how to use dr and phd

How to Correctly Use the Titles Dr. & PhD With a Name

How to Reference a Person With a PhD

When someone has earned a Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D., degree, that person is subsequently referred to as “doctor” in formal speech. The same is true of a person who is a medical doctor, psychologist, dentist or veterinarian. In formal speech, that person should be referred to as “doctor.” However, the rules are different in written form when addressing someone who is called “doctor” in formal speech. In written form, the titles “Dr.” and “Ph.D.” are not interchangeable.

Determine the Type of Doctor

First, you should identify what type of doctor you are addressing. Doctors of medicine and psychology, doctors of dentistry and doctors of veterinary medicine must be addressed differently in comparison to academic doctors who have earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree. Be advised that there are different types of doctoral degrees. A Doctor of Philosophy degree is just one kind of doctoral degree. There’s also, for example, a Doctor of Education doctoral degree and a Doctor of Psychology doctoral degree. The titles associated with the various doctoral degrees are not interchangeable. Only a person who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree should be addressed as Ph.D.

Addressing a Doctor in Writing

Place the title of “Dr.” before the name of a person who is a doctor of medicine or psychology, doctor of dentistry, or doctor of veterinary medicine. For example Dr. George Ross. Always write the word “doctor” in its abbreviated form when it goes before the person’s name. Never write, for example, Doctor George Ross. Do not combine the title of “Dr.” with any other title even if the person could appropriately be addressed by a different title. Never write, for example, “Dr. George Ross, Ph.D.,” even if the person is a medical doctor who has also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Pick one title. Do not use the “Dr.” title when referring to someone who is solely an academic doctor.

Put a comma followed by the title “Ph.D.” after the name of a person who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree. For example Stacey Childs, Ph.D. Do not combine the title of “Ph.D.” with any other title even if the person could appropriately be addressed by a different title. For instance, even if the person being addressed is a doctor of medicine who has also earned a Ph.D., never write, for example, Dr. Stacey Childs, Ph.D. Pick one title. Do not use the “Ph.D.” title when referring to someone who not earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree.

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Maya Austen began freelance writing in 2009. She has written for many online publications on a wide variety of topics ranging from physical fitness to amateur astronomy. She's also an author and e-book publisher. Austen has a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the New England Institute of Art and currently lives in Boston, Mass.

How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

—- For more on the the use of Port-Nominal Abbreviations , see that page . —- For more on use of an Honorary Doctorate , see that page . How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

Here are the forms to use when addressing a person addressed as Dr. See the discussion below “How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name 1-2-3-4-5” for more information on who typically does use Dr. as part of their name and who does not.

—- Envelope or address block on letter or email to their office/place of work: ——– (Full Name), (Post-nominal abbreviation for doctorate held). ——– ( Name of office/place of work if  appropriate) ——– (Address)

—- Social/Personal envelope: ——– Dr. (Full Name) ——– (Address)

—- Salutation – for both official & social: ——– Dear Dr. (Surname):  How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name: 1-2-3-4-5

—- #1) Holders of doctorates who work in academia or research institutions are addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ professionally and socially in a salutation or conversation. Thus, a Ph.D. professor at a college, a Ph.D. in biology doing scientific research, and a Ph.D. principal at an elementary school all use Dr. (Name) and everybody thinks it is normal.

—- NOTE: At some universities it is traditional to address faculty holding of academic doctorates as ‘Mr. (Name)’ or ‘Professor (Name)’ and not to address as ‘Dr. (Name)’. For those outside the academic community it is acceptable to follow the insider’s rule or to address holders of doctorates as ‘Dr. (Name)’ in writing or oral address.

—- #2) Protestant clergy with doctorates are addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ in a salutation or conversation. I specify ‘Protestant’ here because not all clergy is. For example, neither priests – addressed in a salutation or conversation as Father [Name] – nor rabbis – addressed as Rabbi [Name] –  holding doctorates are ever addressed as Dr. [Name] . In a salutation or conversation they stick with Father[Name] and Rabbi [Name].

—- #3) Holders of doctorates who work outside academia or research don’t always prefer to be addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’. in a salutation or conversation. —- —- A) In the USA ‘Dr.’ may be used depending on the work environment and/or when the degree isn’t pertinent to the conversation. E.g., a Ph.D. in finance working at a bank or a Ph.D. in American history working in software development are not likely to insist on being addressed as ‘ Dr. (Name)’ . But always ask for their preference. Use of, or omitting, the honorific can be a sensitive issue to some individuals! —- —- B) And, outside the U.S.A. everyone holding a doctorate will want to be addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ in every instance.

—- #4) In hospitals and healthcare environments historically there was a practice that only physicians (medical doctors, osteopaths, dentists, podiatrists, veterinarians, etc. ) are addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’. This was explained to be out of consideration for the patients who want to know who ‘the doctors’ are and who are nurses and allied healthcare professionals.

—- That made for some unhappy professionals who earned doctorates in hospital administration, pharmacy, physical therapy and nursing, etc. – who felt they too were properly addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ . It’s my understanding that today all the holders of doctorates are addressed as Dr. (Name) and hospitals (etc.) have figured out other ways to define which doctor is a physician, which is a physical therapist and which is a nurse anesthetist.

—- #5) All that said, ultimately how one is addressed by others is up to the individual and usually everyone goes along. For example, if you and I meet a woman who identifies herself as ‘Monsignor Alice’ … I think it is unlikely she’s a Roman Catholic Monsignor. And, it’s unusual she has only one name, like Pink, Rhianna, Sting, Cher, or Madonna. But we should directly address her in conversation as ‘Monsignor Alice,’ it’s nice to meet you …’ because that’s what she says her name is. How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

—- But, when she’s out of range, we will all be talking about her.

—- —- – Robert Hickey

Related Healthcare Links -V — — Chiropractor / Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine -V — — Dentist / Doctor of Dentistry -V — — Medical Doctor / Doctor of Medicine -V — — Military Physician / Armed Services -V — — Optometrist / Doctor of Optometry -V — — Osteopath / Doctor of Osteopathy -V — — Podiatrist / Doctor of Podiatry -V — — Veterinarian / Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

More Related Healthcare Links: -V — — Person holding a doctorate -V — — Pharmacist / Doctor of Pharmacy -V — — Psychologist -V — — Therapist

Related Links: —- —- —- Principal —- —- —- Headmaster —- —- —- President College University —- —- —- President of a School —- —- —- Chancellor —- —- —- Professor

When To Use Dr. (Name) and When To Use (Name), Ph.D.?

My daughter is receiving her Ph.D. and will be teaching. I would like to give her a name plate for her desk. Should it be ‘Dr. (Full Name)’ or ‘(Full Name), Ph.D. ‘? ——————- – AP

Dear AP,   How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

‘(Full Name), Ph.D.’ is the official form of her name. You will use it on the envelope, or in the address block of a letter, when you write to her with regard to her professional pursuits. This is the form the university will use when she is listed among the faculty. It is used by the degree holder, when specifying the exact degree is pertinent – like on business cards or in a list of academics.

‘Dr. (Full Name)’ is the social form of her name. You will use it when you write her name on a personal letter’s envelope, e.g., one sent to her home. This is the form everyone will use on the envelope when they send her a birthday or holiday card. It is rarely used by the degree holder since one does not correctly give oneself an honorific. The degree holder – in their signature or when introducing him or herself – just uses their name … no ‘Dr.’ It’s up to the other person to add the ‘Dr.’ E.g., I just introduce myself as ‘Robert Hickey’ – never ‘Mr. Robert Hickey.’

Sometimes you will observe a physician in a healthcare setting introducing him or herself as ‘Dr. (Name)’ – but there it is for the patient’s benefit to know they are the physician in a field of people wearing seemingly identical white coats!

‘Dr. (Surname)’ is the conversational form of her name. Use it both officially and socially in a letter’s salutation as well as in oral conversation.

So, for an office name plate use the official form of her name – (Full Name), Ph.D.

– Robert Hickey

Doctors present the official form of their name to the public:  (Full Name) (Pertinent post-nominals for the service offered).   The social form of their name does not include their degree: Dr. (Full Name).   In both official and social salutations and conversations patients use Dr. (Name).

If My Doctorate is in Music, am I ‘Dr.’?

I hold a DMA, Doctorate in Music, from a Boston university and am a Church Music Director. Please could you advise me as to whether it is acceptable for the church where I work to list me in the service bulletins as: ‘Dr. (First name) + (Last name) ‘? —————- – CJ

Dear CJ: How to Use a Doctorate with your Name It is correct to list yourself in the bulletin using the professional form of your name … (First name) + (Last name), DMA.    It specifies your academic credential in your professional domain.

Among protestant denominations many address their clergy with a doctorate orally and in a salutation as  Dr. (Surname).   If your church is one of those, and it is your preference is to be Dr. (Surnhttps://formsofaddress.info/wp-admin/post.php?post=13983&action=edit#ame), tell everyone that it is your preference to be addressed Dr. (Surname).

Usually academics and researchers who go by Dr. (Surname) professionally – use Dr. (Surname)  socially. But ultimately whether a particular Ph.D. holder is ‘Dr. (Name)’ socially … especially outside of healthcare, academia or research … is at the preference of the bearer. Some insist, some don’t care, others say they answer to anything they are called. Ultimately your name belongs to you and if you want to be Dr. (Surname), then it’s your right to request everyone address you that way.

– Robert Hickey   How to Use a Doctorate with your Name

May I Call Myself Dr. (Name)  if my Degree Is Not Related to the Service I Offer?

I have a Ph.D. and license in counseling. Recently I sent out an announcement for a yoga class I will be teaching. The state of Colorado says I should not teach yoga as   “Dr. (Name)”. How can I convince them I can? ——– – Kevin S., Ph.D., L.P.C., C.M.T., I.K.Y.T.A. ,  Counseling, Yoga Therapy, Integrative Health & Healing

Dear Dr. Kevin, How to Use a Doctorate with your Name

Your Ph.D. is in a field not related to the service you are offering.

A couple of typical practices I observe in the USA come to mind:

Professionals use with their name the degrees pertinent to their profession service. The degrees and certifications are provided for the benefit of the public so the public can quickly evaluate your credentials.

Here’s what I mean by pertinent . A pastor who would be the Reverend (Full Name)  & Pastor (Name) at church on Sundays, would not use the Reverend (Full Name) & Pastor (Name)  when teaching English Monday through Friday, at the local high school. That he or she is the Reverend  might be mentioned in a complete biography or introduction. It just isn’t part of his/her name at school.

So, I can see if you are using ‘Dr. (Name)’ when offering a class in yoga, and your doctorate is not directly to the service you are offering, say a doctorate physical therapy or kinesthetics …. it would be confusing to me … and the state officials must think it is misleading to the public.

