2 ASUCCESSFUL PHD

Defining a successful PhD in engineering begins with understanding what a doctorate is in the broad sense before focusing on the specifics of engineering. Let us begin with a definition of the doctoral degree. The letters PhD stand for philosophiae doctor, Latin for doctor of philosophy, where doctor is Latin for teacher. It is universally recognized as a research qualification. A PhD is the highest academic degree a student can achieve.1 PhDs are awarded across most academic disciplines, including engineering. In some schools, students may opt for an engineering doctorate (EngD or DEng) or a science doctorate (ScD or DSc), which is somewhat equivalent.