Africa[edit]
Algeria and Morocco[edit]
In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the state award a "Doctorate" in all fields of science and humanities, equivalent to a PhD in the United Kingdom or United States.
Some universities in these four Arab countries award a "Doctorate of the State" in some fields of study and science. A "Doctorate of the State" is slightly higher in esteem than a regular doctorate, and is awarded after performing additional in-depth post-doctorate research or achievement.
Asia[edit]
Japan[edit]
Similarly to in the US and most of Europe, Japanese universities offer both the PhD and the ScD as initial doctorates in science.
India[edit]
In India only a few prestigious universities offer ScD/DSc in science which is obtained in Graduate School after satisfactory evaluation of knowledge, research accomplishment, and a doctoral defence. The oldest institute to award a DSc degree in India is Rajabazar Science College, University of Calcutta.[1]
Thailand[edit]
Higher education institutes in Thailand generally grant PhD as a doctoral research degree, some universities including Chulalongkorn University award DSc. In exception, Mahidol University can grant both PhD and DSc Doctoral students in Faculty of Science are always awarded PhD, but some other programs award DSc.
Uzbekistan[edit]
DSc or PhD degrees are awarded after dissertation and fulfilling the required publication number.[2] In order to qualify for DSc, one is required to have attained a PhD. The higher education institutes in Uzbekistan also grant DSc degrees. As an example, the National University of Uzbekistan and the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences offer DSc in various fields.
Europe[edit]
Austria, Germany, and Switzerland[edit]
In Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the most common doctoral degrees in Natural Sciences are the following:
North America[edit]
United States[edit]
In the United States, the formally recognized traditional Doctor of Science is an academic research doctoral degree awarded by research universities. The academic research ScD (or DSc) is considered by both the United States Department of Education and the National Science Foundation to be equivalent to the more commonly awarded PhD and not higher than a PhD as is the case in some European countries.[11]
The first North American ScD was inaugurated by Harvard University in 1872, when graduate studies first began at Harvard, and where the PhD and ScD degrees were introduced in the same year.[12] The Doctor of Science research degree is earned with the formal dissertation defense and approval of a committee on the basis of original research and publications, and it is awarded predominantly in doctoral-level science programs, such as engineering, medical and health sciences, and health economics.[13]
Although rarer than the Doctor of Philosophy, the Doctor of Science is awarded by institutions including: