Academic degrees and titles fall into three broad groups: degrees earned through study (bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees), academic ranks tied to a position at a university (lecturer, associate professor, professor) and honorific or honorary titles (such as an honorary doctorate). The single biggest source of confusion is the word "doctor", which can mean a research degree (PhD), a professional qualification (such as a medical doctor) or, in some Central European countries, a "small doctorate" earned by examination rather than by years of research.
This guide brings the whole picture together in one place: what each degree means, how it is earned, the difference between a taught and a research degree, and how titles like Dr and Professor are actually used.
The three groups people mix up
Before we get to individual abbreviations, it helps to understand the basic distinction. In everyday speech, several different things get collapsed into one word, "title":
- An academic degree is proof that you completed a programme of study. Bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees all belong here.
- An academic rank or position describes a job at a university, such as lecturer, associate professor or full professor. A rank is held while you work there, although "Professor" is often used as a lasting honorific too.
- An honorary title is awarded as recognition, not earned through study. An honorary doctorate (Dr h.c., from the Latin honoris causa) is the clearest example.
Keeping these apart matters, because it explains why one person can be addressed as "Dr" for a research degree, "Professor" for a position and still hold an honorary title on top.
Degrees earned through university study
Most national systems share the same three-cycle structure: bachelor's, master's and doctoral. Each cycle builds on the one before it. The table below shows the typical pattern in English-speaking and Bologna-aligned systems.
| Cycle | Common degrees | Typical focus | How it is written |
|---|---|---|---|
| First cycle | BA, BSc, BEng, LLB | undergraduate, broad foundation in a field | after the name (post-nominal) |
| Second cycle | MA, MSc, MEng, MBA, LLM | advanced, specialised study | after the name (post-nominal) |
| Third cycle | PhD, DPhil, EdD, professional doctorates | original research or advanced practice | after the name, plus the title "Dr" before |
Bachelor's and master's degrees are usually taught degrees: you attend courses, sit exams and complete a dissertation or final project. A bachelor's programme typically takes three to four years of full-time study, and a master's usually adds one to two years on top.
The doctorate is different. A PhD is a research degree, normally taking three to four years or more of full-time work, in which you produce an original contribution to knowledge supervised by an academic and defend it in a thesis or dissertation. Holders of a PhD use the title Dr before their name and may add the degree after it, for example Dr Jane Smith, PhD.
If you want to see how the different types of academic work compare, from undergraduate to doctoral level, read our overview of thesis types from bachelor to doctoral.
Taught degrees versus research degrees
One of the most useful distinctions in higher education is between a taught degree and a research degree, because it shapes how much independent work is expected of you.
- A taught degree is built around modules, lectures, seminars and assessments. Most bachelor's and many master's degrees work this way, even though they usually end with a dissertation.
- A research degree is built around a single, sustained piece of original investigation. The PhD is the classic example, but some master's programmes (often labelled MРhil or "by research") are research degrees too.
The label on the certificate does not always tell you which kind it is, so it is worth checking the programme description. A research master's and a taught master's can carry the same letters after the name but involve very different work.
The many meanings of "Doctor"
Few words cause as much confusion as "doctor", because it covers several distinct ideas:
- The research doctorate (PhD, DPhil) is the standard academic doctorate, earned through original research.
- A professional doctorate (such as MD for medicine in some systems, JD for law in the United States, EdD in education) is a qualifying or advanced practice degree rather than a pure research degree, and the rules differ from country to country.
- An honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) is conferred to recognise achievement and is not earned by study or examination. By convention it is not used to imply academic expertise in the way an earned doctorate is.
Note one regional quirk. Several Central European countries award a so-called "small doctorate" by examination after the master's degree, written before the name, for example PhDr (doctor of philosophy) or RNDr (doctor of natural sciences). Despite the word "doctor", this is earned through a rigorosum examination, not through the multi-year research that leads to a PhD. We explain that concept in more detail in our article on what a rigorosum is.
Academic ranks: lecturer, associate professor, professor
Academic ranks describe positions within a university rather than degrees you have studied for. The exact titles vary by country, but the general ladder is similar.
- A lecturer or assistant professor is usually an early-career academic position, typically held after completing a doctorate.
- An associate professor (sometimes called a reader in the British tradition) is a mid-to-senior rank earned through a strong record of research, teaching and publication.
- A full professor is the most senior academic rank, reflecting sustained scholarly leadership, an established body of published work and, often, international recognition.
