Doctor of Technology
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The Doctor of Technology, or Doctor of Engineering Sciences, or Doctor of Technical Sciences, or Doctor 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 other doctorates, it is usually an academic degree at the highest level equivalent to a PhD.
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.
As a substantive degree
In Austria, universities of technology, such as TU Wien, grant the title of "Dr.techn." (in German: "Doktor der technischen Wissenschaften" which translates to Doctor of Engineering Sciences, or Doctor of Science, or Doctor of Technical Sciences), also rendered as "Doctor technicae" (Dr.techn.), as equivalent to the PhD.{{Cite web |url= https://www.tuwien.at/en/studies/international/virtual-welcome-centre/international-doctoral-students |title= Taking your Doctorate at TU Wien. Prospective international Doctoral Students |access-date= February 6, 2025}}{{Cite web |url= https://www.tuwien.at/studium/studienangebot/doktorat |title= Die Doktoratsstudien in der Übersicht (Doctoral Programmes at TU Wien) |access-date= February 6, 2025}} A similar title, also designated "Dr.techn." (Doctor technicae), is awarded in Denmark (e.g., DTU).{{Cite web |url= https://www.dtu.dk/english/about/profile/events-and-prices/doctorates |title= The Classical Degree of Doctor Technices |access-date= February 6, 2025}}
In Sweden the situation is the same and the degrees are called teknologie doktor or teknisk doktor ("Tekn. Dr." or "Tek. Dr.") and are translated to PhD in English. In Finland, the degree tekniikan tohtori (TkT) or teknologie doktor (Doctor of Science (Technology), D.Sc. (Tech.)) is comparable to a Finnish filosofian tohtori (Doctor of Philosophy).
In South Africa, the Doctor of Technology or Doctor Technologiae (DTech) is equivalent to other research doctorates at level 10 of the South African National Qualifications Framework.{{cite web|url=http://allqs.saqa.org.za/showQualification.php?id=72091|title=Doctor of Technology: Business Administration |publisher=South African Qualifications Authority|accessdate=23 April 2017}} It is normally awarded by universities of technology and can be awarded in a wide variety of fields, not just technology.{{cite web|url=http://www.cput.ac.za/search/prospectus#gsc.tab=0&gsc.ref=find_a_course_or_a_degree&gsc.q=dtech&gsc.page=1|title=Find a course or degree|publisher=Cape Peninsula University of Technology|accessdate=23 April 2017}}
In the United 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.{{cite web|url=https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/degrees/doctor-of-technology|title=Doctor of Technology|publisher=Purdue University|accessdate=4 May 2023}} Additionally, the Doctor of Industrial Technology (D.I.T.) degree was recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as equivalent to the PhD 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsf16300/technotes.cfm|title=Technical Notes|work= Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2014 |date=December 2015|publisher=National Science Foundation|accessdate=2017-04-23|at=Research doctoral degree|quote=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.}}
Higher doctorates
In the United Kingdom the degree of Doctor of Technology (DTech) is offered as a higher doctorate by a number of universities.{{cite book|url=http://www.ukcge.ac.uk/Media/Download.aspx?MediaId=1328|format=PDF|publisher=UK Council for Graduate Education|title=Higher Doctorates in the UK 2013|author=Tina Barnes|date=2013|ISBN=978-0-9563812-7-9|page=9|access-date=2017-04-24|archive-date=2021-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020142801/http://www.ukcge.ac.uk/Media/Download.aspx?MediaId=1328|url-status=dead}}