by Can Tran

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

It's stated that a philosophical doctorate or a PhD for short is the highest level of certification you can achieve. You have your AA, AS, BA, BS, MBA, JDs, and your PhDs. PhDs are needed for getting into certain job markets and obtaining certain job positions. A PhD means that you're a doctor or a professor in various fields of study. There are only a few job positions where a PhD is required.

The medical profession if you want to be a doctor, you're going to need a PhD. That's pretty much self-explanatory in its own right in the field of medical science. You'll probably need to have a PhD if you want to become a pharmacist as well. In short, the medical field is one example of where a PhD is needed. That goes for any kind of medical science from surgeon, neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, etc. If you're going to be a doctor, you're going to need to have a PhD. It's as simple as that.

The other need for a PhD is if you want to go into teaching at a college level. College professors are required to have a PhD, there are no exceptions about it. If you want to become an English professor, you're going to need a PhD in English. If you want to become a Journalism professor, you're going to need a PhD in English. If you want to become a science professor, you're going to need a PhD in whatever field of science you're going to teach. If you want to become a math professor, you're going to need a PhD in mathematics. If you want to be a drama professor you're going to need either a PhD in English or the performing arts.

Also in various fields of science and research, PhDs are required. But most of the scientists are college professors. So that aspect goes hand and hand with the requirement of having a PhD to become a science professor.

I used to be a substitute teacher myself for about two years. The thought of being a teacher had crossed my mind. However with the current politics today, I wouldn't even fathom it. But if I did want to teacher, I'd rather be a college professor because college are more liberal and give more latitude than public schools. If that was the case, I would then go ahead and pursue a PhD. Other than that, I wouldn't need to get a PhD at all.

If you're not going to become a doctor or a professor, don't bother getting a PhD. Though a PhD would look good on a resume and help with credentials, there are drawbacks. When applying for a job that doesn't require a PhD, you're going to get the short end of the straw mainly because you're "overqualified." A

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