What is a PhD? The real answer... 

Eli, this was actually quite good. I’m about to start my PhD and this really help me to put things in prospective as I move forward, and has eliminated so of my expectations. I concur. And I really appreciate your thoughts working with others, not the best in the field and on mistakes. Very helpful. Cheers. 👌🏾🤓

In my opinion, a PhD is in the apprenticeship (graduate) scheme introduced by the university. The key difference between grad scheme and PhD is, Graduate scheme provide work experience rather than degree. It is much more likely to get included in industry after grad scheme when compared to PhD. PhD is much more complex, longer, and usually provide higher quality of regirous training when compared to grad scheme. There are self funded PhD options but self funding apprenticeship is illegal in many countries.

Oh wow! I like your definition. Thank you for the clarity. 👍🏻

Thank you James! You helped me in millions of ways!!!

I am currently about to graduate from my masters degree and it has made me think a lot of whether or not to pursue PhD in a couple of years. Really glad I got to watch this today to just put things in perspective as to what it means to pursue a PhD.

James you are superstar

The beard has shortened and educational style has compacted) I have been waiting for new cycle of your materials, actually! You are doing very important job for a lot of people in academia, myself included - thank you so much❤ About the definition : I like how your reframing of PhD actually makes it more bearable. I was following this path when tried to reconsider it as “a book” or as “yet another text” (in order to reduce the mental pressure I felt toward it). The thing is, writing a PhD thesis stands far out of our regular writing experience, and with nothing to compare it tends to seem monstrous

Thank you for this new perspective. It is promising, and, at the same time, it is heavy.

I agree with your definition.

I didn't know jack about a PhD before now, and hearing this definition helps me understand it should I decide to go through the process of getting one in the future.

Thanks for this video, James. I am in my second year of PhD and even starting to think of why I started it. This takes a lot of pressure off.

Excellent thank you

I wish I had found your channel before or at the beginning of my PhD. True and wise explanation. I think most PhD really just understand it during the process

As someone that routinely argues with administrators regarding the distinction between undergraduate and graduate studies, I appreciate your calm and eloquent approach to this topic. That said, I´m not totally sold on your definition as I know loads of academics without Ph.D.s that are uniquely qualified to make contributions in academia. In the past few years, I´ve actually fought against this idea that a Ph.D. should be required for entry level academic positions (while demanding that it should be required for higher titles like "full professor" or even "associate professor").IDK, man. At the end of the day, I really hate all of this frilly cuffs and collars gate keeping crap and would honestly give my Ph.D. back if it meant I didnt have to deal with the bullshit that seems to be an intrinsic property of academia. Why can´t we just pursue knowledge and let excellence and rigor of an idea or approach stand up to scrutiny on their own? What I do know is that the academic system is broken and being led by an increasingly incompetent class of business-minded administrators that use phrases like, "oh! you´re treating these studies like it´s a Ph.D. program! We need to cut it all down and save money! The good ones get Master´s degrees anyway!". I hate to say it, but as academic inflation continues to grow like an unchecked cancer, what it "means" to have a Ph.D. will increasingly be devalued. Using admin logic, I´d say, "well. The good ones do 5 post docs and get habilitated in Germany or Switzerland". (Sorry for the very "stream of consciousness" incoherent rant. I´m just very frustrated these last few months)

great words

Perfect answer

I can attest....my doctoral support system (for the most part) is quite patient with my interrogative and imperfect doctoral work.

Great video! How about higher doctorates, such as Doctor of Science, shouldn't those be the top of the Educational piramid?

PhD = Permanent Head Damage. I still want to do it though 😂

Interesting, although don’t the examiners care about the mistakes you’ve made during the viva? I’m not sure what the last bit that ‘nobody really cares about the mistakes you’ve made’ means. As such, the definition of a PhD as an entry level qualification is not helpful to ease stress (as you mentioned) because it actually just seems like a lot of learning (to become a scholar) therefore needs to be done. I found the earlier clarifications useful though! Thank you for this video

I’m curious how you feel age factors into the PhD process. As as 40+ student of a PhD is it to late to be relevant in this space?

What is the difference between an Mphil and PhD?

I finished my PhD last year, I would like to give support to ongoing PhD students!!! Write to me if you need someone to listen to you!

Oh now I know😱😰