seven years to complete. Some 4-year programmes may, in effect, include a 1-year Masters programme as their first year. In the case of 3-year doctorates, most students have gained a Masters degree before achieving the doctorate and so have been involved in post-graduate study for a longer period.
Taught doctoral degrees require at least 540 SCQF credits (270 ECTS), of which a minimum of 420 (210 ECTS) is at SCQF level 12 - see National Qualifications Framework. Research doctorates do not have an SCQF credit rating.
All doctoral degrees are expected to meet the generic statement of outcomes set out in the qualification descriptor for doctoral degrees in The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (QAA, 2014). The qualification descriptor sets out broad expected outcomes for a doctoral degree in terms of what graduates should be able to demonstrate and the wider abilities that they would be expected to have developed.
Universities set their own admission requirements. Guidelines on the selection, admission and induction of students are available from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)’s Quality Code for Higher Education.
Doctoral students have normally achieved a Masters qualification (see Second Cycle Programmes) in a cognate subject prior to embarking on the programme. In some cases the prior requirement may be simply an undergraduate degree with honours (usually class 2:1 or equivalent) in a cognate subject.
The formal status of those following doctoral programmes is that of students. In some cases employed people may undertake a doctoral programme with the approval of their employer or on a part-time basis.
Supervision arrangements are determined by the higher education institutions (HEIs) themselves. Guidelines are provided by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in its Quality Code for Higher Education. The guidelines are based on four principles:
Normally one or (increasingly commonly) two academic supervisors with expertise in the relevant area of study/research supervises the student. This provides the student, on behalf of the institution, with strategic and academic advice and feedback on the stages of the doctoral work. International shared supervision arrangements occur but are infrequent.
Universities are responsible for providing training and continuing professional development for tutors/supervisors of their own doctorate programmes.
The same points apply as under Bachelor, Employability.
Research students are encouraged to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning during and after their programme of study and to recognise the value of developing transferable skills. Chapter B11 of the QAA Quality Code for Higher Education provides guidance on the support that should be offered to students on research degrees to develop employability skills and Chapter B7 covers external examining.
A doctoral student typically receives regular feedback on their work and guidance from the supervisor(s) during the programme.
Summative assessment processes for research qualifications are quite different from those for taught awards and usually include some kind of oral examination.
The assessment normally comprises evaluation of the doctoral thesis by a team of examiners including an internal examiner from the candidate's institution and an external examiner from another institution. This evaluation considers:
The candidate is then required to take an oral or 'viva-voce' examination (referred to as simply a 'viva'). He/she is expected to explain and/or defend the aspects of the thesis about which the examiners raise questions.
Examiners submit separate, independent written reports before the viva and a joint report after it. After the viva-voce examination, the examiners may agree to:
Guidelines on the assessment of doctoral candidates are available from the QAA’s Quality Code for Higher Education.
The HEIs entitled to award research degrees are autonomously responsible for all aspects of the certification of doctorates. Certified candidates are entitled to be called “Doctor” of the generic or specific subject area indicated in the title of the doctorate.
Guidance is provided by The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (2014), developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Qualification descriptors set out the generic outcomes and attributes expected for the award of doctoral degrees.
Qualification titles for doctoral degrees include:
In addition to doctorate programmes in the Scottish Universities the Open University, which specialises in ‘open supported learning’, offers doctoral programmes in a wide range of subject areas.
Higher doctorates may be awarded in recognition of a substantial body of original research undertaken over the course of many years. Typically, a portfolio of work which has been previously published in a peer-refereed context is submitted for assessment. Most higher education awarding bodies restrict candidacy to graduates or academic staff of several years’ standing.