– Robert Hickey How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

Should I Use Dr. or Ph.D. on an Invitation?

If a person holds a Ph.D., should his or her name be ‘Dr. (name)’ a wedding invitation? Or ‘( Name), Ph.D.’ ?  Is this true for the father of the bride?  The groom?  Is the rule for names on wedding invitations and wedding envelopes different that the guidelines for social correspondence? ————– – Beverly Russell, Winchester, Virginia

Dear Ms. Russell: Wedding invitations and their envelopes are social correspondence. Post-nominal abbreviations ( Ph.D. is a post nominal abbreviation) aren’t used on social correspondence:

—- —- DON’T use Ph.D.

—- —- DO use Dr. (Name)

Another question that typically comes up is whether to use Doctor or Dr. (spelled out or abbreviated) on the invitation or on the mailing envelope?

The rule is to spell out everything and not to use abbreviations unless space is an issue.

But, Mr., Mrs., Dr., and Ms. (for which there is no spelled-out version) are typically used on invitations and when addressing invitations in even the most formal circles. I think ‘Doctor (Name)’ looks oh-so-highly precious, but I know some wedding planners who would wrestle me to the mat on that one.

When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?

You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.)  The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them. ___ What I don’t cover on this site are  many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions , etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.

Not Finding Your Answer?

—- #1)    At right  on desktops , at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones , is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.

—- #2)   If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail . I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so  (unless I am traveling.)   Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.

—- #3)   If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question  – but always change all the specifics.

— Robert Hickey 

Recommended Resources:    The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW)  and  Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA)     For more information see the Protocol Resources page.

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How to Use Dr and PhD with a Name

In English, as in many other languages, professional titles have abbreviations. These are for writing convenience but people will sometimes annunciate them while speaking. Two of these, Dr and PhD, are very common references when talking about the specific name of a doctor.

Therefore, it means you’re referring to people and in this case, it’s a college-trained and licensed individual who practices things like medicine, psychology, science, mathematics or some other field of study. But, like with most other things in English grammar, there is a particular use of Dr and PhD.

To use “Dr” to indicate a doctor, most particularly in the fields of medicine and science, you will put it before a person’s name. You can indicate first and last name. But, if you want to be casual or informal, you can use Dr before only mentioning a first name.

Use only a last name after the “Dr to be formal or informal depending on the circumstances. This will often accompany a period (.) after the abbreviation of Dr.

Dr. Michael Yeadon

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

Dr. Carrie is my physician.

Dr. Maloney has been a scientist for 35 years.

There are some people who receive doctorate degrees, the highest education one can receive in any given subject. While they are doctors, they aren’t medical, scientific or psychological doctors. For instance, they could have a doctorate in things like politics, journalism, economics or some other such thing.

Therefore, you say or write their name and follow it with PhD. to indicate Doctor of Philosophy. But, you can also use it to be superbly formal with a medical or scientific doctor. This means you can use both Dr and PhD in the same line. But, here, you will add a comma (,) after the last name.

Sarah Kimmons PhD

Dr. Shane Ammora, PhD

Mnemonic Device

To remember where to use Dr versus PhD, is that Dr will always come before a name and PhD will appear after. However, both can appear around the same name. Therefore, the following example is a visual for those who memorize best that way:

Dr. DOCTOR, PhD

Whenever you want to write or mention the name of someone who’s a doctor, you’ll either use Dr or PhD to indicate their title. But, Dr comes before and PhD will be after.

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How to use the PhD title and all the little doctorate “rules”

There are many conventions in the academic world that can make it difficult to navigate the PhD title. The PhD title is awarded to those who have completed a doctoral degree but, not many people know how to use it once they have it.

This article will go through everything you need to know about using the PhD title and when you can start using it.

The “rules” are relatively simple and can be broken as they are not officially set in stone – other than when you can officially call yourself a doctor.

There is no one correct answer but it may be misleading if you use the PhD title incorrectly. Here are the recommendations for effective communication.

It very much depends on the setting. Here are some examples of how I would use my PhD titles awarded to me after my PhD degree.

How do you Write PhD correctly after a name? Is it ph d or phd?

It can be confusing to know exactly how to write PhD after your name. Which bits are capitalised? Is there a ‘.’ In the middle?

When writing a name with a PhD after it, the correct way to do so is to use “PhD” or “Ph.D. or Ph.D”

Depending on the preference of the individual, either form can be used.

However, if the individual has a business card that states their degree in full, then the more formal “Doctor of Philosophy” should be used.

It is important to note that using “PhD” without any periods is incorrect; this abbreviation should only be used in informal contexts such as emails or text messages. I tend to use PhD in my YouTube videos and some people have pointed out that this is incorrect…

Following the individual’s preferred format will ensure that their name and credentials are properly represented.

Should you use Dr as well as PhD?

Some people like to use Dr and PhD in their official titles. There are a couple of important points that you need to know about markers and academic titles.

• A person can have more than one marker in their name. For example my full title is Dr Andrew Stapleton, PhD, MChem.
• The doctor title at the front can be used as a variant to the PhD at the end.

It can be a little bit ambiguous if I was to use Dr Andrew Stapleton, PhD as there are two markers. This could mean that I have two PhD’s, it could mean that I have a PhD and a medical doctorate, or it could just be that I want to use both the doctor and the PhD tags for the one degree.

However, in my experience, I still like to use the doctor title at the front and the PhD tag at the end of my name for official purposes.

Academics would rarely use the PhD suffix in everyday communication. They would much rather just use the doctor title.

What is the proper title for a PhD?

The proper title for a PhD is Doctor of Philosophy. However, some teachers and professors like to be referred to without their official title.

If you are not sure about how your professor, lecturer, or friend with a PhD wishes to be officially addressed you can ask them.

Most of the time, I like to refer to my colleagues with their doctor title for official purposes, but I do not include the PhD at the end of their name. That is much better suited to a business card.

Your lecture may wish to be referred to as:

• Dr [last name]
• Dr [first name]

Asking them in the early stages of your relationship is the best way to work out which one they prefer.

If in doubt, always go for the more formal name and nomenclature.

When can you start to use your PhD title after your doctorate?

When you have earned your PhD, you can start using your title immediately. Although, it can be a little bit confusing as to when you have actually passed your PhD. Is it when you have submitted your dissertation? Is it when you have received the comments back?

The University of Adelaide says that you can use it from your conferral date:

Students can be conferred on one of five dates during the year and for PhD students the conferral date will be the first available following the completion of all the academic requirements of your degree, including final thesis lodgement and the disbursement of any outstanding financial obligations to the University.

I started using my PhD title as soon as my confirmation letter arrived at my house. It was the first letter from the University that referred to me as Dr Stapleton. It was incredibly excited.

Generally, it is acceptable to use the title “Dr.” both professionally and socially but socially, people very rarely use it – at least in Australia. But you should never use it if you are a PhD student, PhD candidate or enrolled in a PhD program without a previous PhD qualification. 

I do use it in professional settings but it always makes me feel a little bit awkward.

However, there may be some restrictions for certain settings. For example, if have a research degree resulting in a doctor title and you are working in a medical setting – some institutions do not like you to use Dr as it can confuse patients into thinking that you have a medical degree. 

Instead, they ask that you use the PhD tag at the end of your name rather than the doctoral title for official and professional communications.

What is the correct way to write PhD?

When writing about someone’s PhD, the correct way is to write the term in full and capitalize each letter.

This should be done for all academic degrees, not just PhDs.

For example, it would be “Doctor of Philosophy” or “PhD” instead of “Ph.D.”, “Dr.”, or “DPhil”.

Additionally, it is common to mention the field of study in which the degree was earned if known, such as “Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics”. It is also good practice to include the institution that granted the degree if it is a recognized one.

When writing about someone’s PhD, use proper capitalization and include relevant information like field of study and institution if known to ensure accuracy.

How do you put a PhD in a title?

Putting a PhD in a title is not as complicated as it may sound.

Generally speaking, the proper way to list a PhD in an academic or professional setting is by writing “Dr.” before the name, followed by the person’s full name and the appropriate abbreviations for their degree.

For example, if John Smith has earned a doctorate in psychology, his credentials would be listed as “Dr. John Smith, Ph.D.”

In some cases, such as when addressing someone formally in speech or on a business card, it may also be acceptable to list their credentials as “John Smith, Ph.D.”

Depending on context and personal preference, some people may also choose to list their higher degrees after their names by writing out the entire degree instead of just its abbreviation.

For example, John Smith could choose to write his full title as “John Smith, Doctor of Psychology”

However, I have not seen this in real academic life.

Should the font size of Ph.D. be the same as someone’s name?

The question of whether the font size of a Ph.D. should be the same as someone’s name is an interesting one.

On one hand, it could be argued that the Ph.D. deserves to be highlighted and therefore should be given a larger font size than someone’s name to denote its importance.

On the other, it could be argued that this would not be necessary or appropriate, and that treating everyone equally regardless of their title or degree is more important.

It depends on context and usage – if both names appear in the same document then they should likely have the same font size; however, if one appears in a formal setting such as a diploma or certificate, then it may make sense to give it a larger font size than someone’s name to emphasize its importance and significance.

Ph.Ds (or PhDs) are an important academic achievement and should be respected accordingly but without going overboard by giving them overly large fonts sizes which can take away from rather than add to their importance.

Wrapping up – doctoral title rules

this article has been over everything you need to know that using the PhD title properly and effectively.

The doctor title can be used in place of the PhD and for incredibly formal communications, such as a business email or card, you can use both.

However, sometimes using both can cause confusion as to whether or not there is a reason first using both the doctor and PhD tags. Nonetheless, many people still use both.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

We are here to help you navigate Academia as painlessly as possible. We are supported by our readers and by visiting you are helping us earn a small amount through ads and affiliate revenue - Thank you!

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Professional Title Etiquette: When to Use Your Dr. Title

Socially as well as professionally, medical doctors, dentists, and other professionals are addressed by, and introduced with, their titles. People who have earned a Ph.D. or any other academic, nonmedical doctoral degree have the choice of whether to use "Dr." both professionally and socially.  If, when meeting people with doctorates, you're unsure how to address them, "Dr." is always correct.  If they'd rather the title be dropped, they will let you know.

It's more common for women to use the title "Doctor" socially as well as professionally than in the past. When a married woman uses the title "Dr." (either medical or academic) socially, addressing social correspondence to the couple is a little trickier. If her husband is not a doctor, address letters to Dr. Sonia and Mr. Robert Harris. Her name comes first because her professional title "outranks" his social title. If her husband is also a doctor, the address is either The Drs. (Doctors) Harris or Drs. Sonia and Robert Harris (the order of the names doesn't matter).

