Doctor of Technology
The Doctor of Technology, or Doctor of Engineering Sciences, or Doctor of Technical Sciences, or Doctor of Science is a degree normally conferred upon candidates after having completed a course of study in technology and a dissertation or a project of lengthy duration in a technologically related field. Like other doctorates, it is usually an academic degree at the highest level equivalent to a PhD.
While the details of the degree vary, a doctor of technology program usually enables graduates to obtain an advanced level of knowledge in specialist fields and aims to produce graduates capable of advancing knowledge within their industry. The degree focuses on developing practical solutions in the workplace, critical analysis, synthesis, and innovation.
As a substantive degree
In Austria, universities of technology, such as TU Wien and TU Graz, grant the title of "Dr. techn.", also rendered as "Doctor technicae", as equivalent to the PhD. A similar title, also designated "Dr.techn.", is awarded in Denmark.In Sweden the situation is the same and the degrees are called teknologie doktor or teknisk doktor and are translated to PhD in English. In Finland, the degree tekniikan tohtori or teknologie doktor, D.Sc. ) is comparable to a Finnish filosofian tohtori.
In South Africa, the Doctor of Technology or Doctor Technologiae is equivalent to other research doctorates at level 10 of the South African National Qualifications Framework. It is normally awarded by universities of technology and can be awarded in a wide variety of fields, not just technology.
In the United States, Purdue University offers the Doctor of Technology as an equivalent to the Ph.D. through the Purdue Polytechnic Institute with the key differentiator being the DTech requires a dissertation focusing on applied/use-inspired research of direct relevance to professional practice. Additionally, the Doctor of Industrial Technology degree was recognized by the National Science Foundation as equivalent to the PhD degree until 2008, when it was determined that it had moved to a more professional orientation and no longer met the NSF criteria for a research doctorate.