2027 Different Types of Higher Education Doctorate Degrees: PhD, DBA, EdD, DNP, PsyD, and Professional Doctorate Paths
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Choosing a doctorate is not just choosing a title; it is choosing a research, leadership, clinical, or professional identity. BLS 2024 data show median weekly earnings of $2,109 for doctoral degree holders, but the payoff depends heavily on the degree type and career path.
This guide is for students, educators, clinicians, administrators, and working professionals comparing PhD, DBA, EdD, DNP, PsyD, and other professional doctorates. You will learn how each path differs, what trade-offs matter, and how to match a doctorate to your academic, clinical, leadership, or applied career goals.
Key Things You Should Know
- A PhD is usually the strongest fit for research-intensive faculty, policy, and scholarly careers, while professional doctorates such as the DBA, EdD, DNP, and PsyD are usually designed around applied leadership, clinical practice, or professional problem-solving.
- BLS 2024 wage data show very different labor-market contexts: postsecondary teachers had median pay of about $84,000, medical and health services managers were above $117,000, and nurse practitioner-related roles were above $130,000, so the "best" doctorate depends on the occupation you are targeting.
- Program format, accreditation, dissertation or capstone requirements, licensure rules, and total cost can matter as much as the degree name, especially for DNP and PsyD pathways where state licensure or professional accreditation may affect eligibility.
What Are the Different Types of Higher Education Doctorate Degrees?
Doctorate degrees in higher education fall into two broad families: research doctorates and professional doctorates. A research doctorate, most commonly the PhD, prepares students to produce original scholarship. A professional doctorate prepares experienced practitioners to apply advanced knowledge to real-world problems in education, business, nursing, psychology, law, public health, ministry, engineering, or another field.
The differences matter because employers, universities, licensing boards, and academic departments may read each credential differently. The table below compares the most common doctorate options by purpose, typical student profile, and career alignment.
| Doctorate type | Primary purpose | Common final requirement | Best fit for | Less ideal for |
| PhD | Original research and theory-building | Dissertation based on original scholarship | Future professors, researchers, policy analysts, research directors | Students who want a primarily practice-based leadership credential with limited research training |
| DBA | Applied business leadership and organizational problem-solving | Applied dissertation or doctoral research project | Executives, consultants, business faculty in practice-oriented programs | Students aiming for highly theoretical research careers in economics, management science, or academia |
| EdD | Educational leadership, institutional improvement, and applied education research | Dissertation in practice, capstone, or applied project | College administrators, school leaders, instructional leaders, student affairs professionals | Students whose main goal is disciplinary research faculty work in a traditional PhD department |
| DNP | Advanced nursing practice, clinical leadership, and systems improvement | DNP scholarly project and clinical/practice hours | Nurse practitioners, nurse executives, clinical faculty, health systems leaders | Students whose main goal is nursing research scientist training, where a nursing PhD may fit better |
| PsyD | Clinical psychology practice and applied psychological assessment or intervention | Clinical dissertation or doctoral project plus supervised training | Future licensed clinical psychologists and applied mental health professionals | Students focused mainly on experimental psychology research or research-intensive faculty careers |
| Other professional doctorates | Advanced professional practice in a regulated or specialized field | Varies by field: capstone, residency, clinical hours, portfolio, or applied project | Professionals in law, public health, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, social work, theology, or engineering | Students who need a different license-qualifying pathway or a research doctorate for academic hiring |
A key trend is the growth of online and hybrid doctoral formats, especially for working professionals. That flexibility can help students remain employed, but it also makes program comparison more important because online affordability, residency expectations, and accreditation can vary widely; students comparing online pathways may also find it useful to understand broader cost patterns through resources on the cheapest online college options.
The most practical way to begin is to ask what problem you want the doctorate to solve. If the answer is "I want to create new knowledge," a PhD deserves serious consideration. If the answer is "I want to lead, improve, diagnose, treat, consult, or transform practice," a professional doctorate may be the better match.
What Is the Difference Between a PhD and a Professional Doctorate in Higher Education?
The main difference between a PhD and a professional doctorate is the expected use of knowledge. A PhD usually trains students to conduct original research that advances a discipline. A professional doctorate usually trains experienced practitioners to apply research, evidence, and advanced methods to complex problems in a field.