The Reverend

In introductions and correspondence, many Protestant clergy are referred to as "The Reverend." While business correspondence is addressed to The Reverend James Norris, (D.D., if held), social correspondence is slightly different: The Reverend (Mr./Dr.) and Mrs. James Norris. In conversation, a clergyman or clergywoman is addressed as Dr./Mr./Mrs./Ms./Pastor/Rector/Reverend Norris.

Addressing a husband or wife who are both "Reverends" follows the same format as a husband and wife who are both doctors: The Reverends Norris or The Reverend Mrs./Ms. Patricia Norris and the Reverend Mr. James Norris. If either of the couple also has a doctorate degree, that person's name would go first: The Reverend Dr. James Norris and The Reverend Mrs./Ms. Patricia Norris.

Today "Esquire" is largely confined to business correspondence between attorneys and justices of the peace. An alternative is to write:

Mr. David Bowman

Attorney at Law

using two lines, no indent, and including the titles Mr. or Ms.

When "Esq." or "Esquire" is used, the name is never preceded by Mr., Ms., Mrs., or other titles such as Dr., and is written David Bowman, Esq. "Esquire" isn't used in introductions: "I'd like to introduce attorney David Bowman/Mr. David Bowman/David Bowman." It also isn't used for social correspondence, as when writing to a lawyer and his or her spouse or addressing a social invitation. Mr. and Mrs. David Bowman is the correct form.

Professional Designations

Professional designations such as CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or CLU (Certified Life Underwriter) are only used on business cards or business correspondence. They follow a person's name, and Mr. or Ms. isn't used: Martha Dawes, CPA; Phillip Olner, CLU. If a person has more than one designation, they're listed in the order received: Phillip Olner, CLU, CFP. Socially, use Mr., Ms., or Mrs. without the professional designation: Ms. Martha Dawes.

Other Titles

Every day we run into people who have an official title. The police officer at the desk is Sergeant Flynn; the head of the fire department is Chief Elmore; the club chef is Chef Rossi; the pilot on your plane is Captain Howe; and so forth. When on the job, such people are always addressed by their titles, just as they are when the matter at hand is related to their work. Socially, many don't use their titles, though they may. Sometimes a title sticks: A local judge, for example, who's been called by his title for a number of years, is usually addressed as "Judge" even after his retirement.

• Wedding Etiquette 101: Everything You Need to Know

Recommended Articles

• Official Forms of Address: United States Government
• Official Forms of Address: Religious Dignitaries
• View all articles

Emily Post's Etiquette, 19th Edition

Related articles, military titles, the "mrs." question, making introductions.

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How to Address a PhD in Email

Last Updated: April 12, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure . Shannon O'Brien is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Whole U. (a career and life strategy consultancy based in Boston, MA). Through advising, workshops and e-learning Whole U. empowers people to pursue their life's work and live a balanced, purposeful life. Shannon has been ranked as the #1 Career Coach and #1 Life Coach in Boston, MA by Yelp reviewers. She has been featured on Boston.com, Boldfacers, and the UR Business Network. She received a Master's of Technology, Innovation, & Education from Harvard University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 52,856 times.

Writing an email to a college professor with a Ph.D.? Do you call someone with a Ph.D. a doctor? Figuring out the right way to address someone with a doctorate is a lot easier than it may seem, and we’re going to break this down so that you can get it right. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to address someone with a Ph.D.

Do you address someone with a Ph.D. as a doctor?

How to Address an Email to Multiple Professors

• “Dear Professor Jones, Professor Smith, and Professor Ali.”
• “Dr. Jones, Dr. Smith, and Professor Ali,”
• “Dr. Jones and Professor Smith,”

What is the proper way to write a name with Ph.D.?

• You may have seen Ph.D. holders put “Ph.D.” at the end of their name. This is something authors do, but you shouldn’t need to write it this way.

Do you call a professor a doctor?

• You’re very unlikely to get into any trouble by referring to your college teacher as “professor,” even if they are a doctor. At worst, they’ll kindly correct you.
• In the United States, it is generally seen by most educators as socially acceptable to address a doctor who is also a professor as “professor.” It’s not technically correct, but you’re unlikely to offend any of your educators. As such, you can usually call a doctor a professor or Dr. in email. [3] X Research source

How do you address Ph.D. students?

• A Ph.D. student is not a doctor yet, but they may still be a professor.
• “Professor” traditionally refers to tenure-track educators at the collegiate level, but there’s no harm or risk of offense by calling an adjunct instructor, lecturer, or TA, “professor.” [5] X Research source
• “Miss” has historically been used to address unmarried women, while “Mrs.” has referred to married women. These titles are going out of style since many people find them offensive, so you’re best off skipping these. [6] X Research source

Do the rules for addressing Ph.D. holders ever change?

• For example, in Canada, you are not “officially” allowed to refer to non-medical doctors as “Dr.” You would address them as “Mr. Jones, Doctor of Mathematics.”
• This also applies to the “Jimmy Jones, Ph.D.” form, too. In the United Kingdom, for example, you don’t use any periods. Someone in the UK would write, “Jimmy Jones, PhD” without the punctuation.

Expert Q&A

• It doesn’t matter if someone has a Ph.D. is in philosophy, education, biology, math, or any other discipline. If a person has obtained a doctorate degree, they’re a doctor—even if they don’t see patients. [8] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Ph.D. is shorthand for doctor of philosophy. The word “doctor” comes from the Latin word “docere,” which means “to teach.” In ancient times, “Philosophy” was used to refer to any academic field. [9] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• The only exception, at least in the United States, are people with a law degree (they are technically “Juris Doctors”, or J.Ds). You do not use a special title or honorific to address someone with a law degree. [10] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/what-should-i-call-my-professor/
• ↑ https://www.purdue.edu/advisors/students/email.php
• ↑ https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/sending-email-to-faculty-and-administrators
• ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-40530920
• ↑ https://healthenews.mcgill.ca/use-of-dr-doctor-in-quebec-and-updating-your-honorific-in-mcgills-systems/
• ↑ https://www.cmaj.ca/content/re-who-entitled-be-called-doctor
• ↑ https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/roark-textbook/Chapter-1.htm
• ↑ https://moviecultists.com/do-you-call-someone-with-a-jd-doctor

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The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD FAQs – A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Doctoral Study

Tempted to do a PhD but have lots of questions? Hopefully this collection of popular PhD FAQs will help you to tick a few off the list!

Note – If you’re already sure that you want to do a PhD, and are looking for guidance on the applications process, check out my post on How to apply for a PhD which includes advice from successful PhD applicants. My post-PhD reflections on the things I regretted from my own PhD may be useful for you too, you can find that post here .

Let’s start with the absolute basics of PhDs!

What does PhD stand for?

PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. Doctor of Philosophy ? No matter which subject area your PhD is in you’ll become a Doctor of Philosophy because philosophy derives from Greek to mean “Love of wisdom” which make a bit more sense.

What is a PhD?

A PhD is a type of research degree classified as a doctorate. You get a PhD by doing original research into a topic, typically for at least three years.

There are loads of other types of doctorate and a PhD is simply the most common. EngD is another which is relatively common for industry-funded engineering students here in the UK.

PhD & DPhil what’s the difference?

There is no real difference between a PhD and DPhil, they’re both Doctor of Philosophy qualifications. A small number of historic institutions in the UK such as Oxford and York offer DPhils but the degree itself is equivalent.

How common are PhDs amongst the population?

Approximately 1% of the working population (25-64 years old) have a PhD. This varies a lot by country:

Can you call yourself Doctor with a PhD?

Yes you can. Though to avoid confusion with medical doctors, rarely will PhD-holders use the “Dr” title outside of their workplace.

Sometimes PhD-holders will add the abbreviation PhD after their name if they want to make it clear they are a non-medical doctor, for example “Jeff Clark PhD”.

What have I done about my title since getting my PhD? Nothing so far!

Why do a PhD?

Unlike a lot of other degrees, most PhD students get paid to study . Read more in the finances section below.

There are lots of potential reasons to want to do a PhD. The PhD students from our monthly PhD Profiles series said the following:

Sara found research the most enjoyable part of her undergraduate degree and a PhD was a way to carry on with research.

Ornob wants to pursue a career in evolutionary biology so began with a PhD in the field.

Vivienne has aspirations to be a professor so a PhD is a job requirement to progress in academia.

Jeff (me!) had an interest in the field and enjoyed research. I wrote a whole post with a deep dive on why I decided to do a PhD here .

Floor had enjoyed research during her Masters and didn’t think that she wanted a career in industry, so decided to do a PhD.

It’s important to mention that you don’t need to have a desire to stay in academia to do a PhD. In fact, even if you do want to go into academia afterwards, it’s probably good to know early on just how competitive it can be. Many people sadly cannot make a career out of academia long term.

Enjoy the subject matter and want to spend a few years researching it? That is reason enough to do a PhD. I’ve also now written a whole post about the benefits of having a PhD .

Applying for a PhD

Do you need a masters degree to do a phd.

No you don’t necessarily need a Masters degree to do a PhD as long as you can demonstrate you’d be suitable for a PhD without it.

For a more in-depth answer see the separate post here :

Can You Get a PhD Without a Master’s?

If you don’t have a Masters, I’d recommend checking out Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) which offer combined Masters + PhD courses. We have discussed CDTs with a graduate in Floor’s post here .

What grades do you need to do a PhD?

Entry requirements for PhDs can vary. In regards to the UK system usually you’d generally be expected to have at least a 2:1 from your undergraduate degree, plus some research experience.

My experience : I (narrowly) got first class honours in my undergrad (MEng) which certainly does help. But if you can demonstrate aptitude in research you usually don’t need a 1:1. It would be expected for you to have done well in any research projects. If you can get your name on a publication then even better!

The easiest way to find out what is expected is to check the PhD advert for entry requirements. For details on applying for a PhD, including how to find PhD adverts, check out my guide here :

How to apply for a PhD

I work in industry, can I come back and do a PhD?

Absolutely! I worked for almost four years between finishing my first degree and starting my PhD.

A PhD is more similar to a job than any other point in your education, so if you’ve spent time in a structured role it can provide you with a good work ethic. If your time in industry adds relevant skills and experience to your application, even better!

I’ve met loads of people older than me who are pursuing PhDs. If it’s your dream, it’s never too late to start a PhD!

What is the social life of a PhD student like?

Let me get this out the way first: PhD students should be able to have a life outside of the lab! If a PhD student has no time away from research I would personally suggest that they were doing things wrong.

Even if you really enjoy your project, it is good for your mental health to have a social life!

