A doctorate is the highest degree a university can give you. After a first degree, and often after a master's, you spend years on your own research and write a long thesis (sometimes called a dissertation). If the university accepts it, you hold a doctorate.

A doctoratedoctorate is the highest degree a university can give you是大學能頒給你的最高學位. After a first degree唸完第一個學位, and often after a master's通常還唸完碩士之後, you spend years on your own research你要花好幾年做自己的研究 and write a long thesis寫一篇很長的論文 (sometimes called a dissertation)（有時候叫dissertation）. If the university accepts it如果大學認可這篇論文, you hold a doctorate你就拿到doctorate了.

The best-known kind is a PhD, though other doctorates exist — in education, theology, and, depending on the country, medicine or law. People say she is doing her doctorate while she is still a student, and she has a doctorate when it is finished.

The best-known kind is a PhD最有名的一種是PhD, though other doctorates exist不過其他doctorate也有 — in education, theology, and, depending on the country, medicine or law像是教育、神學，還有看國家不同，也可能是醫學或法律. while she is still a student她還是學生的時候 People say she is doing her doctorate大家會說she is doing her doctorate, and when it is finished等到唸完了 she has a doctorate就說she has a doctorate.

The new title is often Doctor, which is where life gets messy: that title is not only for a medical doctor. A 醫生 may or may not have this research degree, and a person with a doctorate may never treat a patient.

The new title is often Doctor拿到之後新的頭銜通常是Doctor, which is where life gets messy這就是麻煩的地方: that title is not only for a medical doctor這個頭銜不是只給醫生用的. A 醫生醫生 may or may not have this research degree不一定有這個研究學位, and a person with a doctorate而有doctorate的人 may never treat a patient也可能從來沒看過病人.

The word feels formal and proud. You hear it at universities, in academic job ads, and in family talk when someone finally 'got their doctorate'. It names the degree, not the person.

The word feels formal and proud這個字聽起來正式又驕傲. You hear it at universities你會在大學裡, in academic job ads在學術徵才廣告裡, and in family talk when someone finally 'got their doctorate'還有家人聊天說誰終於「拿到doctorate了」的時候聽到. It names the degree它指的是學位, not the person不是人.