This distinction is not about one being universally "better." It is about fit. A PhD can be more useful for tenure-track research careers, grant-funded scholarship, and academic publishing. A professional doctorate can be more useful for executive leadership, clinical authority, organizational change, and applied expertise.
The table below summarizes the practical trade-offs students should weigh before choosing between a PhD and a professional doctorate.
| Comparison factor | PhD | Professional doctorate |
| Core question | What new knowledge can be discovered? | How can advanced knowledge solve a professional problem? |
| Research intensity | Usually high, with advanced methodology and theory | Moderate to high, but usually applied to practice settings |
| Final project | Traditional dissertation with original contribution to scholarship | Applied dissertation, capstone, clinical project, portfolio, or practice-based study |
| Typical student | Aspiring scholar, research faculty member, policy researcher, or academic specialist | Experienced practitioner, executive, clinician, educator, administrator, or consultant |
| Common career direction | University research, faculty roles, research institutes, think tanks, advanced policy work | Leadership, clinical practice, professional education, consulting, administration, systems improvement |
| Funding pattern | More likely to offer assistantships in some full-time campus-based programs | Often designed for working professionals and may rely more on employer aid, loans, or self-pay |
A common mistake is choosing a PhD because it "sounds more academic" or choosing a professional doctorate because it "sounds faster." The better question is whether the program's curriculum, faculty expertise, research expectations, and graduate outcomes match the work you want to do after graduation.
Another mistake is assuming that all doctorates carry the same value in academic hiring. In many fields, research universities often prefer or require a PhD for tenure-track roles, while professional schools, community colleges, clinical programs, executive education, and practitioner-focused departments may value professional doctorate experience differently.
What Is a PhD in Higher Education and Who Should Pursue One?
A PhD in higher education, education, business, psychology, nursing, or another discipline is a research doctorate. It is built around theory, methodology, scholarly writing, and the production of original research. Students typically complete advanced coursework, comprehensive exams or milestones, a dissertation proposal, and a dissertation defense.
A PhD is often the right path for students who want to ask research questions for a living. In higher education specifically, this may include studying college access, student success, institutional policy, faculty labor, finance, governance, online learning, or equity in postsecondary systems. The degree can also support careers in institutional research, government agencies, nonprofit policy organizations, foundations, and research centers.
BLS 2024 occupational data put median pay for postsecondary teachers at roughly $84,000, but that figure blends community college, four-year, public, private, full-time, part-time, tenure-track, and non-tenure positions. For readers, the lesson is that a PhD can open academic doors, but job market strength depends heavily on discipline, publication record, teaching experience, location, and institution type.
A PhD may be a strong fit if your goals include the following outcomes. These points matter because they signal whether the daily work of doctoral study will align with your long-term career.
- You want to design studies, analyze evidence, publish research, and contribute to academic knowledge.
- You are interested in tenure-track or research faculty roles, especially at universities where scholarship is central to promotion.
- You want deep training in research methods, theory, statistics, qualitative inquiry, or discipline-specific scholarship.
- You are comfortable with a long and sometimes uncertain timeline that may include assistantships, conference presentations, peer review, and dissertation revisions.
A PhD may be less ideal if you mainly want a credential for promotion in an existing professional role, prefer applied project work over research design, or need a license-qualifying clinical pathway. In those cases, an EdD, DBA, DNP, PsyD, or another professional doctorate may align better with your daily responsibilities.
A DBA, or Doctor of Business Administration, is a professional doctorate for experienced business leaders. It usually focuses on applying research to management, strategy, operations, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, organizational change, or analytics. A PhD in business, by contrast, is usually more theory-driven and more closely aligned with research faculty training.
For higher education professionals, a DBA can make sense when the career goal is administrative or executive leadership rather than education research. Examples include university finance, enrollment strategy, operations, advancement, continuing education, corporate partnerships, or executive leadership in education-adjacent organizations.
BLS 2024 data show median pay for top executives slightly above $103,000, but executive compensation varies widely by sector, organization size, region, and responsibility. That means a DBA should be evaluated as a strategic leadership investment, not as a simple salary upgrade.