No matter the size of your research group there are often departmental and university-wide events. Plus, besides everyone you may meet through your research and department, PhD students can still join societies and sports clubs through the students’ union. I spent one of my birthdays during my PhD on the beach in Morocco with the surf club, don’t let being a PhD student put your off getting involved!

Check out the full post I’ve written: Do PhD Students Have a Social Life? Sharing My Experiences Making Friends and Avoiding PhD Loneliness

If you do go on to do a PhD, make sure to make the most of all the opportunities ! Your time as a PhD student is fantastic for personal growth.

How much holiday do PhD students get?

Sadly unlike undergraduates, PhD students don’t follow fixed semesters. This means no more three month long summer holiday, sorry!

However most departments recommend PhD students take 7-8 weeks of holiday a year , which is more than practically any job outside of academia.

I kept track of all the time off I took during my PhD and you can find the details here , including a month by month breakdown:

Do PhD Students Get Holidays? Sharing How Much Annual Leave I Take

Getting a PhD

How much work is a phd.

For a month I tracked how many hours I was working and what I was working on, so you can see a breakdown of my calendar here . I found I was working for roughly 40 hours a week. Now that I’ve recently finished my PhD, I’d say that that amount of hours was pretty representative of the whole PhD.

How Much Work is a PhD?

I do of course know some people who worked much longer hours, but most PhD students were on a similar schedule to me. Working roughly 9-5 on weekdays. Treat it like a job and you’ll be fine. PhD students don’t need to be slaving away long hours.

I managed to be strict with my time, largely avoiding work late nights or going in at the weekends. One of the main perks of doing a PhD is that you have autonomy and can be flexible with when you work. As long as you get the work done, any reasonable supervisor won’t mind when you’re there.

Yes I’ve heard stories of PhD students having to clock in and out with an expectation that they spend a certain number of hours in the office. I personally think this is stupid and doesn’t build trust. Try to speak to current PhD students from the group when choosing a supervisor .

How is a PhD assessed?

What you submit at the end of your research varies between universities and countries. Sometimes it’s a thesis and other times it can be a bunch of published papers. In all situations you give some kind of presentation and answer questions about your work.

In the UK you usually submit a thesis in preparation for a viva voce . The viva is an oral exam where you discuss your research with several academics and at least one will be an expert in your field. My viva wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be, but nonetheless it was five hours ( FIVE HOURS! ) long. At the end of your viva you’ll get told the outcome of your PhD with any changes to be made to your thesis.

There is often no requirement , to publish your work in journals during a PhD in the UK but it does help.

In other countries you may have to publish a certain number to pass your PhD and effectively these can be submitted instead of the thesis. This approach makes much more sense to me.

How long does it take to get a PhD?

In the UK, typically between three and four years to complete your research and submit the thesis. It can then take a few months for the exam (viva voce) to take place and then for any corrections to the thesis to be made.

Nosey about my PhD? For me personally, I started the PhD on 1st October 2016, submitted my thesis on 17th February 2020, had the viva on 25th March, submitted my minor corrections on 30th March and had the email to say it was officiated on 1st April 2020. Yep, April Fool’s Day…

When you realise your degree certificate will forever say your PhD was awarded on April Fools Day! #academiclife @imperialcollege pic.twitter.com/hKsGFyuc0x — Jeff Clark (@savvy_scientist) April 14, 2020

We cover all the stages of a PhD here, including putting the length of a PhD in the perspective of a whole career:

How Long Does It Take To Get A PhD?

Are PhDs really difficult?

No, well not how you might think.

You don’t need to be a genius, but you do have to be smart with how you work. Here I go into how a PhD is pretty different to all the prior years spent in education:

How Hard is a PhD?

Check out my new post covering academic challenges and failures relating to my own PhD: Overcoming Academic Challenges and Failure During a PhD

Money-Related Questions

How much does a phd cost.

If you have funding, which is explained below, all your fees are paid for by the funding source. If you are looking to self-fund, then you’ll have to pay bench-fees/tuition fees, which are usually approximately £4,000 a year for home students in the UK.

Fees vary massively depending on both the country the PhD work takes place in and where you’re from. For example, I believe Australian universities charge around $100,000 in fees to overseas PhD students. Of course ideally you have funding which covers both this and pays a stipend!

Do PhD students pay taxes?

In the UK, PhD students do not pay income tax, national insurance, council tax and student loan repayments. This means that if you can secure funding, even though you may earn less than friends in typical jobs, you get to keep all your earnings!

Do PhD students get paid?

Most PhDs, at least in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) get a stipend: basically a tax-free salary.

How much do PhD students get paid?

At the time of writing, most PhD students in the UK get around £16,000 a year . Doesn’t sound like a lot, but:

• As mentioned above, you don’t pay income tax, national insurance, council tax or make any student loan repayments. My most popular post is this one , comparing the income of PhD students vs grad jobs and the difference really isn’t that big. Plus it’s only for 3 to 3.5 years!
• You’re getting paid to learn science, working on something you’re really interested in. It’s amazing.
• You have a lot more freedom than practically any “proper job”.
• You’re getting paid, to be a student…

PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid?

In summary, PhD stipends are really not that different to grad starting salaries. Please don’t be put off from a PhD simply because for a few years you might be earning a bit less than if you were working in another job.

Depending on what you want to do with your career, having a CV may lead to higher salaries. What is 3 years of lower wages out of a 40+ year career? The answer: nothing!

Where do I find PhD funding?

Getting funding will likely be the biggest hurdle for you to secure a PhD. I have a post here detailing the different types of funding and how you can find a project with funding attached.

How to Find PhD Funding in the UK

Can you self-fund a PhD?

Yes you can self-fund a PhD, and some students are in a position to do so. Just be careful that you account for university fees and not just your living costs.

Are you allowed to have another job at the same time?

Most universities encourage you to get involved with work within your department as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). Some countries even insist that you work a certain number of hours as part of a contract for your monthly stipend.

Working as a GTA you might be invigilating exams, helping in tutorials, marking coursework etc and at Imperial you usually earn around £15-£26 an hour.

If you’re looking to work a full time job in tandem with your PhD (and doing the PhD full time), it is best checking your university’s policy. Some may have regulations against you working over a certain number of hours which could impede you from concentrating on the PhD.

There are extra ways to make money on the side which I address here :

How to Earn Money Online for Students

Can you get a mortgage as a PhD student?

Since I did my PhD in London I didn’t even consider buying somewhere during my PhD. I’m not interested in being tied into a massive mortgage for 25 years to buy a shoebox!

If I’d accepted my PhD offer for a CDT at Leeds I certainly would have tried to buy somewhere with my partner. I found this page useful when doing research. Buying a property with a partner who has a normal job would definitely make the mortgage application a whole lot more successful.

Will a PhD help your career?

This depends on what you want to do with your career. Some example scenarios:

• Staying in academia – a PhD is usually required
• Certain technical jobs in industry – a PhD may be required or a big bonus
• Non-technical jobs – a bonus

I do not imagine any scenarios where having a PhD is worse than not having one. It is true though that for certain careers there may be other things you could do which would be a better use of your time, for example gaining more direct work experience.

If you want to do a PhD that shouldn’t stop you though, and considering the length of your career taking a few years out for a PhD is inconsequential.

Whichever career path you fancy taking, if you are at all interested in doing a PhD I think you should at least apply.

PhDs in London

Can someone afford to live in london as a phd student.

Yes! I lived in London for my PhD and actually was able to save money every single month while taking many holidays and not living in a tent.

I have a few posts sharing my experiences living in London which you may find useful:

For a month last year I tracked all my expenses to get an idea of my costs living in London as a student, you can find it here .

Sharing my monthly living expenses as a student in London: September 2019

Related to reducing costs, I learned to cycle in London and loved it. It saved me about £100 a month too!

Learning to cycle in London: my first 1000 miles

On top of that, for the whole of 2019 (third year PhD) I tracked my money, and the report is here :

My personal finances report for 2019

Where is good to live in London?

I’ve lived in three different houses during my PhD in London and have a pretty good idea now of good places to live in London. You can read this whole post talking about living in London as a student and the associated costs including a breakdown of rent :

London student accommodation: Breaking down the cost of living in London for students

Bonus: Read the journeys of PhD students

Before I started my PhD I had a ton of questions and nobody who I could ask about their experience. The reality is that many of these PhD FAQs have a variety of answers as everyone’s PhD story is different. Therefore if you’d like to hear first hand from people who are going through the journey check out my series of PhD profiles , with a new profile every month. You can also discover some of their top tips for applying!

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

Is there anything else you’d like to know to help with a potential PhD application? Let me know and I’ll write about it! You can subscribe to stay up to date here:

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PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?

5th February 2024 5th February 2024

The Benefits of Having a PhD

7th September 2022 30th January 2024

My top PhD regrets: 10 lessons learned by a PhD grad

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Should All Ph.D.'s Be Called 'Doctor'? Female Academics Say Yes

Please try again

On the first day of class, Debbie Gale Mitchell, a chemistry professor at the University of Denver, introduced herself to her students, telling them about her Ph.D. and her research. She told her students they could call her either “Dr. Mitchell” or “Debbie.” A male colleague had told her that he went by his first name and that students were friendlier as a result, so Mitchell decided to try it. Many students chose to call her “Debbie.”

Then one day a student asked if she thought she’d ever get a Ph.D.

“I discovered that for me, the use of my title is VITAL to remind students that I am qualified to be their professor,” Mitchell wrote on Twitter.

Mitchell’s story was just one among hundreds shared last summer on social media calling attention to the way gender affects how professionals are addressed, especially those who hold a doctorate.

The discussion comes at a time when research studies into gender bias are increasingly confirming that how a person is addressed is linked to perceptions of their status.

The Twitter conversation branched from multiple roots. On June 7, Eric Kelderman, reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education, sent out a critical tweet of a female academic who responded to his media inquiry by suggesting that he should have used “Professor” or “Doctor” (the tweet has since been deleted). The next day, a doctor from the U.K., David Naumann, criticized doctors, medical or otherwise, who use their title in a nonprofessional setting. And a few days later the Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, announced revised style guidelines wherein only medical doctors would be referred to using “Dr.”, a convention that is already used most of the time by the Associated Press and news outlets that follow AP Style  (including KQED). What followed was an explosion of opinions and experiences revolving around titles, expertise, and gender and racial bias.

Many Ph.D. holders are fine with reserving the title for medical doctors in common parlance, viewing insistence on the title as arrogant and elitist, and do not use their titles even in a scholarly setting. But for women and people of color, an academic title can be a tool to remind others of their expertise in a world that often undermines it.

