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From: rorr@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk (Rodney Orr)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Difference in Degrees
Message-ID: <1033@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk>
Date: 7 Feb 89 09:31:05 GMT
References: <677@wucs1.wustl.edu>
Sender: news@axion.bt.co.uk
Reply-To: rorr@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk
Lines: 35

From article <677@wucs1.wustl.edu>, by conrad@wucs1.wustl.edu (H. Conrad Cunningham):
> In article <02lc3af66p101003bfE@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> johnm@uts.amdahl.com (John Murray) writes:
>>In article <669@wucs1.wustl.edu>, conrad@wucs1.wustl.edu (H. Conrad Cunningham) writes:
>>>                   . . ..   (By the way not all research doctorates are
>>> Doctor of Philosophy--Ph.D.-- degrees;  a few engineering schools grant
>>> Doctor of Science degrees--D.Sc. or Sc.D. instead.)
>>
>>Anyone care to comment on exactly what the differences are between these
>>degrees? Isn't it more of a naming convention than anything else?
>>
>>- John Murray.
> 
> At Washington University the doctoral degrees granted by the graduate school
> of arts and sciences are Doctor of Philosophy degrees; those granted by
> the graduate school of engineering and applied sciences are Doctor of Science
> (D.Sc.) degrees.  (The Department of Computer Science is in the
> engineering school.)  ...

Here in the UK, a Doctor of Science degree is usually treated as a 'super
degree' awarded to people who have developed a high standing in their
field (in a science/engineering discipline).  This usually means that they
have a Ph.D. already and have a large high-quality publication list.  Usually
it also requires that they have made some sort of break-through in their
field.  You dont actually 'study' for this degree - it is almost like an
honorary degree.

Its really rather rare for D.Sc. to be awarded in this country.

	Rodney


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