If you’ve earned a master’s degree and you’re wondering what comes next, a doctorate may be the natural next step. But a doctorate is a significant commitment, so it’s worth understanding what the degree involves, why people pursue one, and how to tell whether it fits your goals. This guide walks through the benefits of a doctorate, the most common reasons people pursue doctoral degrees, how a doctorate relates to a PhD, and the questions to ask before you begin.
What is a Doctorate Degree?
A doctorate — or doctoral degree — is the highest level of academic degree you can earn. It signals that you’ve reached an advanced level of knowledge in a specific field and can conduct rigorous, original work that contributes something of value, whether to scholarship or to professional practice.
“Doctorate” is a broad category, not a single degree. It includes research doctorates (such as the PhD) and professional or applied doctorates (such as the Doctor of Business Administration, or DBA). What they share is depth, rigor, and a capstone of substantial independent work — a traditional dissertation or, in many applied programs, a Doctoral Research Project (DRP) that ties advanced research to real-world practice.
Why do people pursue a doctorate?
Short answer: people pursue a doctorate to deepen their expertise, advance or change their career, gain credibility as a leader or teacher, and make an original contribution to their field.
Those motivations usually overlap. Some professionals pursue a doctorate to qualify for senior leadership, consulting, or teaching roles where the credential is expected. Others are driven by a specific problem they want to study rigorously, or by the personal goal of mastering a subject at the highest level. The same reasons explain why people get PhDs and why people pursue applied doctorates — the difference is usually the kind of contribution they want to make, which we’ll unpack below.
Reasons to do a doctorate
A doctorate is more than the next step in your education. It is an opportunity to deepen your expertise, expand your career possibilities, and turn your experience and ideas into meaningful contributions to your field. Here are some of the reasons to consider pursuing a doctorate:
- Turn experience into expertise: Because your professional experience can become the foundation for deeper knowledge, research, and new ideas.
- Become a recognized expert: Because developing specialized knowledge can help you establish authority and credibility in your field.
- Advance into leadership: Because advanced research and critical-thinking skills can prepare you for complex leadership roles.
- Open new career opportunities: Because a doctorate can help you pursue specialized positions and career paths that value advanced expertise.
- Solve real-world problems: Because doctoral research gives you the opportunity to investigate meaningful challenges and develop evidence-based solutions.
- Make an original contribution: Because you can explore unanswered questions and contribute new knowledge to your profession.
- Drive innovation: Because advanced expertise can help you challenge existing approaches and develop new solutions within your industry.
- Create meaningful impact: Because your research and knowledge can influence organizations, communities, and the future of your profession.
Whether you want to lead, innovate, conduct research, or become a recognized expert, a doctorate can help you take your professional knowledge to the next level.
Benefits of a doctorate
What are the benefits of a doctorate? A doctorate can deepen your subject-matter expertise, open doors to senior and specialized roles, build credibility for teaching and consulting, and give you the skills to conduct high-level research. Here’s how those break down.
Professional and career benefits
A doctorate can position you for executive leadership, specialized consulting, or academic roles, and it can satisfy the credential requirements some positions carry. It also develops transferable strengths — advanced analysis, evidence-based decision-making, and the ability to communicate complex ideas — that carry weight across industries. Earnings and outcomes vary by field, role, and experience, so a doctorate is best thought of as an investment in capability and opportunity rather than a guarantee of a specific salary.
Academic and research benefits
If you’re drawn to research, a doctorate gives you the training to design studies, evaluate evidence critically, and contribute new knowledge to your field. For those aiming at university teaching or scholarship, it’s typically the expected terminal credential.
Personal and intellectual benefits
For many people the motivation is intrinsic: the satisfaction of mastering a subject, the discipline of sustained independent work, and the confidence that comes from completing one of the most demanding academic challenges there is.
Doctorate vs. PhD: What’s the difference?
Because so many people use “PhD” to mean “doctorate,” it’s worth being precise.