Some Ph.D. holders who insist on titles say that they actually prefer their first names. But given the discrepancy in usage, some women feel they must use and defend their titles, especially where the alternative is a gendered title like “Ms.”, “Mrs.”, or “Miss”. Fern Riddell, a Ph.D.-holding historian, wrote:

My title is Dr Fern Riddell, not Ms or Miss Riddell. I have it because I am an expert, and my life and career consist of being that expert in as many different ways as possible. I worked hard to earned my authority, and I will not give it up to anyone. — Dr Fern Riddell (@FernRiddell) June 13, 2018

Following backlash to the tweet, which described her as “arrogant” and “immodest,” Riddell coined the hashtag #ImmodestWomen, encouraging hundreds of women to change their Twitter handles to include “Dr.” or share experiences of bias. Riddell later wrote about the rationale behind the hashtag, saying that “we define women by their ability to be well behaved.” #ImmodestWomen was “retaliation.”

The tweets show “Dr.” is preferred by many women because it is both unrelated to marital status and gender-neutral, unlike “Mrs.”, “Miss”, or “Ms”. Several tweets described situations where a woman’s husband or colleague was referred to as “Dr.” (whether or not he actually had a doctorate) while she got “Mrs.” or a first name.

My pastor has her PhD. She was interviewed by a local newspaper along with another male member of clergy, NOT a PhD.. HE was referred to as “Reverend Smith”, SHE was called “Paula”. Seriously. — Head To Toe Organizers (@HTTOrganizers) June 11, 2018

In other anecdotes, female doctors (M.D. and Ph.D. alike) were met with utter confusion when they answered the phone to a caller looking for “Dr.”, or presented an airline ticket bearing the title. Even in 2018, with women making up 34 percent of active physicians and more than half of medical school matriculants and doctorate recipients , many people assume that “Dr.” refers to a man.

Bias in forms of address and use of titles is not limited to gender, many participants in the Twitter discussion pointed out. People of color with doctorates are also often not given the courtesy of their title, which echoes a long history of racially biased uses of titles. History professor Charles W. McKinney wrote:

Wanna know why my students will always call me “Dr. McKinney”? Because one day in 1980 I went to the store with my 75 yr old Grandmother Melida Thomas. Clerk greeted two 20 yr old, white women in front of us with “Mrs” and said “Well, hello Melida” to my Grandmother. That’s why. — Charles W. McKinney (@kmt188) June 10, 2018

The bias reflected in these stories is backed up by data. Last year, a study from the Mayo Clinic found that female doctors were introduced by their first names, rather than a professional title, much more often than male doctors. And on June 25, researchers from Cornell University published results showing that female professionals are half as likely as their male colleagues to be referred to by their last names, a practice that is associated in the study with lower status.

“The way that we speak about others influences and is influenced by the way that we think about them,” wrote Stav Atir and Melissa J. Ferguson, authors of the recent paper.

Atir and Ferguson described eight different studies, covering forms of address in professor evaluations, talk radio and under experimental conditions. Across the board, female professionals were less likely to be referred to solely by their last name. They even found that fictional researchers who were described with last name only were perceived as better known, more eminent, higher status, and more deserving of awards.

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The researchers proposed several explanations for their results. It may be more culturally common to refer to men by their last names because they are thought to be more permanent, since women may change their last names when they marry. Alternatively, it could be that speakers use first names to identify a subject’s gender, and this is more common for women in male-dominated professions, where male is the assumed default. This type of bias could even result from attempts to highlight women’s participation by identifying their gender using first names.

“The consequences may be ironic,” wrote Atir and Ferguson, “leading to lower judgments of eminence, status, and deservingness.”

As Mitchell, the chemistry professor from the University of Denver, and other academics related on Twitter, one way of fighting this type of bias is to insist upon the title “Dr.”

But other Ph.D. holders question whether insisting on titles is the best strategy. Meena Kandasamy, a poet and writer with a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics, rarely uses her title and did not change her Twitter handle. She questioned the practice of elevating those who earned doctorates over those who have not had the opportunity to do so:

For every one of us who has managed to float up and breathe from that cesspool with a doctorate degree above our heads–we must remember our sisters sent home, their dreams crushed, their futures messed up, academia behaving like one petty thug-gang to have the backs of a few men — meena kandasamy (@meenakandasamy) June 14, 2018

Critics argue that titles do not necessarily reflect how hard one has worked or even level of expertise, and that the most equal solution is fewer titles, not more. But supporters say that claiming the titles is the best choice under the present circumstances. Elissa Harbert, a musicologist, wrote:

I support #ImmodestWomen . As a PhD and professor, I currently use Dr. as my title professionally. My relationships with students improved when I switched to Dr., even though in a perfect world I’d use my first name. It’s not a perfect world. — Dr. Elissa Harbert (@KyrieElissa) June 14, 2018

In some instances, women are less likely to exhibit bias in form of address. The Mayo Clinic study found female medical doctors introduced both men and women with a title more than 95 percent of the time. Men introduced their female colleagues with a title 49 percent of time, compared with 72 percent of the time for a male colleague. In the Atir and Ferguson study, male speakers on talk radio referred to women by last name less than half as often as they did for men, while female speakers did not have such a strong contrast. In other research on gender bias in academia and medicine, women were just as likely to treat men and women differently. As research epidemiologist Chelsea Polis related, implicit bias can extend to usage of titles for speakers and writers of any gender:

I was once quoted in a story where all men w/PhDs were “Dr. X” & all women w/PhDs were untitled. Writer (a woman) was mortified when I pointed it out. Claiming our titles publicly raises consciousness than women can/do have these credentials. I want young girls/women to see that. — Chelsea Polis, PhD (@cbpolis) June 10, 2018

While the evidence points to persistent bias in professional forms of address, the solution is not so clear. Highlighting women with doctorates, medical or otherwise, may provide an important reminder that woman are now earning nearly half of medical and research-based doctoral degrees. But bias in use of doctoral titles is just one example of the larger issue of gender bias, as Atir and Ferguson’s study demonstrates.

“We find evidence of a gender bias in the way that we speak about professionals in a variety of domains,” wrote Atir and Ferguson. Addressing the problem may require attention to bias in all arenas, from the classroom to the boardroom.

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“M.D.” vs. “Ph.D.” vs. “Dr.”: Are They Synonyms?

Quick: when you hear the word doctor , what do you picture?

Most would probably describe someone in a white lab coat with a stethoscope hanging around their neck or someone in medical scrubs—someone you would seek out if you have a deep cut that needed stitches.

That word doctor , however, is a title assigned to many who don’t come close to that description, many of whom you wouldn’t want stitching up that cut. Take your English professor, for instance. No offense, Dr. Barrett. 

It can all be a bit confusing, which is why it’s important to know who and why someone might be called a doctor , as well as what all those initials and abbreviations after their name mean. Here we break it all down.

What does Dr. mean?

Let’s start with doctor or D r . for short. While the first definition of the word is “ a person licensed to practice medicine,” that doesn’t mean you want to take medical advice from anyone who calls themselves a doctor . There are many looser definitions of the word that follow and, frankly, make things a bit confusing.

For example, the third definition is older slang for a “cook, as at a camp or on a ship,” while the seventh entry is “an eminent scholar and teacher.” Bugs Bunny didn’t help matters either by plying anyone and everyone with his famous greeting,“What’s up, doc?” 

The term doctor can be traced back to the late 1200s, and it stems from a Latin word meaning “to teach.” It wasn’t used to describe a licensed medical practitioner until about 1400, and it wasn’t used as such with regularity until the late 1600s. It replaced the former word used for medical doctors— leech , which is now considered archaic. 

WATCH: When Did The Word "Doctor" Become Medical?

Physician vs. doctor : are these synonyms.

While the term physician is a synonym for doctor , it’s typically used to refer to those who practice general medicine rather than those who perform surgery, aka surgeons . 

A quack , on the other hand, is defined as “ a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill.”

What does M.D. mean?

Moving on to initials that carry more weight than a nod from Bugs, let’s look at M.D.s .

M.D. , which can be used with or without the periods ( M.D. or MD )  is the designation for a medical doctor. This is earned by attending medical school (typically a four-year program after completing at least one undergraduate degree, plus a residency program), and learning to diagnose patients’ symptoms and offer treatment. 

The initials M and D stem from the Latin title  Medicīnae Doctor. There are many different types of doctors, with different specialties, but if you have a physical ailment, visiting a doctor with the initials M.D. is a good place to start.

Specialty doctors may add even more initials to their title, such as DCN (doctor of clinical nutrition), DDS (doctor of dental surgery), or countless others they acquire with additional training. To make things even more confusing, some may add abbreviations from medical associations they belong to, such as FAAEM (Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine). 

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What does Ph.D. mean?

As for Ph.D. , this stands for “doctor of philosophy.” It stems from the Latin term Philosophiae Doctor.

You can get a Ph.D. in any number of subjects, from anthropology to mythological studies. It’s not an easy feat, however, as to earn one, you must do original research and write a dissertation . 

Ph.D. vs. M.D .: are these synonyms?

There are two big differences between Ph.D. s and M.D .s. When it comes to medicine, M.D.s can prescribe medications, and Ph.D.s can’t. And yes, it’s possible to be both an M.D. and a Ph.D. In fact, some med schools offer programs in which you can achieve both simultaneously. 

You can also get a professional doctorate degree in a number of fields. For example, you might receive a doctorate of education, an  Ed.D . 

So, in a nutshell, both M.D.s and Ph.Ds can be referred to as doctors . If you’re looking for someone to treat what ails you physically, then you want at least an M.D. following their name. If you want to dig deep into a subject and get advice from someone who has done their own research and who likely knows the latest and greatest developments in a particular area, then you’re probably looking for a Ph.D. And if someone has both, even better—depending on your needs, it may be just what the doctor ordered.

Want more synonyms? Get Thesaurus.com’s sizzling synonyms right in your inbox! 

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Style Manual

Secondary navigation, academics and professionals.

Follow these rules to address and title academics and professionals correctly. The guidance focuses on academics, medical practitioners, dentists and veterinarians. Apply the rules when writing about individuals in other professions.

Use initial capitals for the titles of individual academics and professionals

The academic and professional titles held by individuals usually have initial capitals. This includes honorary titles.

Use lower case if you use a title generically .

• Adjunct Professor Monty Chiratte [Honorary academic title]
• All general surgeons at the hospital attended Wednesday’s forum. [Generic use]

Use full titles in certain contexts

Academics and professionals are often addressed by their ‘full title’. A full title includes the title or honorific (with initial capitals), name, post-nominals, position and organisation.

Use a full title:

• to introduce an individual as speaker
• in address and signature blocks in correspondence
• in official records of proceedings
• in lists in organisational publications such as annual reports.
• if it is important to know where an individual works.

A full title is often about using titles in a display or presentation context (display text).