The following comparison can help business-oriented higher education professionals decide whether a DBA or PhD is more aligned with their goals.
| Decision point | DBA may fit better when... | PhD may fit better when... |
| Career target | You want senior leadership, consulting, applied strategy, or practitioner faculty work | You want research faculty work or a scholarly career in business theory |
| Research style | You want to study a problem inside organizations and produce actionable recommendations | You want to create generalizable theory and publish in research journals |
| Student profile | You already have significant professional or managerial experience | You are preparing for an academic research career and can commit deeply to scholarship |
| Program format | You need a part-time, executive, online, or hybrid structure | You may prefer or need a full-time research-intensive structure |
| Higher education use case | You want to lead budgeting, strategy, innovation, enrollment, or operations | You want to study higher education markets, organizations, economics, or management as a scholar |
The biggest red flag is enrolling in a DBA without checking whether the program has credible business accreditation, strong doctoral faculty, clear research expectations, and transparent completion outcomes. In business education, institutional accreditation is the baseline, but programmatic accreditation from bodies such as AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE may also matter depending on your academic or employer goals.
An EdD, or Doctor of Education, is often the most directly relevant professional doctorate for higher education leaders. It is usually designed for practitioners who want to improve institutions, programs, instruction, student services, policy implementation, or organizational outcomes.
The EdD may be a strong fit for college administrators, student affairs leaders, instructional leaders, community college professionals, academic affairs staff, enrollment managers, education consultants, and K-12 leaders moving into postsecondary work. Some programs offer concentrations in higher education leadership, organizational leadership, curriculum and instruction, educational technology, or student affairs.
BLS 2024 data put median pay for postsecondary education administrators above $100,000, but roles vary from department-level coordination to cabinet-level leadership. An EdD can support advancement, but experience, institutional knowledge, management skill, and measurable impact are usually just as important as the credential.
An EdD is especially worth considering when your doctorate needs to help you improve practice rather than primarily produce academic theory. Look for the following signals of fit.
- You want to solve problems such as retention, advising quality, transfer pathways, online learning effectiveness, equity gaps, faculty development, or institutional change.
- You prefer an applied dissertation, dissertation in practice, or capstone project connected to your professional setting.
- You plan to keep working while studying and need a part-time, online, hybrid, or cohort-based structure.
- You want leadership credibility in education but do not necessarily need a traditional research PhD for your target role.
Students seeking the fastest completion options should be cautious. Some accelerated programs are legitimate, but shorter timelines can mean heavier course loads, strict transfer-credit rules, or limited flexibility. If speed is a priority, compare curriculum depth, residency requirements, and dissertation expectations carefully when reviewing 1 year EdD programs online.
A common mistake is assuming an EdD is simply an "easier PhD." A strong EdD still requires research literacy, evidence-based decision-making, and a rigorous final project. The difference is that the research is usually judged by its usefulness to practice, not only by its contribution to theory.
A DNP, or Doctor of Nursing Practice, makes sense as a higher education doctorate path when the student is a nurse pursuing advanced clinical practice, nursing leadership, healthcare systems improvement, or nursing education. It is a professional doctorate, not a general education doctorate.
The DNP is particularly important because nursing roles often connect education, clinical practice, regulation, and leadership. A DNP-prepared nurse may work as a nurse practitioner, clinical leader, quality improvement director, healthcare executive, population health leader, or nursing faculty member in a practice-focused program. A PhD in nursing, by contrast, is usually better for students who want to become nurse scientists and lead original research programs.
BLS 2024 data show median pay for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners above $130,000, with strong projected demand in advanced practice nursing. For students, that labor-market context can make the DNP attractive, but licensure, certification, specialty, state practice authority, and clinical placement quality still determine whether a program supports the intended role.
Before choosing a DNP, nursing students should evaluate program fit through a licensing and practice lens. These checks are essential because an online or out-of-state program may not automatically meet every state or specialty requirement.
- Confirm that the program is accredited by a recognized nursing accreditor such as CCNE or ACEN, depending on the program type and employer expectations.
- Check whether the curriculum matches your intended specialty, such as family nurse practitioner, psychiatric-mental health, adult-gerontology, nurse anesthesia, executive leadership, or public health nursing.
- Ask how clinical placements are arranged, especially if the program is online and you live outside the school's home state.
- Verify state board and national certification requirements before assuming the degree will qualify you for a specific advanced practice role.
