Candidate of Philosophy

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Candidate of Philosophy can refer to the US degree or status of Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil. or Ph.C.) granted to Ph.D. students who have been accepted as candidates for that degree, or (as a direct translation) to degrees or former degrees at bachelor's or master's level from some Scandinavian countries.

Contents

United States

In the United States, it is normal for graduate students working toward a doctorate to take coursework followed by examinations (known variously as candidacy examinations, comprehensive examinations or qualifiers) after which they become candidates for the doctorate. [1] At a few institutions, this status is officially recognized either by a degree or some other official title. This is normally intended to be an interim status, prior to the award of a doctorate, not to be confused with the terminal master's degree awarded by some programs to those who leave after their candidacy examination. [2] [3] Some universities grant a Master of Philosophy degree to students who have been accepted for candidacy. [4] [5] [6] During the 1960s, the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Yale, and Rutgers all granted MPhil degrees to students who were ABD, while Indiana University, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, along with the University of California and the University of Washington (described below) awarded the Candidate of Philosophy degree.

University of California

The first Candidate in Philosophy degree was first awarded at UC Berkeley in June of 1968. Seven of the ten University of California campuses offer the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree to those who have passed the candidacy exam for the PhD in some programs. On some campuses it is only awarded to those leaving without a master's or a doctorate, however at UC San Diego such a practice seems forbidden.

University of Washington

The University of Washington awards a certificate of Candidate in Philosophy (Ph.C.) to those admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D., alongside the Candidate in Education (Ed.C.) and Candidate in Musical Arts (C.M.A.) for those admitted to candidacy for the degrees of Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.). These are designations for candidate status rather than degrees. [13]

Scandinavia

Denmark

The candidatus/candidata philosophiae degree (cand.phil.) was a master's-level first degree. It was awarded after four years' study and included a dissertation. As part of Bologna Process of degree reforms, it was abandoned in 1995/6. [14]

Sweden

In Sweden, sv:filosofie kandidat (fil.kand. or FK) is the title for the holder of a bachelor's degree (filosofie kandidatexamen). [15]

Finland

In Finland, the filosofian kandidaatti (fil.kand. or FK) was a graduate degree awarded until 1994. Holders can proceed to a Master of Arts degree without further examination. [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The California State University is a public university system in California, and the largest public university system in the United States. It consists of 23 campuses and 7 off-campus centers, which together enroll 457,992 students and employ 56,256 faculty and staff members. In California, it is one of the three public higher education systems, along with the University of California and the California Community Colleges systems. The CSU system is officially incorporated as The Trustees of the California State University, and is headquartered in Long Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postgraduate education</span> Phase of higher education

Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.

An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The most common undergraduate degree is the bachelor's degree, although some educational systems offer lower-level undergraduate degrees such as associate and foundation degrees. Common postgraduate degrees include master's degrees and doctorates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master's degree</span> Postgraduate academic degree

A master's degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. A master's degree normally requires previous study at the bachelor's level, either as a separate degree or as part of an integrated course. Within the area studied, master's graduates are expected to possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theoretical and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, critical evaluation, or professional application; and the ability to solve complex problems and think rigorously and independently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctorate</span> Academic or professional degree

A doctorate or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi.

The system of academic degrees at the University of Oxford can be confusing. This is not merely because many degree titles date from the Middle Ages, but also because many changes have been haphazardly introduced in recent years. For example, the (medieval) BD, BM, BCL, etc. are postgraduate degrees, while the (modern) MPhys, MEng, etc. are integrated master's degrees, requiring three years of undergraduate study before the postgraduate year.

The Doctor of Education is a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for academic, research, administrative, clinical, or professional positions in educational, civil, private organizations, or public institutions. Considerable differences exist in structure, content and aims between regions. In the US, for instance, the EdD usually is a professional doctorate for working or learning professionals and has a large taught component with a smaller thesis, comparable to for example a DSW or DPH, whereas in the UK and Canada, the Ed.D is a full research doctorate with research and profession related courses but ultimately awarded for the thesis resulting from original research, that way aligning more with a Ph.D.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor of Divinity</span> Holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity

A Doctor of Divinity is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Licentiate (degree)</span> Academic degree similar to masters degree

A licentiate is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin America, and Syria.

A Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate degree. An MPhil may be awarded to postgraduate students after completing taught coursework and one to two years of original research, which may also serve as a provisional enrolment for a PhD programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comprehensive examination</span>

In higher education, a comprehensive examination, often abbreviated as "comps", is a specific type of examination that must be completed by graduate students in some disciplines and courses of study, and also by undergraduate students in some institutions and departments. Unlike final examinations, comprehensive examinations are not linked to any particular course, but rather test knowledge across one or more general fields of study.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candidate of Sciences</span> Junior scientific degree in Soviet Union and post-Soviet countries

A Candidate of Sciences is the first of two doctoral level scientific degrees in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It is formally classified as UNESCO's ISCED level 8, "doctoral or equivalent." It may be recognized as a Doctor of Philosophy, usually in natural sciences, by scientific institutions in other countries. Former Soviet countries also have a more advanced degree, Doctor of Sciences.

