Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!lll-winken!ncis.llnl.gov!afit-ab!efrethei
From: efrethei@afit-ab.arpa (Erik J. Fretheim)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Difference in Degrees
Keywords: Ph.D., D.SC., Sc.D.
Message-ID: <902@afit-ab.arpa>
Date: 4 Feb 89 19:00:50 GMT
References: <2008@lcuxlm.ATT.COM> <00JuC36BGP1010IEdew@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> <669@wucs1.wustl.edu> <02lc3af66p101003bfE@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> <677@wucs1.wustl.edu> <9456@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: efrethei@blackbird.afit.af.mil (Erik J. Fretheim)
Distribution: na
Organization: Air Force Institute of Technology; WPAFB, OH
Lines: 31

In article <9456@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> bandersnatch@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (ethan miller) writes:
>In article <677@wucs1.wustl.edu> conrad@wucs1.UUCP (H. Conrad Cunningham) writes
>#Are there any Computer Science programs that grant more than one kind
>#of doctorate?  I think there are some institutions which grant
>#"Engineer", or something such, degrees that are intermediate between a
>#masters and a doctorate and are less research oriented than a doctorate.
>
>The School of Engineering here at Cal gives out both Ph.D. and D.Eng. (Doctor
>of Engineering).  I have no idea what D.Eng. actually is, but I believe
>it is more industry-oriented and less academia-oriented.
>


Pretty much it.  The general idea is that the Ph.D. or Doctorate of 
Philosophy degree is awarded to a scholar who has extended the bounds
of knowledge with a capital K, in the particular area.  The degree
holder has a specific area in which he has concertrated, but is expected
to be able to perform well in other areas too.  The principle ability
which he has acquired is the ability to think deeply and creatively
(philosophically) about a problem.
The D.Eng. D.Sci. etc, has more particular state-of-the-art knowledge
in his area.  He is more concerned with the application of this knowledge
to new problems than discovering new Knowledge.  Generally, this means
more courses and an application type thesis, as opposed to a dissertation
which makes an orignal contribution to the big K.
A Eng.D. on the other hand is from a school which has forgotten it's 
Latin.
At least this is the theoretical differences in the degrees.  In practice
there can be a wide discrepancy from school to school.
There is also an Engineer degree from some schools.  Basically, all of the
courses, but not oriented toward research.