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TheDoctor of Technology, orDoctor of Engineering Sciences, orDoctor of Technical Sciences, orDoctor of Science (abbreviated and translated variously in different countries) is a degree normally conferred upon candidates after having completed a course of study in technology and a dissertation or a project of lengthy duration in a technologically related field. Like otherdoctorates, it is usually anacademic degree at the highest level equivalent to aPhD.
While the details of the degree vary, a doctor of technology program usually enables graduates to obtain an advanced level of knowledge in specialist fields and aims to produce graduates capable of advancing knowledge within their industry. The degree focuses on developing practical solutions in the workplace, critical analysis, synthesis, and innovation.
InAustria, universities of technology, such asTU Wien andTU Graz, grant the title of "Dr. techn." (in German: "Doktor der technischen Wissenschaften" which translates toDoctor of Engineering Sciences, orDoctor of Science, or Doctor of Technical Sciences), also rendered as "Doctor technicae" (Dr.techn.), as equivalent to thePhD.[1][2] A similar title, also designated "Dr.techn." (Doctor technicae), is awarded inDenmark (e.g., DTU).[3]
InSweden the situation is the same and the degrees are calledteknologie doktor orteknisk doktor ("Tekn. Dr." or "Tek. Dr.") and are translated to PhD in English. InFinland, the degreetekniikan tohtori (TkT) orteknologie doktor (Doctor of Science (Technology), D.Sc. (Tech.)) is comparable to a Finnishfilosofian tohtori (Doctor of Philosophy).
InSouth Africa, the Doctor of Technology orDoctor Technologiae (DTech) is equivalent to other research doctorates at level 10 of theSouth African National Qualifications Framework.[4] It is normally awarded byuniversities of technology and can be awarded in a wide variety of fields, not just technology.[5]
In theUnited States,Purdue University offers the Doctor of Technology (DTech) as an equivalent to the Ph.D. through the Purdue Polytechnic Institute with the key differentiator being the DTech requires a dissertation focusing on applied/use-inspired research of direct relevance to professional practice.[6] Additionally, the Doctor of Industrial Technology (D.I.T.) degree was recognized by theNational Science Foundation (NSF) as equivalent to thePhD degree until 2008, when it was determined that it had moved to a more professional orientation and no longer met the NSF criteria for a research doctorate.[7]
In the United Kingdom the degree of Doctor of Technology (DTech) is offered as ahigher doctorate by a number of universities.[8]
As doctoral degree programs change to meet the needs of students, the orientation of the degrees they award may change from research to professional, and vice versa. Survey staff review degree programs to ensure that the designation of research doctorate remains appropriate. As a result of degree reviews in the past two data collections, survey staff identified several research doctoral degrees that shifted to a professional orientation. The doctor of music (DM) and the doctor of industrial technology (DIT) were both dropped from the SED in 2008, and the graduates (approximately 40 to 60 per year) who earn these doctoral degrees are no longer included in the SED.