• Professor Margaret Gardner AC, President and Vice-Chancellor, Monash University [Full title]

Titles immediately before a name

Use initial capitals for titles that appear immediately before a person’s name. Do this unless the title is generic .

Also use initial capitals for the shortened forms of titles.

• Our new vice-chancellor and president is Professor Rufus Black.
• We welcome Dr Jamilah Mulyadi to our clinic. Dr Mulyadi is now available for skin examinations.

Shortened forms for titles immediately before a name

Only use shortened forms of titles in limited circumstances. People might understand common contractions like ‘Prof’ for ‘Professor’, but some shortened forms are confusing. For example, the initialism for ‘Pro Vice-Chancellor’ is ‘PVC’. To ensure your content is readable, write the title in full.

Shortened forms are sometimes necessary because of limited space. For example, shortened forms often appear in tables. List the full form of any title that people might find confusing in a note .

The space available for image captions can be limited, but write the full names and titles as a default. If you have to use initials and the shortened forms of titles in a caption, always include the full forms in body text to provide context.

‘Dr’ is an exception in all instances. Like ‘Ms’ and ‘Mr’, ‘Dr’ is easy to understand when it appears before a name.

• Departmental officers recently attended Upsilon University’s annual Copyright Symposium. The academic panel (pictured below), chaired by Vice-Chancellor Tom Dhillon , discussed recent cases with implications for fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. [Body text: spelt-out titles]
• Left to right: Associate Professor Sara Baird, Vice-Chancellor Tom Dhillon, Dean Frank Ealing, Adjunct Professor Olena Iraklidis, Dr Celia Nieminen [Image caption: preferred style]
• Left to right: Assoc Prof S Baird, VC T Dhillon, Dean F Ealing, Adj Prof O Iraklidis, Dr C Nieminen [Image caption: only for limited space]

Titles that replace a name

Use initial capitals for official titles that replace a name.

Titles replacing a name also have initial capitals:

• when you address someone directly
• for salutations in correspondence.

For all other uses, titles that a replace a name should be lower case.

These other uses include abbreviated titles and titles given by an organisation to a role or position. Academic and professional organisations might capitalise such titles as a mark of respect or status, but this is not Australian Government style . Treat them as generic and use lower case.

• The  Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania visited last week. [Initial capitals: official title replacing name]
• The vice-chancellor visited Burnie campus last week. [Lower case: abbreviated title replacing name]
• Dear Chancellor [Initial capital: salutation]
• ‘We note your concerns Doctor . Thank you for bringing this evidence before the committee’. [Initial capital: direct address]

Titles after a name

Use lower case for most titles that appear after a name. These titles describe the individual and are generic.

There is one exception. Only use initial capitals for titles after a name in a full title .

This includes for:

• address and signature blocks in correspondence
• lists in organisational publications such as annual reports.

Follow your organisation’s template style for signature blocks. Templates apply design elements and list all elements in correct order. Some organisations prefer all capitals for names, titles and the organisation’s name.

• They met with Associate Professor Dianne Stephens OAM, medical director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre.  [Lower case: generic descriptive title in body text]
• Associate Professor Dianne Stephens OAM, Medical Director , National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre  [Initial capitals: full title]
• Professor Chris Goodnow FAA FRS Executive Director Garvan Institute of Medical Research 384 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Australia  [Initial capitals: full title for address block]
• Dr Fatima Dashti FASM Director (Research) Institute for Viruses telephone email website  [Initial capitals: full title for signature block. Order of elements might vary.]
• #LIVE #COVID Update with Professor Paul Kelly, Australian Government Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health. [Initial capitals: full title to introduce speaker in government video.]

2021 Innovation Award recipients

Dr Joanne Zheng Senior Research Scientist AcmeCo Australia Professor Alexander Bannon Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Adelaide [Initial capitals: full titles for list in annual report]

Use lower case for titles used in a generic way

Generic use of academic and professional titles includes:

• titles that describe a named individual
• plural titles
• common nouns.

As shown in the previous section, most titles that appear after a name are generic.

Some titles appearing immediately before a name are also generic because they describe the individual. These titles are usually preceded by ‘the’ or a modifier. Adjectives are modifiers because they restrict the meaning of a noun.

• Professor Bartlett, the university’s vice-chancellor , welcomed alumni to the reception. [Lower case: descriptive title after a name]
• The research fellow Lydia Mbegngue wrote extensively on this topic. [Lower case: title before a name, modified by ‘the’]
• Several postdoctoral fellows in the research facility met last week. [Lower case: plural title]
• A provost oversees a university’s academic performance. [Lower case: common noun]
• Dhriti Saxena is a local doctor in general practice. [Lower case: common noun and descriptive title after a name]
• They met with former medical director Tom Perera. [Lower case: title immediately before a name, modified by ‘former’]
• Two doctors from this practice attended the conference. [Lower case: plural title]
• It is important to see your doctor to develop an asthma action plan. [Lower case: common noun]

Use title, name and post-nominals at first mention

When you write about an individual, it’s respectful to use their title.

The first time you mention someone in body text, use their academic or professional title before their first name and last name, followed by post-nominals.

If you mention the individual again, only use the title and last name. Some academic titles have an accepted abbreviated title you can use after the first mention.

• Emeritus Professor Stephen Duckett has extensive experience in health care at senior leadership level. Professor Duckett’s membership of the RMIT Council concludes in 2022.
• [‘Professor’ is the accepted abbreviated title for an Emeritus or Emerita Professor.]

Never use the shortened form of the title in body text (‘Prof’ for example), except for the contraction ‘Dr’.

This year’s graduate cohort asked Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jonquil Johansson to moderate their debate.

DVC Jonquil Johansson to moderate their debate.

Write post-nominals after the name in academic and professional titles

Post-nominals are letters after a name that stand for academic, civil and military awards and honours .

Make sure you write post-nominals in the right order .

Don’t use commas before or between post-nominals.

• Professor Sally Wheeler OBE MRIA FAcSS FAAL

Use post-nominals at first mention only

The first time you write a name in body text, use the academic and professional title along with the first and last name. Include the post-nominal for a civil or military honour in the title.

If you mention the name again, use the title and last name, but don’t include the post-nominal.

• Dr Ziggy Switkowski AO has been chancellor of RMIT since 2011. Dr Switkowski is also chair of NBN Co.

Include post-nominals in the shortened forms of titles

Retain any post-nominals for civil and military honours when using the shortened forms of titles.

• Attendees: Dr Z Switkowski AO , Prof M Bean CBE , Dr S Andrews, Ms J Latchford, Prof S Duckett, Ms T McLaughin and Mr D Hoogstra. [Extract from minutes of a university council meeting]

Use post-nominals for academic and professional qualifications in 2 contexts

Post-nominals can also stand for tertiary and professional qualifications.

Use these post-nominals:

• for correspondence within the academic community
• to show relevant expertise.

Don’t include both ‘Dr’ (doctorate) and ‘PhD’ (Doctor of Philosophy) for the one name. It is conventional to use either the title or the post-nominal. This also applies to PhD equivalents such as ‘LLD’ (Doctor of Laws).

Don’t include post-nominals for master and bachelor degrees in correspondence.

• Dr Zdenka Svoboda or Zdenka Svoboda PhD [Individual with doctorate]
• Dr Amin Salke MD FRACGP [Medical practitioner]
• Brent Hulot CPA [Accountant]
• Mark Price BEngTech TMIEAust [Engineer]
• Mia Lillard BCom CFP [Financial planner]

Titles for academics

In most contexts, address academics with their full title: title or honorific, name, position, post-nominals and academic institution.

• Associate Professor Peter Spencer, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University [Full title]
• Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO Director of Research Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research University of Technology Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007 Australia    [Full title: address block]

An academic who is knighted

Use ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’ after the academic title.

• Chancellor Dame Leonie Kramer AC DBE
• Chancellor Sir Albert Axon KBE

Emails and letters to academics

Keep the initial capital for the title in correspondence when you’re writing to a specific person.

In formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘Chancellor’ (or ‘Vice-Chancellor’, ‘Professor’ and so on).
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘Dear Chancellor’ (or ‘Vice-Chancellor’, ‘Professor’ and so on).
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Don’t include a comma after these phrases. Australian Government style is to write salutations without punctuation.

Dear Associate Professor … Yours faithfully

Dear Assistant Professor … Yours sincerely

Dear Associate Professor , … Yours faithfully ,

Dear Assistant Professor , … Yours sincerely ,

How to address associate and assistant professors correctly in correspondence differs by country and educational institution.

For Australian correspondence, write ‘Dear Associate Professor’ and ‘Dear Assistant Professor’ not ‘Dear Doctor’ or ‘Dear Professor’.

People with doctorates

You can address people who hold a doctorate as ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ (without a full stop). Today, it is acceptable to use ‘Dear Dr Name’ for both formal and informal correspondence.

When writing ‘Dear’ without the person’s name in emails and letters, write the title ‘Doctor’ in full.

Don’t include a comma after these phrases.

• Dear Dr Muecke
• Dear Doctor

A holder of a doctorate who is knighted

If the holder of a doctorate is knighted, don’t address them as ‘Doctor’.

Instead, address the person by ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’. Write the post-nominals for the knighthood after the name, followed by any other post-nominals. Don’t insert commas before or between the post-nominals.

• Dame Bridget Ogilvie AC DBE FRS FAA

Titles for medical practitioners, dentists and veterinarians

Use ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ for medical practitioners, dentists and veterinarians, whether or not they hold a doctorate. Those with a doctorate may choose to add the post-nominal ‘PhD’.

Use ‘Professor’, ‘Associate Professor’ or ‘Assistant Professor’ for doctors who hold these titles at academic institutions. Some doctors who hold professorships choose to use ‘Dr’ when working in clinical practice.

Surgeons in human medicine are traditionally called ‘Mr’, ‘Ms’ or their preferred gender-appropriate honorific. Some surgeons prefer to use ‘Dr’. For example, a search of the website of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons shows that council members use ‘Dr’, ‘Miss’, ‘Mr’, ‘Ms’, ‘Professor’ and ‘Associate Professor’.

It is best to contact the doctor’s practice if you are unsure of their preferred honorific. You are unlikely to cause offence if you use the title (or honour) awarded most recently.

• Doctor Farida Khan [Medical practitioner]
• Dr Wilson Chang MBBS [Medical practitioner]
• Dr Tina Macleod MD PhD [Medical practitioner with doctorate]
• Dr Phil Smith BDS [Dentist]
• Dr Eve Fenton BVSc DVM [Veterinarian]
• Miss Patricia Woo MBBS FRACS FAOrthA MsurgEd [Orthopaedic surgeon]
• Professor Henry Nicklin MBBS FRANZCP [Psychiatrist with academic title]

Release notes

The digital edition includes the information from the sixth edition with updated and additional examples.