- Compare DNP scholarly project expectations with PhD dissertation expectations if you are deciding between practice leadership and research science.
A DNP may not be the right choice for someone whose main goal is to study nursing theory, conduct federally funded research, or become a principal investigator in a research-intensive setting. For that path, a PhD in nursing may provide stronger methodological preparation.
A PsyD, or Doctor of Psychology, is a professional doctorate focused primarily on clinical practice. A PhD in psychology is usually more research-intensive, although many psychology PhD programs also prepare students for clinical licensure when they are APA-accredited clinical, counseling, or school psychology programs.
The PsyD vs. PhD decision is one of the most important doctorate comparisons because psychology is tied closely to licensure, supervised training, internships, and state requirements. Students should not choose based only on the degree abbreviation. They need to compare accreditation, internship match support, practicum quality, faculty supervision, debt burden, and licensure outcomes.
BLS 2024 data place median pay for psychologists in the mid-$90,000 range, but the occupation includes clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, school psychologists, industrial-organizational psychologists, and other specialties. That variation means program specialization and licensure eligibility are more important than the degree title alone.
The table below shows how PsyD and PhD pathways usually differ for psychology students.
| Factor | PsyD | Psychology PhD |
| Primary emphasis | Clinical practice and applied assessment or intervention | Research, teaching, and often clinical training depending on program type |
| Research requirement | Usually includes research, but often less theory-intensive than a PhD | Usually includes substantial research design, publication, and dissertation work |
| Career fit | Clinical practice, assessment, therapy, behavioral health leadership | Research faculty, clinical scientist roles, academic psychology, applied research, or clinical practice if licensure-qualifying |
| Funding pattern | Often less likely to be fully funded, though this varies by school | More likely to offer assistantships in some research-intensive programs, though funding is not guaranteed |
| Licensure concern | Accreditation and supervised training are critical | Accreditation and supervised training are also critical for clinical, counseling, or school psychology licensure |
The biggest red flag is enrolling in a psychology doctorate without checking APA accreditation when your goal is licensure as a psychologist. Some states, employers, internships, and postdoctoral placements may strongly prefer or require graduation from an APA-accredited program.
A PsyD may be best if you want most of your professional identity to center on direct service, assessment, therapy, and clinical leadership. A PhD may be better if you want the strongest possible research training or want to keep both academic research and clinical practice open.
Beyond PhD, DBA, EdD, DNP, and PsyD programs, students may encounter many other professional doctorates. These degrees are not interchangeable. Each one belongs to a specific profession and may carry different accreditation, licensure, residency, or practice requirements.
Some professional doctorates are entry-level credentials for a profession, while others are post-professional leadership degrees. This difference is important: an entry-level professional doctorate may be required to begin practice in a field, while a post-professional doctorate may be designed for licensed professionals who already qualify for practice.
The following examples show how varied professional doctorate pathways can be.
| Degree | Field | Typical purpose | Important caution |
| JD | Law | Legal education and bar-exam preparation | Bar eligibility depends on state rules and law school accreditation |
| DrPH | Public health | Public health leadership, policy, and systems practice | Different from a PhD in public health, which is usually more research-focused |
| PharmD | Pharmacy | Preparation for pharmacist licensure | Licensure requires meeting state board and examination requirements |
| DPT | Physical therapy | Entry-level preparation for physical therapist practice | Accreditation and licensure requirements are central |
| OTD | Occupational therapy | Occupational therapy practice, leadership, or education | Entry-level and post-professional versions may differ |
| DSW | Social work | Advanced social work practice, leadership, or clinical education | Not the same as a PhD in social work, which is usually research-oriented |
| DMin | Ministry | Advanced ministry practice and leadership | Usually designed for experienced ministry professionals |
| DEng or EngD | Engineering | Applied engineering leadership, design, and industry problem-solving | Career value depends heavily on employer and program reputation |
Students in education-adjacent fields should also consider whether a doctorate is necessary yet. For example, someone interested in learning technology, curriculum design, or corporate training may get a stronger near-term return from a specialized master's before committing to a doctorate; comparing the best online instructional design master's programs can be a practical intermediate step.
The mistake to avoid is treating "professional doctorate" as one category with one outcome. A DPT, JD, DNP, PsyD, and DrPH may all be doctorates, but they prepare students for very different forms of practice and are governed by very different professional expectations.
Doctorate timelines, admissions requirements, and costs vary widely by field, format, and whether the student enrolls full time or part time. A funded full-time PhD can look very different financially from a self-funded online professional doctorate designed for working adults.
NCES data published in 2024 show that graduate tuition and required fees can differ sharply between public and private nonprofit institutions, which is why students should compare total program cost instead of relying only on per-credit tuition. For doctoral students, the true cost may include dissertation continuation fees, residencies, clinical travel, background checks, software, books, exam fees, and lost work time.
The table below gives a practical overview of common time, admissions, and cost factors. These are typical patterns, not universal rules, so students should verify details with each school.
| Doctorate type | Common timeline | Typical admissions profile | Cost and funding considerations |
| PhD | Often 4 to 7 years, depending on field, funding, and dissertation progress | Bachelor's or master's degree, academic writing sample, research fit, recommendations, sometimes GRE scores | Some full-time programs offer assistantships or tuition support; part-time and unfunded programs can be costly |
| DBA | Often 3 to 5 years | Master's degree, professional experience, leadership background, statement of applied research interest | Often self-funded, employer-funded, or loan-funded; executive formats may carry higher tuition |
| EdD | Often 3 to 5 years, with some accelerated formats | Master's degree, education or leadership experience, writing sample, professional goals | Online formats may reduce relocation costs, but dissertation fees and residencies still matter |
| DNP | Often 2 to 4 years after an MSN or longer for BSN-to-DNP pathways | Active RN license, nursing degree, clinical experience, specialty prerequisites, possible interview | Clinical placement, certification preparation, and state authorization can affect total cost and feasibility |
| PsyD | Often 4 to 6 years, including practicum and internship expectations | Bachelor's or master's degree, psychology prerequisites, clinical experience, recommendations, interview | Funding varies; internship, practicum travel, and licensure preparation may add cost |
| Other professional doctorate | Often 3 to 6 years, depending on profession | Varies by field; some require prior licensure or a specific undergraduate degree | Accreditation, residency, exam, and licensure costs can be significant |
Use a structured process when comparing programs. This step-by-step review helps avoid choosing a doctorate based only on brand name, convenience, or advertised speed.
- Define the exact role you want after graduation, such as tenure-track faculty member, chief academic officer, nurse practitioner, licensed psychologist, executive consultant, or public health leader.
- Check whether that role requires a specific doctorate, license, certification, accredited program, internship, clinical placement, or supervised experience.
- Compare the final doctoral requirement, including dissertation, applied project, capstone, clinical project, or portfolio expectations.
- Calculate total cost, not just tuition, by adding fees, residencies, travel, books, technology, clinical expenses, continuation credits, and lost income.
- Ask for completion rates, time-to-degree ranges, graduate career outcomes, faculty availability, and examples of dissertation or capstone topics.
- Confirm whether online, hybrid, or out-of-state enrollment affects licensure, clinical placement, internship eligibility, or employer recognition.
Affordability deserves special attention for working educators because doctoral tuition can compete with housing, family, and retirement priorities. Students comparing education leadership options can use affordability-focused resources on the cheapest online EdD programs to identify lower-cost pathways before requesting detailed tuition and fee estimates from schools.
Which Higher Education Doctorate Is Best for Your Career Goals: PhD, DBA, EdD, DNP, PsyD, or Another Professional Doctorate?
The best doctorate is the one that matches your target work, required credential, preferred learning format, and acceptable financial risk. No doctorate is universally superior. A PhD, DBA, EdD, DNP, PsyD, JD, DrPH, DPT, or other professional doctorate can be the right investment when it aligns with the career outcome you are actually pursuing.
