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An academic degree is a certificate given to students who have completed a course of study in higher education, often in a college or university. These schools frequently provide a variety of degrees, such as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as additional academic certifications and professional degrees. Although there are lower level higher education credentials that are also named degrees (e.g. associate degrees and foundation degrees) and higher level (e.g. undergraduate master’s degrees) in certain countries, the bachelor’s degree is the most prevalent undergraduate degree.

The doctorate (Latin: doceo “I teach”) first originated in medieval Europe as a license to teach at a medieval university (Latin: licentia docendi). The title “doctor” was first used in the early church to refer to the Apostles, church fathers, and other Christian leaders who taught and interpreted the Bible. The church had the only power to give a licentia docendi, which required the applicant to pass an exam, take an oath of loyalty, and pay a price. All eligible applicants were promised entry ” now mainly free of price ” by the Third Council of the Lateran in 1179, who were nevertheless assessed for ability by the ecclesiastic scholastic. This right was a source of controversy between church authorities and the emancipating colleges until it was given by the Pope to the University of Paris in 1231, when it became a universal license to teach (licentia ubique docendi). While the licentia retained a greater status than the bachelor’s degree (Baccalaureus), it was eventually relegated to a stage between the Magister and doctorate, both of which have now become the exclusive qualifications for teaching.

Doctoral education at the institution was akin to a guild apprenticeship. The typical seven-year study period before new instructors were accepted to the guild of “Master of Arts” was the same as the apprenticeship period for other professions. Initially, the titles “master” and “doctor” were interchangeable, but the doctorate has come to be recognized as a more advanced degree than the master’s degree.

The names “master” (from the Latin’magister’” literally “teacher”), “Doctor,” and “Professor” today denote distinct levels of academic success, but they were equal terms in the Medieval university, and their inclusion in the degree name was a matter of tradition. (Most colleges awarded the Master of Arts degree, however the highest degree was sometimes referred to as Master of Theology/Divinity or Doctor of Theology/Divinity depending on the location.)

The first doctoral degrees (Divinitatis Doctor (D.D.), Legum Doctor (LL.D., subsequently D.C.L. ), and Medicinae Doctor (M.D., D.M.)) represented the historical division of all higher University study into these three subjects. Outside of theology, the D.D. has grown less prevalent over time, and it is currently largely reserved for honorary degrees, with “Doctor of Theology” being used more frequently for earned degrees. Because the Renaissance believed that true knowledge could be acquired from actual observation, studies outside of theology, law, and medicine were dubbed “philosophy.” Doctor of Philosophy is a significantly later degree title that was not introduced in England until 1900. What was originally known as philosophy is now designated as a science or a humanities subject.

The ijazah granted at medieval Islamic madrasas in the 9th century, according to George Makdisi, was the forerunner of the doctorate that later arose in medieval European colleges. The ijazah and the university degree have similarities, according to Alfred Guillaume, Syed Farid al-Attas, and Devin J. Stewart. Toby Huff and others, on the other hand, are skeptical about Makdisi’s idea. The ijazat al-ifta, or license to teach Islamic law and offer legal judgments, is most comparable to the medieval European university degree in that it allows admittance into particular professions, according to Devin J. Stewart. The awarding authority of the ijaza, on the other hand, is an individual professor, whereas the university degree is issued by a corporate organization.

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