Capitalisation rules in digital edition are linked to the title’s position in relation to the name. The digital edition also introduces the concept of a ‘full title’, mostly used in display contexts.

The sixth edition included relevant information about titles for academics and professionals.

The Content Guide had very brief information about abbreviations for some academic qualifications.

About this page

American Psychological Association (2020) ‘6.15: Job titles and positions’, Publication manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th edn, American Psychological Association, Washington DC.

Oxford University Press (2016) ‘5.10: Titles of office, rank, and relationship’, New Oxford style manual , Oxford University Press, Oxford.

University of Chicago (2017) ‘Names, terms and titles of work’, Chicago manual of style, 17th edn, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (Ahpra) (2021) National boards , Ahpra website, accessed 20 June 2021.

Australian National University (n.d.) University executive , ANU website, accessed 8 June 2020.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2016) It’s an honour , PM&C website, accessed 13 June 2020.

Engineers Australia (n.d.) Engineer of the Year Awards , Engineers Australia website, accessed 8 June 2020.

Garvan Institute of Medical Research (2021) ‘ Leadership ’, About the Garvan Institute , Garvan Institute website, accessed 7 June 2021.

Medical Board of Australia (2012) ‘ Medical registration: what does it mean? Who should be registered? ’, Codes, Guidelines and Policies , Ahpra website, accessed 26 July 2021.

Monash University (n.d.) ‘ Senior Monash staff ’, Organisational governance and structure , Monash University website, accessed 10 June 2020.

Murdoch University (n.d.) ‘ Environmental & Conservation Sciences ’, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education: academic operations , Murdoch University website, accessed 19 July 2021.

National Centre of Biography (n.d.) Australian dictionary of biography , Australian Dictionary of Biography website, accessed 19 July 2021.

National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) (n.d.) ‘ Our people ’, About Us , NCCTRC website, accessed 6 July 2021.

Podiatric Board of Australia (2012) ‘ When is it necessary to be registered as a podiatry practitioner? ’, General Registration , Ahpra website, accessed 26 July 2021.

RMIT University (2021) Governance and management , RMIT University website, accessed 22 June 2021.

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) (n.d.) Council , RACS website, accessed 28 June 2021.

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (n.d.) Australian honours and awards , The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia website, accessed 8 June 2020.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (n.d.) Fellowship , The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners website, accessed 8 June 2020.

University of Melbourne (n.d.) ‘ Honorary degree holders ’, Notable alumni and staff , University of Melbourne website, accessed 10 June 2020.

University of Technology Sydney (n.d.)  Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research , UTS website, accessed 23 June 2021.

University of Technology Sydney (n.d.) ‘ Our director: Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt ’ , Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research , UTS website, accessed 8 June 2020.

University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) (n.d.) Office of the Vice-Chancellor and President , USC website, accessed 16 July 2021.

University of Tasmania (2020), Biography , University of Tasmania website, accessed 19 May 2021.

University of Western Australia (2020) ‘ Former officers of the university ’, History of the university , University of Western Australia website, accessed 10 June 2020.

Veterinary Surgeons Board of Queensland (2018) Policy (general) , Queensland Government website, accessed 20 June 2021.

Last updated

This page was updated Monday 12 September 2022.

Help us improve the Style Manual

How to Correctly Use the Titles Dr. & PhD With a Name

By maya austen / in health.

When someone has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree they are subsequently referred to as "doctor" in formal speech; the same is true of a person who is a medical doctor, psychologist, dentist or veterinarian. In formal speech that person should be referred to as "doctor." However, the rules are different in written form when addressing someone ho is called "doctor" in formal speech. In written form the titles "Dr." and "PhD" are not interchangeable.

• When someone has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree they are subsequently referred to as "doctor" in formal speech; the same is true of a person who is a medical doctor, psychologist, dentist or veterinarian.

Identify what type of doctor you are addressing. Doctors of medicine and psychology, doctors of dentistry, and doctors of veterinary medicine must be addressed differently in comparison to academic doctors who have earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree. Be advised that there are different types of doctoral degrees. A Doctor of Philosophy degree is just one kind of doctoral degree. There's also, for example, a Doctor of Education (EdD) doctoral degree and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) doctoral degree. The titles associated with the various doctoral degrees are not interchangeable. Only a person who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree should be addressed as PhD.

Place the title of "Dr." before the name of a person who is a doctor of medicine or psychology, doctor of dentistry, or doctor of veterinary medicine. For example: Dr. George Ross. Always write the word "doctor" in its abbreviated form ("Dr.") when it goes before the person's name. Never write, for example, Doctor George Ross. Do not combine the title of "Dr." with any other title even if the person could appropriately be addressed by a different title. Never write, for example, "Dr. George Ross, PhD," even if the person is a medical doctor who has also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Pick one title. Do not use the "Dr." title when referring to someone who is solely an academic doctor.

• Place the title of "Dr." before the name of a person who is a doctor of medicine or psychology, doctor of dentistry, or doctor of veterinary medicine.
• Never write, for example, "Dr. George Ross, PhD," even if the person is a medical doctor who has also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Put a comma followed by the title "PhD" after the name of a person who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree. For example: Stacey Childs, PhD. Do not combine the title of "PhD" with any other title even if the person could appropriately be addressed by a different title. For instance, even if the person being addressed is a doctor of medicine who has also earned a PhD, never write, for example, Dr. Stacey Childs, PhD. Pick one title. Do not use the "PhD" title when referring to someone who not earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree.

Honorific and academic titles

In spoken English, titles are generally not used, with the exception of Mr, Mrs, Ms, professor and doctor. When listing names in writing, other academic titles are included, such as BA, MA, PhD – all of which come after the surname.

Example : Ms N. Jones MA

In 'prof.' a full stop is used, unlike in any of the other titles (see above and below). Please note: when used as a title, it should start with a capital. Example : Professor Shaw / Prof. Shaw

PhD: when addressing a PhD in a letter, use 'Dr'. Example : Dear Dr Doe. On the envelope, use PhD. Example : To Jane Doe PhD ('Mr' or 'Mrs' is omitted).

In English, unlike in Dutch, only the highest academic title is used.

If Dutch titles are retained, they are italicized in order to indicate the title is foreign. Example : rector magnificus . International titles such as 'Prof.' and 'Dr' are the exception to this rule. Please note that all abbreviations of Dutch titles are written with a full stop (in Dutch Dr gets a full stop too: dr.).

Use of Dutch titles in English texts:

Use lower case letters when used generically, except at the beginning of a sentence. Example : 'All the personal managers of the region were present.' 'A head of department is responsible for ….'

Use capitals when referring to a specific person with this title. Example : 'She became Head of Department at the council.' 'As the Personnel Manager of EUR, he feels responsible for this.'

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Should I Write Ph.D. or PhD? (Complete Guide)

As some of you are probably aware, the kind of English used on my side of the pond (England) is sometimes a bit different to the English used in the land of burgers and Trump.

Some words are spelt differently. But others just have a few bits of grammar difference.

Today, I want to look at the difference between Ph.D. and PhD. We’ll look at which one is correct, what it stands for, and why it’s a bit odd that it stands for that.

Should I Write Ph.D. Or PhD?

It is correct to write both Ph.D. and PhD. Which one is best to use depends on where you are in the world. In Great Britain, they tend to use Ph.D. In the United States of America, they prefer to use Ph.D.

What Does Ph.D. Or PhD Stand For?

Let’s try to understand what Ph.D. stands for.

It stands for two things. And it doesn’t stand for one or the other, it stands for both of them at the same time.

The first thing is “Doctor of Philosophy” and the second is “Philosophiae Doctor”. As the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed, “Philosophiae” is not English. It’s in Latin.

This goes back to the days when the only people who needed university were high thinkers and philosophers.

Why Americans And Brits Disagree On Ph.D. Or PhD

This could help us to understand why Brits prefer PhD but Americans prefer Ph.D.

Perhaps, according to the Brits, it stands for “Philosophiae Doctor”. But, according to the Americans, it stands for “Doctor or Philosophy”.

After all, the Brits do have a habit of trying to sound smarter. But, whichever one you use, people on both sides should know what you’re saying.

Why Ph.D. Or PhD Is A Bit Strange

Now, I want you all to understand how strange it is to call anyone with a PhD a “doctor of Philosophy”.

Let’s say someone gets a Ph.D. in history.

Well, first of all, is she really a doctor? If you break your leg, she’s not the first person you’ll go to for help.

But not only that, she studied history, not philosophy. So, she’s called a doctor of philosophy despite not being a doctor and not having studied history.

Yet, for some reason, we still call her a “Doctor of philosophy”.

Where Does The Word “Doctor” Come From?

When most of us hear the word “Doctor”, we think of someone who makes us better when we’re sick. And there may be a few of you who think of a skinny man who travels through time in a Police Box.

But originally, “Doctor” was Latin for teacher. Through time, you were able to get a “PhD” in more things than just philosophy.

And, if you wanted to become what we think of as a “Doctor”, you would need to have a “doctorate” in medicine.

Technically, “Doctor” would be the wrong word . But it’s become so common, it’s managed to “common” itself enough to become the right word.

How To Get A Ph.D. Or PhD

Now I’m afraid you can’t just walk into a university and walk out with a PhD. There are steps you need to take before you get there.

First of all, you will need to do a Bachelor’s degree. This is the degree you do when you first enter university. There are some jobs where a bachelors is enough.

Let’s be honest here, most of the time you spend doing a bachelor is just having fun.

If you want to, you can then progress onto doing a master’s degree. This is a bit more high level, and you tend to need to work for it.

Once you have your bachelors you may decide to go on to get a PhD. If you go for this, you will be officially able to call yourself an intellectual.

What Kind Of Word Is Ph.D. Or PhD?

There are three ideas for what kind of word Ph.D. is. I’ll tell you all of them and let you make up your own mind.

A PhD is something you have. You work towards it, and once you’ve handed in all of your papers, you get a PhD.

A PhD is also something you are. If you have a PhD, you might say “I’m a PhD.”

It can also be a title, similar to “Sir” or “OBE”.

If your name is James Smith, and you are PhD, your name and title could be, Mr James Smith PhD.

How To Address Someone With A Ph.D. Or PhD

Talking of this man called James Smith, there are several ways to address and introduce him.

• If you have a Ph.D., you are allowed to call yourself “Doctor” even if you don’t have a PhD in medicine. Therefore, if he wants, James could be called Dr Smith.
• Maybe he doesn’t want to be confused for a medical doctor but still wants to show off his Ph.D. In that case, we can call him James Smith PhD.
• But, like many with a Ph.D., he may not want to mention it unless it’s important. If he’s one of these people, we should just call him Mr Smith.

