A doctorate (from Latin doctor, meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi ("licence to teach").
In most countries, a research degree qualifies the holder to teach at university level in the degree's field or work in a specific profession. There are a number of doctoral degrees; the most common is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), awarded in many different fields, ranging from the humanities to scientific disciplines.
Many universities also award honorary doctorates to individuals deemed worthy of special recognition, either for scholarly work or other contributions to the university or society.
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Imposición del Birrete doctoral Universidad Complutense
Claude Bernard's thesis for his doctorate Wellcome M0011459.jpg
Title page
Rare Books
Keywords: Nutrition; Claude Bernard
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man and woman wearing Durham and Glasgow PhD gowns, respectively.
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Ph.D. gown, Cambridge University
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Academic doctors gather before a graduation procession at Brigham Young University
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Un víctor con escrituras y dibujos antiguos en la fachada este de la Catedral de Sevilla. Andalucía,...
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Woolsey Hall, Yale University; from a c. 1905 postcard.