Doctorate

A doctorate, also known as a doctor's degree or doctoral degree, is a kind of academic degree that may be conferred by universities as well as certain other types of educational institutions. The term doctorate originates from the Latin phrase licentia docendi, which means "master of teaching." The majority of nations recognise that an individual who has earned a research degree is qualified to teach at the university level in the subject area of the degree or to practise in a specified profession. There are a few various types of doctorate degrees, the most prominent of which is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which may be earned in a wide variety of specialisations, from the arts and humanities to the natural sciences.

There are also various sorts of technical or professional degrees that contain "doctor" in their name, and they are considered to be a doctorate in some of those nations. These degrees may be found in the United States and in some other countries. Throughout history, professional doctorates have been developed in response to the requirements of practitioners working in a number of fields.

Honorary doctorates are given out by a number of educational institutions to those who have shown exceptional scholastic achievement or who have made significant contributions to the community or the institution in some other way.