Ph.D. Or PhD Vs Doctorate

Asking “What’s the difference between a PhD and a doctorate?” is a bit like asking what the difference is between an apple and a fruit.

Just like an apple is a kind of fruit, a PhD is a kind of doctorate. However, it’s not the only doctorate there is.

Here are some forms of doctorate you may want to know.

Doctor of philosophy. But now also means Doctor of something there isn’t a doctorate for.

Doctorate in business.

Doctorate in engineering.

Doctorate in education

Doctor of medicine.

If you were wondering whether you should write “PhD” or “Ph.D.”, you can write either, both are grammatically correct, and both are very common terms that mean the same thing.

The only slight difference is that “PhD” is more common in England and “Ph.D.” is more common in America. This is perhaps because the British believe it stands for “philosophiae doctor” but Americans see it as “Doctor of Philosophy”.

But, no matter whether you use “PhD” or “Ph.D.”, to have one, you neither need to be a doctor nor study philosophy. All you need to do is stay in university for long enough to be able to get yourself a PhD. Then, you can become a PhD, and your title will be PhD.

You may also like: DSc Degree vs. PhD Degree – What’s the Difference? 9 Correct Ways to Write PhD Title on a Business Card

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

• “At University” Or “In University” – Easy Preposition Guide
• James’s or James’? (Correct Possessive Form)
• Is It “Doctor’s Appointment” or “Doctors appointment”?
• Universities or University’s or Universities’? (Easy Guide)

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University protests

Trump hush money trial

April 25, 2024 - US university protests

By Elise Hammond, Chandelis Duster, Kathleen Magramo, Elizabeth Wolfe, Aya Elamroussi, Lauren Mascarenhas and Tori B. Powell, CNN

Our live coverage of the pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses has moved here .

Progress in negotiations between Columbia protesters and administrators, university says

From CNN’s Paradise Afshar

Negotiations between Columbia University administrators and pro-Palestinian protesters who've been occupying a campus lawn with a sprawling encampment "have shown progress and are continuing as planned," the school said in a statement late Thursday.

"For several days, a small group of faculty, administrators, and University Senators have been in dialogue with student organizers to discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following University policies going forward," the university said.

"We have our demands; they have theirs."

The university also denied rumors that the NYPD had been called to campus, calling them "false."

Some context: Columbia announced late Tuesday that it had given protesters a midnight deadline to agree to dismantle their encampment. But the university then said early Wednesday that it had extended the talks for another 48 hours . If no agreement is reached, the school has said it will consider "alternative options," which many protesters have interpreted to mean calling in police to clear the site.

Protests continue at campuses across the US as more arrests are announced. Here’s the latest

A wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests is rippling across the US, with hundreds of people arrested at universities throughout the country this week.

At New York's Columbia University,  the epicenter of the demonstrations,  protesting students said they won’t disperse until the school agrees to cut ties with Israeli academic institutions and disinvest its funds from entities connected to Israel, among other demands. Protesters at other campuses have similar demands .

The campus encampments spreading across the nation have brought together students from a variety of backgrounds — including Palestinians, Arabs, Jews and Muslims — to decry Israel's bombardment of Gaza .

Here are the latest developments:

Columbia University : The faculty senate is expected to vote on a resolution admonishing the school’s president, Minouche Shafik, on Friday over several of her decisions, according to The New York Times. Shafik has faced criticism for authorizing police to shut down student protests on campus.

Brown University: The university identified about 130 students who it alleges violated a school conduct code that forbids encampments on campus. Students found responsible will be disciplined depending on their behavior and other factors, including any prior conduct violations, the university said.

Emory University : 28 people were arrested , including 20 Emory community members, during a protest at the school, Vice President for Public Safety Cheryl Elliott said. Troopers deployed pepper balls “to control the unruly crowd” during the protest, Georgie State Patrol said. A group of Democratic Georgia state lawmakers condemned the “ excessive force used by Georgia State Patrol” during arrests at Emory.

Emerson College: More than 100 people were arrested and four police officers injured during an encampment clearing at the Boston liberal arts college, according to the Boston Police Department. President Jay Bernhardt said he recognized and respected "the civic activism and passion that sparked the protest" after dozens of arrests.

Indiana University : At least 33 people were detained on campus Thursday following encampment protests.

George Washington University : DC Metropolitan Police were asked to assist in relocating an “unauthorized protest encampment” on campus, university president Ellen M. Granberg said. The decision came "after multiple instructions made by GWPD to relocate to an alternative demonstration site on campus went unheeded by encampment participants," she said.

University of Southern California : The university canceled its main commencement ceremony  next month, citing "new safety measures in place.” Nearly  100 people have been arrested  on the campus.

University of California, Los Angeles : A "demonstration with encampments" formed at UCLA on Thursday.

Northeastern University: An encampment formed at Northeastern University in Boston, where dozens of protesters were seen forming a human chain around several tents. 

Other campuses: Since last Thursday, several campuses have been protest sites, including the  Massachusetts Institute of Technology , University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan,  University of New Mexico , University of California, Berkeley, Yale University , and Harvard University.

Protesters at the University of Texas at Austin asked to disperse at 10 p.m.

Protesters at the University of Texas at Austin were asked to leave the campus's South Mall at 10 p.m. local time, university spokesperson Brian Davis told CNN.

No arrests have been made as of 10 p.m., Davis said.

"There is no curfew on campus. Leadership asked that students clear the South Mall at 10 p.m."

Just last night, more than 30 demonstrators were arrested after UT Austin police issued a dispersal at the school.

Protesters at Ohio State University arrested after refusing to disperse, university says

From CNN’s Joe Sutton and Jamiel Lynch

Demonstrators at Ohio State University were arrested on Thursday night after refusing to disperse, according to university spokesperson Benjamin Johnson.

Johnson did not know how many arrests were made.

“Well established university rules prohibit camping and overnight events. Demonstrators exercised their first amendment rights for several hours and were then instructed to disperse. Individuals who refused to leave after multiple warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass,” he said.

Columbia University senate is redrafting resolution to admonish school's president, New York Times reports

From CNN's Rob Frehse

Columbia University’s faculty senate is expected to vote Friday on a resolution admonishing embattled school president Minouche Shafik over several of her recent decisions, including calling in police to clear a student encampment last week, the New York Times reports .

The resolution would allow the school senate to avoid a censure vote during a critical time for the school, the Times reports, citing several unnamed senators who attended a closed-door meeting Wednesday. Some feared a censure vote would be perceived as giving in to Republican lawmakers, according to the paper.

A Columbia University spokesperson confirmed Shafik’s closed-door meeting with the senate on Wednesday but would not comment on the resolution to CNN.

 “The President met with the Senate plenary in a closed-door session for close to an hour, giving remarks and taking questions. She reiterated the shared goal of restoring calm to campus so everyone can pursue their educational activities.” 

Some context: Shafik has faced immense criticism from some students, faculty and Democratic lawmakers for her decision to authorize police to break up pro-Palestinian student protests last week— a move that resulted in more than 100 arrests .

Other students, Jewish advocacy groups and Republican lawmakers are slamming Shafik for not cracking down on protests — which they say have included antisemitic rhetoric — both on campus and outside its gates.

Several Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have called for Shafik to resign.

CNN’s Maria Sole Campinoti contributed to this report.

What to know about the protests erupting on college campuses across the US

From CNN's Jordan Valinsky

Colleges across the country have erupted with pro-Palestinian protests, and school administrators are trying — and largely failing — to defuse the situation.

Several schools have called the police on protesters, leading to the arrests of hundreds across US campuses.

The recent surge in protests have inflamed tensions among students, forcing leadership to decide when free speech on campus crosses a line. The atmosphere was so charged that officials at Columbia – the epicenter of the protests that began last week – announced students can attend classes virtually starting Monday.

Passover, a major Jewish holiday, began this week, heightening fears among a number of Jewish students who have reported hearing antisemitic comments at some of the protests. The anxiety comes as reports of  antisemitic acts have surged  across America since October 7.

When did the protests start?

The situation  escalated last week  at Columbia University, where encampments were organized by  Columbia University Apartheid Divest , a student-led coalition of more than 100 organizations, including Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, to protest what they describe as the university’s “continued financial investment in corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine,” according to its news release.

What are they asking for?

Columbia protesters say they won’t disperse until the school commits to a “complete divestment” of its funds from entities connected to Israel.

Other protesters are similarly calling on their campuses to divest from companies that sell weapons, construction equipment, technology services and other items to Israel.

Where else are protests happening?

Since last Thursday, a slew of campuses have had protests and encampments, as well as arrests. That includes the  Massachusetts Institute of Technology , University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, University of New Mexico and University of California, Berkeley.

Police   arrested nearly 100 protesters at the University of Southern California Wednesday after a dispersal order.

At Emerson College, more than 100 people were arrested Wednesday during a pro-Palestinian protest, according to the Boston Police Department.

Yale University police  arrested at least 45 protesters Monday  on suspicion of criminal trespassing, though dozens remained Tuesday.

Harvard University officials suspended a pro-Palestinian student organization for allegedly violating school policies.

Read more  here .

Brown University says about 130 students violated school policy banning encampments

From CNN’s Isabel Rosales and Devon Sayers

Brown University has identified about 130 students who it alleges violated a school conduct code that forbids encampments on campus, a university spokesperson said.

The university's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards has notified the students, who were identified through ID checks, spokesperson Brian Clark said in a release.

An encampment of about 90 people had formed on the school's Providence, Rhode Island campus Wednesday morning, according to Brown.

"Encampment on Brown University’s historic and residential greens is a violation of University policy, and participants in the encampment have been verbally informed of this fact and that they will face conduct proceedings,” the school's release said.

Students found responsible will be disciplined depending on their behavior and other factors, including any prior conduct violations, the university said, noting students could face probation or separation from the school.

“The University continues to ask individuals in or in immediate proximity to the encampment to present their Brown IDs for two reasons: to verify association with Brown for safety and security reasons, and to appropriately address potential violations of policy."

Protesters at Emory University briefly clash with police

From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe

Protesters briefly clashed with police at Emory University in Georgia on Thursday, the university told CNN.

A confrontation between protesters and police outside the school's Candler School of Theology prompted an "increased law enforcement presence" on campus, according to the university.

"A group of about 100 people left the Quad and marched to the Candler School of Theology, where some protesters pinned police officers against building doors and attempted to access the building," the university said.

"The crowd ultimately returned to the Quad before dispersing."

Video from CNN affiliate WSB shows some protesters using large posters to push into a line of police officers whose backs are against the doors of the building. As officers push back against the posters, one demonstrator chucks their sign at the row of officers.

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