Doctoral Degrees - The Highest Possible Degrees

Earning a doctorate degree signals that student has earned the highest level of educational achievement possible in most fields.

While some forms of post-doctoral education exist, a doctorate degree is the top of the ladder in terms of degrees that are awarded for academic achievement. Many people wonder what a doctoral level degree prepares the degree holder to do, and the answer varies.
For many people, a PhD, or doctorate of philosophy, prepares them to teach in a given field.
Most university professors, for example, hold a PhD degree, as do many higher level education professionals in the secondary education world. School principals, for example, do not infrequently hold a PhD.
But PhDs are found in far more fields that just education.

Virtually all fields have roles that are filled with people holding these degrees, even if the degree is not, strictly speaking, a requirement. Some people just want to achieve as much education in a field as they possibly can. In either event, holding such a degree does tend to enhance a person's ability to "move up" the ladder in a given profession, landing them more high level jobs with better pay levels.

Some people who hold PhDs are consultants. Many management consultants, for example, hold this degree, especially those that specialize in the area of organization development, business strategy, etc. Of course, many people in this field do not hold this degree.

In fact, while many have master's degrees, some very successful consultants hold only a bachelor's degree.
There are some jobs that do require this level of education.
Being a medical doctor requires it, for example. Whether required or not for a given profession, there are now many doctoral programs offered schools online. Many of the classes in these programs are taught online, which allows students to hold full time jobs and study at their own pace.