Is a PhD a doctorate?
Yes. A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is a doctorate — but it’s only one type. Not all doctorates are PhDs. A doctorate is the broad category; the PhD is a specific, research-oriented member of that category.
Research doctorates vs. professional
A PhD is generally research-focused, emphasizing theory and the creation of new academic knowledge, and it’s a common path toward academia. A professional (applied) doctorate — such as a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) — emphasizes applying rigorous research to real-world problems in a field of practice. Neither is inherently “better”; they serve different goals. Someone whose aim is scholarly research and university teaching may lean toward a PhD, while someone who wants to apply advanced research to leadership and practice may prefer a professional doctorate. The right choice depends on your objectives, not a ranking.
Why people search for “PhD” when exploring doctorates
“PhD” is everyday shorthand for advanced study, so many people searching why get a PhD or why do people get PhDs are really exploring doctoral education in general. If that’s you, the key takeaway is simple: decide first what kind of contribution you want to make — theoretical and academic, or applied and professional — and let that guide which type of doctoral program fits.
How long does It take to earn a doctorate?
Timelines vary by program, field, and whether you study full- or part-time. Applied doctorates designed for working professionals are often structured to be completed in a few years of part-time study, with a maximum window to finish. Fully online formats can add flexibility for those balancing work and study. For exact credit requirements and timelines, check the specific program page.
Questions to ask before pursuing a doctorate
Before committing, it helps to get concrete:
- What’s my goal? Career advancement, a role requirement, teaching, consulting, or an original contribution to my field?
- Research or applied? Do I want theoretical research (often a PhD) or applied research tied to practice (often a professional doctorate like a DBA)?
- Does the format fit my life? Online, part-time, and structured pathways can make a doctorate feasible alongside work.
- What’s the real cost — time and money — and what support exists?
- What will I study? A focused topic you care about will carry you through the hardest stretches.
How to decide whether a Doctorate is right for you
A doctorate tends to be worth it when the credential or the capability genuinely advances your goals — not simply because it’s the “next” degree. If your ambitions point toward applied expertise, leadership, and using research to solve real business problems, a professional doctorate is often the better fit than a research-focused PhD. If you’re aiming squarely at academic scholarship, a PhD may be the path. Clarifying that intent first makes every other decision easier.
Explore Doctoral Study at Crestmont University
If your goals are applied and professional, Crestmont University offers a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) — a professional doctorate built around applying rigorous research to real-world leadership and business challenges. You can explore available concentrations and program details, including Healthcare Management and Leadership and other DBA concentrations, on the program page. To see the full range of options, browse Crestmont University’s doctoral programs.
Frequently asked questions
Why do people pursue a doctorate?
To deepen their expertise, advance or change their careers, gain credibility for leadership, teaching, or consulting, and make an original contribution to their field — whether through academic research or applied practice.
What are the benefits of a doctorate?
A doctorate can build advanced subject-matter expertise, qualify you for senior or specialized roles, strengthen your credibility for teaching and consulting, and give you high-level research skills. Specific outcomes vary by field and role.
Is a PhD a doctorate?
Yes. A PhD is one type of doctorate. All PhDs are doctorates, but not all doctorates are PhDs — the category also includes professional doctorates such as the DBA.
What is the difference between a doctorate and a PhD?
“Doctorate” is the broad category of highest-level degrees. A PhD is a specific, research-focused doctorate emphasizing theory and academic knowledge, while professional doctorates like the DBA emphasize applying research to real-world practice.
Why do people get PhDs?
Usually to pursue academic research and university teaching, or to make original theoretical contributions to a discipline. People with applied, practice-oriented goals often choose a professional doctorate instead.
Is pursuing a doctorate worth it?
It’s worth it when the degree meaningfully advances your goals — a required credential, the expertise you want, or the research you want to conduct. Because it’s a major commitment of time and effort, it’s best matched to clear, specific objectives.
