Whenever people think about doctoral studies, many think about going to college in order to become a medical doctor. However, there are a number of different fields that are available for pursuing the doctoral degree, such as sociology, finance, marketing and
engineering. Let's take a look at what is involved in pursuing the doctoral degree and going for this prestigious title.
Doctoral studies are one element in the development of knowledge and may perhaps be summarized in the words 'new knowledge' and 'disciplinary and academic training'. The aim is to produce capable researchers, whether they will work in higher education or outside of
higher education.
The purpose of the doctorate is to train doctoral students in disciplinary and academic traditions, and above all to develop independent and critically minded researchers.
Doctoral students must learn research methodology, critical analysis and independence in their studies. Research training must therefore stimulate them to adopt a disciplinary approach, which includes:
* the ability to formulate questions pertinent to the discipline and to give structure to a scientific argument;
* the ability to find adequate methods and theories for tackling problems; and\
* to be able to reflect critically on the subject of their dissertation.
Doctoral studies are one aspect of the production of knowledge and disciplinary training. They are intended to produce new, sound researchers, irrespective of whether their careers will be in higher education or elsewhere.