In many Central European systems these senior ranks are tied to formal procedures, such as habilitation for associate professor and an appointment procedure for full professor, and the resulting titles are written before the name. Whatever the local rules, a rank reflects standing and position, not simply another course completed.
Degree, rank and honorary title: how they differ
These three ideas get blurred in conversation, but they are not the same:
| Concept | Examples | How it is obtained | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic degree | BA, MSc, PhD | by completing a programme of study | after the name |
| Academic rank | lecturer, associate professor, professor | by appointment to a university position | before the name (as a title) |
| Honorary title | honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) | by award, not by study | before the name, often noted as h.c. |
The simplest way to remember it: a degree is something you studied for and write after your name, the courtesy title Dr sits before the name of someone with a doctorate, and Professor is a rank or honorific that comes first of all.
Writing degrees and titles together
When someone holds several qualifications, the order is not random. The general convention in English is to put the courtesy title first and list degrees after the name, usually from the most recent or highest downward, separated by commas.
Practical rules of thumb:
- The title Dr or Professor goes before the name.
- Degrees such as PhD, MSc or BA go after the name, separated by commas.
- You normally do not list a lower degree once a higher one in the same line supersedes it, although institutions differ on whether to include a bachelor's once a master's is held.
- House styles vary, so always check the conventions of the specific university, journal or employer.
A few examples for clarity:
| Situation | How it is written |
|---|---|
| Master's graduate | Jane Smith, MSc |
| Doctorate holder | Dr Jane Smith or Jane Smith, PhD |
| Doctorate holder, formal listing | Dr Jane Smith, PhD |
| Full professor with a doctorate | Professor Jane Smith, PhD |
| Honorary doctorate | Dr h.c. Jane Smith |
If you need to get the structure of your own academic work clear before you start any level of study, our guide to how to structure a thesis is a good starting point.
Quick reference: which title goes where
For a fast overview, here is the whole picture in one table:
| Group | Examples | Position |
|---|---|---|
| First-cycle degrees | BA, BSc, BEng, LLB | after the name |
| Second-cycle degrees | MA, MSc, MBA, LLM | after the name |
| Doctoral degrees | PhD, DPhil, professional doctorates | after the name, with Dr before |
| Central European "small doctorate" | PhDr, RNDr (by examination) | before the name |
| Academic ranks | lecturer, associate professor, professor | before the name |
| Honorary titles | honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) | before the name |
Frequently asked questions
Is a PhD the same as a medical doctor (MD)?
No. A PhD is a research degree earned by producing an original contribution to knowledge in any field, from physics to history. A medical doctor's qualification is a professional degree that licenses someone to practise medicine, and its name and structure vary by country. Both holders may be called "doctor", but the two qualifications are earned in very different ways.
What is the difference between a taught and a research degree?
A taught degree is delivered through courses, lectures and exams, and most bachelor's and many master's degrees work this way. A research degree, such as a PhD, is built around a single sustained piece of original investigation supervised by an academic. The same letters after a name, for example a master's, can sometimes be taught or research, so it is worth checking the programme.
Does an honorary doctorate make someone a "real" doctor?
An honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) is a genuine award conferred by a university, but it is given to recognise achievement rather than earned through study or examination. By convention, holders do not use it to imply academic expertise in the same way as an earned doctorate, and it is often marked with "h.c." to make the distinction clear.
Is "Professor" a title or a job?
Both, depending on context. In many systems "Professor" is a job rank held while you work at a university, but it is also widely used as a lasting honorific for people who have reached that rank. A visiting professorship, by contrast, is usually a temporary position rather than a permanent title.
How do I write several titles and degrees together?
Put the courtesy title first, then the name, then the degrees after it separated by commas, for example Dr Jane Smith, PhD, or Professor Jane Smith, PhD. House styles differ on which lower degrees to include, so check the conventions of the relevant university, publisher or employer before finalising.
What is a "small doctorate" like PhDr or RNDr?
Several Central European countries award a doctorate by examination after the master's degree, written before the name, such as PhDr or RNDr. It is earned through a rigorosum, a demanding examination, rather than through the multi-year research that leads to a PhD. So despite the word "doctor", it is not the same as an internationally recognised research doctorate.
Academic degrees and titles can look complicated at first, but they follow a clear logic: degrees you studied for go after your name, the courtesy title Dr sits before the name of anyone with a doctorate, and Professor, as a rank or honorific, comes first of all. Once you understand that skeleton, you can place almost any qualification correctly and write it the way each institution expects.
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