Is DSc also Inferior to PhD ?

Respected Forum Members,

I am extending battle between PhD Vs Other Doctorates.

Let's suppose I have DSc & I want to be considered for a post requiring PhD. Will I be allowed to apply.

Are candidates holding DSc only without PhD are at disadvantage with respect to candidates holding PhD ?

Kindly instruct!

 

Background, reputation and talent are probably are the greater factors.

Any battle of the doctorates will involve published work, real-world and academic experience, teaching ability and the quality of references and what they say. I work as staff at a nice liberal arts college that often allows candidates to present lectures to the student body as part of the application process. A lot of people take interest in the process and the CV type stuff is forgotten for a little while. I think if you have a doctorate from a good school and a good background the type of doctorate will not be too important.

 

I wonder why anyone who wants a standard academic career woundn't just go for a PhD, since that's the title often used in job listings. Wouldn't it make more sense to follow the standard plan instead of taking another route and having to explain why it's just as good?

 

In some countries, a Doctor of Science title is used for standard doctorates in the sciences. For example, Áskell Löve (1916-1994) received a PhD in botany, but a year later he earned a D.Sc. degree in genetics. Some Americans are only familiar with the PhD designation and they erroneously believe that all other research doctoral designations are inferior.

 

The Doctor of Science degree (DSc or ScD) is recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education as a research doctorate equivalent to the Ph.D. Sometimes, in the U.S., the Doctor of Science is awarded as an honorary degree. Outside the U.S. it is an earned doctorate (as me again states above). Since I hire faculty, I treat a Doctor of Science just as I would a Doctor of Philosophy.

 

Nope ......

 

What if the school you wanted to attend and the degree offered in the field that interested you was not a PhD? I think people on this board are the only ones that care and people in the academic world understand they are all equal. Can you picture this conversation:

Q - "Why didn't you attend Harvard for your doctoral studies?"
A - "Because they only offer a DBA and not a PhD in Business and I was concerned that people would not understand the difference. Besides, a PhD looks cooler"

 

I get your point. But for the record, Harvard does offer a PhD in Business, as well as a DBA:

 

Seriously doubt it is only us that care:

www.phdproject.com

University Members:

The PhD Project: Supporting Universities

http://www.phdproject.com/downloads/What_is_a_PhD.pdf

Boldface is mine.

BTW: The only program I am considering is Nova's DBA. I don't agree with the above but it is what it is. Need to see things as they are.

 

I am confused so please help me understand here. The source you quoted states, "The PhD Project’s expansive network helps African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native Americans attain their business PhD, become business professors and mentor the next generation." I think their mission is to help minorities, not bash non PhD holders. Regardless, the thing you quoted doesn't stand true as we know that people get hired for positions with other doctorates, not just the PhD.

For someone that wants to take the time, they list the schools that they "approve" of under "Doctoral Granting Institutions." They list Harvard Business School (they offer the DBA but evidently a collaborative PhD is available) and other institutions. I wonder if some of the institutions only offer a DBA, I have no idea.

 

Glad you got the point. I never did check to see if Harvard had a PhD in Business or not. This arguement, in general, is somewhat pointless.

 

Have visited the following schools in Florida that are on the list. None offer a DBA:

Florida Atlantic University

University of Miami

University of Florida

Florida International University

Florida State University

 

Actually, in England a D.Sc is considered higher than a PhD and only given to accomplished academics that already hold a PhD.

 

I wanted to do the PhD and not the DBA but my school only accepted MBAs into DBAS and not into PhDs. The PhD is more recognized but I believe is your accomplishment record that matters more than the designation. Most employers would look at research grants, publications, job titles, prestige of the school, etc rather than the designation title. Most places that I have applied asked me for copies of research papers, course evaluation, etcs, I don't think many care about the actual designation once you have been working with it for a while.

 

Point is, an organization founded by the AACSB and many prestigious schools is making or approving these statements. As a researcher of business PhD/DBA degrees I would like to be aware of this.

 

I think what RFValue said hits the nail on the head.

 

Checking out the employment ads in HigherEdjobs and Chronicle today I saw the following:

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Qualifications include an earned PhD (or equivalent) in Management or a related field

Southeast Missouri State University
PhD or DBA in accounting (degree must be from a regionally accredited or internationally accredited/government certified university)

The two above are clear on accepting PhD or DBA.

The two below specify PhD. If you had a DBA with strong credentials would you be able to apply? Should you? Are schools being lazy when they just list PhD? Serious question!

Elmhurst College
Qualifications: Candidates must have Ph.D. in Bus Admin, Finance, Economics, or Marketing

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate and graduate business students effectively

 

University of Florida had plans to introduce a DBA few years ago. Not sure what stopped them or if it s still in the works.

 

Everything mentioned in the PhD Project's description is equally true of the DBA.

 

Again, I am no fan of this organization's policies. I believe they are doing the minorities a disservice by excluding AACSB DBA programs like Kennesaw State.

Why would they have this pdf

http://www.phdproject.com/downloads/What_is_a_PhD.pdf

with these statements:

A Doctor of Philosophy degree, abbreviated Ph.D., is the highest academic degree anyone can earn.

To earn a Ph.D., one must accomplish two things: master a specific subject completely, and extend the body
of knowledge about that subject.

Isn't extending the body of knowledge a PhD requirement while applied dissertations are DBA/EdD??