Doctor of Letters also termed "Doctor of Literature" in some countries is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities and social sciences that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor of Science or Doctor of Laws (LL.D). It is awarded in many countries by universities in recognition of superior accomplishment in the Arts, Social Sciences or humanities, such as original contributions to the creative or cultural arts, or scholarship in Social Sciences and humanities and other merits. It may be conferred as an earned degree upon the completion of a regular doctoral course of study, usually including the development and defense of an original dissertation, or may be conferred as an earned higher doctorate after the submission and academic evaluation of a portfolio of sustained scholarship, publications, research, or other scientific work of the highest caliber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master of Arts</span> Type of masters degree in the fields of humanities and social sciences

A Master of Arts is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have typically studied subjects within the scope of the humanities and social sciences, such as history, literature, languages, linguistics, public administration, political science, communication studies, law or diplomacy; however, different universities have different conventions and may also offer the degree for fields typically considered within the natural sciences and mathematics. The degree can be conferred in respect of completing courses and passing examinations, research, or a combination of the two.

A magister degree is an academic degree used in various systems of higher education.

"All but dissertation" (ABD) is a term identifying a stage in the process of obtaining a research doctorate, most commonly used in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor of Philosophy</span> Postgraduate academic degree awarded by most universities worldwide

A Doctor of Philosophy is the most common degree at the highest academic level, awarded following a course of study and research. The degree is abbreviated PhD, from the Latin Philosophiae Doctor, pronounced as three separate letters. The abbreviation DPhil, from the English 'Doctor of Philosophy', is used by a small number of British and Commonwealth universities, including Oxford, formerly York, and Sussex, as the abbreviation for degrees from those institutions. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is an earned research degree, those studying for a PhD are required to produce original research that expands the boundaries of knowledge, normally in the form of a dissertation, and defend their work before a panel of other experts in the field. The completion of a PhD is typically required for employment as a university professor, researcher, or scientist in many fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor of Law</span> Doctoral degree in law

A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science, Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL.D.).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candidate (degree)</span> Nomenclature of academic degree in various countries

Candidate is the name of various academic degrees, which are today mainly awarded in Scandinavia. The degree title was phased out in much of Europe through the 1999 Bologna Process, which has re-formatted academic degrees in Europe.

In the United States, the PhD degree is the highest academic degree awarded by universities in most fields of study. American students typically undergo a series of three phases in the course of their work toward the PhD degree. The first phase consists of coursework in the student's field of study and requires one to three years to complete. This often is followed by a preliminary, a comprehensive examination, or a series of cumulative examinations where the emphasis is on breadth rather than depth of knowledge. The student is often later required to pass oral and written examinations in the field of specialization within the discipline, and here, depth is emphasized. After the comprehensive examination the student is a "PhD Candidate", which is the academic equivalent of a master's degree. Some universities will award terminal Master's for students who drop out of the PhD program at this stage, and some, like Columbia University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, award a Master's en route to the PhD. Some PhD programs require the candidate to successfully complete requirements in pedagogy or applied science.

References

  1. "Structure of the U.S. Education System: Research Doctorate Degrees". U.S. Department of Education. February 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  2. "Master's Program". Brandeis University . Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  3. Anne Clark Bartlett (2004). "Is It Terminal? Re-Evaluating the Master's Degree". The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association. 37 (2): 26–29. doi:10.2307/4144694. JSTOR   4144694.
  4. "Master of Philosophy". Columbia University. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  5. "Doctor of Philosophy program". Yale School of Architecture. Master's Degree. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  6. "PhD Requirements". Department of Economics, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, George Washington University. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  7. "The Candidate in Philosophy Degree". UC Berkeley. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  8. "Regulations of the Davis Division of the Academic Senate". UC Davis. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  9. "ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY". UCLA. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  10. "General Catalog 2016-2017" (PDF). UC Riverside. p. 62. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  11. "Requirements for the Candidate in Philosophy (C. Phil.) Degree at San Diego". UC San Diego. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  12. "Requirements for Graduate Degrees in Philosophy | Department of Philosophy - UC Santa Barbara". www.philosophy.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  13. "Scholastic Regulations". University of Washington. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  14. "Reforms and previous systems". Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Denmark) . Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  15. "filosofie kandidat" (in Swedish). Nationalencyklopedin. 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  16. "Graduation and Diplomas". University of Helsinki . Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  17. "Lyhenteitä: a – fil. toht. (Abbreviations: a - fil.)". fi:Kielikello (in Finnish). Institute for the Languages of Finland. April 2000. Retrieved 26 August 2017.

Bibliography