How many years do you have to go to college to earn a doctorate degree?

Question

thank you in advance :)

Answer 1

To be a J.D. (lawyer), you have to go to school all year round for about 7 yrs, taking the maximum amount of hours you can.

To be a Ph.D., add about 6 yrs after you get your 4 yr degree.

To be an M.D. takes about 14 yrs, depending on your area of specialization. You get your 4 yr bachelor degree, you get your 2 yr. masters degree, you go to med school another 4 yrs, you do 2 yrs of internship, and last but not least, you do a residency specialization of approximately another 2 years.

To get your Masters, add about 2 - 3 yrs to your 4 yr bachelor degree.

Bachelor's degrees run at least 4, but depending on your major, can run up to 5 yrs now.

That pretty much covers the approximate time to obtain your college bechelor's degree up to the graduate degrees.

Answer 2

It really depends on the subject. You'll need a bachelors degree (4-5 years). Some people go into a master's degree after (2-3 years on average). Then the PhD can take anywhere from 3 1/2 years (if you're really on the ball), up to 7, 8 or 9 years. The average is probably between 4 & 6 years. It also depends on how helpful your department and advisor are because their support can either increase or decrease the time spent working on your dissertation.

And don't forget a job during this time. A teaching or research assistantship, while great for the resume and for paying the bills, does take time away from the dissertation. Getting a fellowship is extremely beneficial in getting students finished in a reasonable amount of time.

Note that I'm working on my PhD in geology and I will be done in 4 1/2 years (but I also earned my M.S. prior and that helped me reduce some of the PhD requirements).

Answer 3

Some schools may offer entry into a PhD program, but most require a masters degree first. There is generally little support beyond regular financial aid for a masters program, but generally PhD candidates get tuition and a small stipend for teaching or doing research (TA or RA) while they are getting their degree. It can anywhere from 3 to 10 years, depending on how fast you work. There are a number of classes, the comprehensives, and then the dissertation which needs to be original research. Being a PhD student is hard work, and doesn't pay well :) But if you are committed, start checking out schools and programs.

Answer 4

It can be very variable. You need a bachelor's degree to start the program, so that is four years of college to begin with. Then, at least in my field, they design the program to last four years, but since a lot of the work is self-directed, it can take much longer or, as in the case of a friend of mine whose child became ill and required the family to move, a little less. So overall, most people take between 7 and 12 years to get their doctorate.

Answer 5

A Ph.D is 5-6 years after undergrad