Use the guide below as a practical decision shortcut. It connects common goals with the doctorate types that usually fit them best.
| If your main goal is... | Doctorate to consider first | Why it may fit | What to verify |
| Become a research professor or scholar | PhD | Strongest alignment with original research, publishing, and academic scholarship | Faculty research fit, funding, placement record, dissertation support |
| Lead a college, department, student affairs division, or education initiative | EdD | Designed for applied educational leadership and institutional improvement | Higher education concentration, capstone model, administrator outcomes |
| Move into executive business leadership or consulting | DBA | Connects doctoral-level inquiry with strategy, management, and organizational performance | Business accreditation, executive network, applied research quality |
| Advance in nursing practice or clinical systems leadership | DNP | Built for advanced nursing practice, healthcare improvement, and clinical leadership | Nursing accreditation, state authorization, certification fit, clinical placement |
| Practice as a clinical psychologist | PsyD or licensure-qualifying psychology PhD | PsyD emphasizes clinical practice; some PhD programs combine research and clinical training | APA accreditation, internship outcomes, state licensure rules, debt level |
| Enter a regulated profession such as law, pharmacy, physical therapy, or occupational therapy | JD, PharmD, DPT, OTD, or field-specific doctorate | Some fields require a specific professional doctorate for entry or advancement | Professional accreditation, exam eligibility, state licensing board rules |
Before applying, ask admissions teams pointed questions. Their answers can reveal whether the program is transparent, student-centered, and aligned with your goals.
- What roles do graduates actually hold 1 to 3 years after completing the program?
- How many students finish within the advertised timeline, and what usually delays completion?
- Who supervises dissertations, capstones, clinical projects, or applied research, and how are advisors assigned?
- What accreditation applies to the institution and, if relevant, the specific program?
- Will the program meet licensure, certification, internship, or clinical-placement requirements in my state?
- What is the full estimated cost through graduation, including fees, residencies, continuation credits, and required travel?
- How does the program address AI, data analytics, online learning, healthcare technology, or other current changes in the profession?
Current trends make these questions more important. AI is changing research, instructional design, healthcare documentation, analytics, and business decision-making. Online and hybrid doctoral programs are expanding access, but they also require students to evaluate state authorization, faculty access, and applied learning quality. Rising tuition and student debt make ROI more personal, especially for mid-career professionals who are balancing salary, time, family, and opportunity cost.
The simplest decision rule is this: choose a PhD if your future work depends on producing original research; choose a professional doctorate if your future work depends on applying advanced expertise to lead, practice, diagnose, teach, consult, or improve systems. Then verify accreditation, cost, timeline, and career outcomes before enrolling.
Other Things You Should Know About Higher Education
In academic and many professional settings, holders of accredited doctoral degrees may use the title "Dr." However, clinical and public-facing use can be regulated by state law or professional boards, especially in healthcare. Always follow employer policies and licensing rules to avoid misleading patients or the public.
Yes, a professional doctorate from an accredited institution is a doctoral-level credential. The difference is purpose: professional doctorates are usually practice-focused, while PhD programs are usually research-focused. Recognition can still vary by employer, university, field, and accreditation status.
It depends on the field and program. Many EdD, DBA, and post-master's DNP programs require a master's degree, while some PhD, PsyD, BSN-to-DNP, and professional entry programs admit students after a bachelor's degree. Applicants should check prerequisites, bridge coursework, and transfer-credit policies.
Online doctorates can be respected when they come from accredited institutions, have qualified faculty, include rigorous research or applied requirements, and meet field-specific rules. For licensure-based fields, online format alone is not enough; students must verify clinical placements, internships, state authorization, and professional accreditation.
- DBA vs PhD in Business: Which Doctoral Degree Is Right for You? https://regenteuropeanuniversity.com/article/dba-vs-phd-in-business-which-doctoral-degree-is-right-for-you
- PhD vs. Professional Doctorate: Is there a difference? https://www.applykite.com/blog/phd-guide-phd-vs-postdoc
- PsyD vs. PhD in Psychology https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/mental-health-careers/how-to-become-psychologist/psyd-vs-phd-in-psychology/
- Professional Doctorate SOP: How to Write for EdD, DBA, DNP, and PsyD Programs https://gradpilot.com/news/professional-doctorate-sop-edd-dba-dnp-psyd-guide
- Types of Doctoral Degrees to Consider https://www.trident.edu/articles/types-of-doctorate-degree-programs-what-to-consider/
- PsyD vs PhD: Key Differences Explained | DiscoverPhDs https://www.discoverphds.com/advice/doctorates/psyd-vs-phd
- Doctorate vs PhD: Key Differences Explained (2026 Guide) https://zoclearnings.com/blogs/doctorate-vs-phd/
- How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD After a Master's Degree? https://streamlinedai.app/blog/how-long-phd-after-masters
