Benefits of a Doctoral Degree

A doctoral degree is by no means a simple thing to get. But if you have the four to eight years to put towards high-level classes, in-depth research, and a dissertation or doctoral project, you can earn one of the most prestigious degrees awarded in America. People with doctoral degrees earned about $1,532 per week in 2009. That's even more than people with professional degrees like medical degrees and law degrees. People with doctoral degrees also enjoyed an extremely low unemployment rate of just 2.5% in 2009. Compare that to the unemployment rate of people with a high school diploma: 9.7%. The simple fact of the matter is that people with doctoral degrees have proven their dedication to their field of study and their extensive knowledge of that field. Therefore, people who hold doctorates are extremely employable and very well-paid.

Types of Doctoral Degrees

You can earn a doctorate degree in virtually any field of study. Doctorates, like master's degrees, are highly specialized. Usually when you complete your doctorate degree you will focus on a highly specialized area of research within your chosen field of study. Thus, there's really no such thing as a common doctoral degree. That said, some of the most common fields to focus a doctoral degree within include biological sciences, psychology, social sciences, education research, and electrical engineering. These areas of study are common because many professions in these fields require a doctorate degree. For example, you can't become a psychologist without your PhD in Psychology.

How to Earn a Doctorate

Doctorate degrees typically take between four and eight years to earn. Before you can earn a doctorate degree, you need to have a bachelor's degree and a master's. It helps to have your undergraduate and graduate degrees in the same field as your doctoral program, but this isn't always necessary. Some doctoral programs include a master's program within them so you can earn both degrees simultaneously. Doctoral degrees are only offered through graduate universities and colleges. A number of doctorate programs are available through such institutions over the internet. Such programs give students a great deal of flexibility so they can earn their doctorate while working. They also allow students to take as much time as they need to complete their doctorate program.

Top 10 Most Popular Doctorates

• Law 
• Medicine
• Pharmacy
• Physical Therapy
• Dentistry
• Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
• Educational Leadership and Administration
• Chiropractic
• Electrical, Elec. & Communications
• Psychology

Highest Paying Doctorates

Any doctoral degree can lead to a high paying career. The following are five PhDs that can lead to the highest paying careers. With one of these doctorates you can look forward to wages upwards of $100,000 each year.

• Physics
• Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Economics
• Engineering

Each of these PhD programs has a number of focuses within them, so when you pursue one of these degrees you'll have a wide range of career paths opened to you.

Below is a list of colleges and universities now offering campus based doctorate degree programs.