Friends always ask me about the difference of Ed.D (D.Ed) and Ph.D.
The rough definition is that Ph.D is research oriented and Ed.D(Doctor of Education) is both research and profession oriented. In practice, professors getting the degree of Ed.D always take the positions of management in institutions of Higher Education as well as have done research of Education until they retire from universities. The same work is done by instructors who get the degree of Ph.D. in the field of Education. Especially in the U.S., scholars getting Ed.D or Ph.D have to do research and serve positions of universities from time to time till their retirement.
Generally, Ph.D is the normal degree which can be awarded to all fields of academy since this is perceived the most popular degree in public. Based on the separation of academy, there are many doctoral degrees which are recognized as legislated equality by the Department of Education in the U.S. They include PhD, EdD, DEng, EngD, DBA, DD, JCD, SSD, JUD, DSc, DLitt, DA, MD, DMA, DMus, DCL, ThD, DrPH, DPT, DPhil, PsyD, DSW, LLD, LHD, JSD, SJD, STD. These degrees mentioned above are belonged to academic degrees. In terms of this opinion, Ph.D can be seen as the traditional degree of all fields but not the only degree in all academies.
In Taiwan, many scholars have the incorrect bias and misunderstanding about the different doctoral degrees in the U.S. It is essential for them to learn more about related information of academy internationally and keep the objective view to see this issue.
By the way, does the degree which is completely based on professional orientation exist? Or what degrees can be defined as research oriented degree? There is a resource cited from Wikipedia website. I list the link below, if you are interested in this identification.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate
In the long run, it makes little sense to prefer which degree of academy, because the most importnat thing is to foster the competency to cope with research if ones want to take the occupation in academic fields.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph.D.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed.D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate
Appendex: The definition about research oriented degree and professional degree
◎Research Oriented Doctorates
While the Ph.D. is the most common doctoral degree, and even often (mis)understood to be synonymous with the term ”doctorate”, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) recognize numerous doctoral degrees as equivalent, and do not discriminate among them:
• Doctor of Applied Science (D.A.S.)
• Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch.)
• Doctor of Arts (D.A.)
• Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
• Doctor of Canon Law (J.C.D.)
• Doctor of Chemistry (D.Chem.)
• Doctor of Comparative Law/Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.)
• Doctor of Computer Science (D.C.S.)
• Doctor of Criminal Justice (D.C.J.)
• Doctor of Criminology (D.Crim.)
• Doctor of Design (Dr. DES.)
• Doctor of Education (Ed. D. or D.Ed.)
• Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.)
• Doctor of Engineering Science (D.E.Sc./Sc. D.E.)
• Doctor of Environmental Design (D.E.D.)
• Doctor of Environmental Science and Engineering (D.Env.)
• Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.)
• Doctor of Forestry (D.F.)
• Doctor of Geological Science (D.G.S.)
• Doctor of Health and Safety (D.H.S.)
• Doctor of Hebrew Literature/Doctor of Hebrew Letters (D.H.L.)
• Doctor of Hebrew Studies (D.H.S.)
• Doctor of Humane Letters (D.Hum. Litt.)
• Doctor of Industrial Technology (D.I.T.)
• Doctor of Information Technology (D.I.T.)
• Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (D.Litt. et Phil.)
• Doctor of Liberal Studies (D.L.S.)
• Doctor of Library Science (D.L.S.)
• Doctor of Management (D.M.)
• Doctor of Medical Science (D.M.Sc.)
• Doctor of Ministry (D.Min./D.M.)
• Doctor of Modern Languages (D.M.L.)
• Doctor of Music Ministry (D.M.M.)
• Doctor of Music (D.Mus, Mus. Doc.)
• Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A., A.Mus. D.)
• Doctor of Musical Education (D.M.E.)
• Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc.)
• Doctor of Project Management (D.P.M.)
• Doctor of Physical Education (D.P.E.)
• Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A.)
• Doctor of Public Health (Dr. P.H.)
• Doctor of Professional Studies (D.Prof./D.P.S.)
• Doctor of Recreation (D.Rec./D.R.)
• Doctor of Rehabilitation (Rh. D.)
• Doctor of Religious Education (D.R.E.)
• Doctor of Sacred Music (D.S.M.)
• Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.)
• Doctor of Science (D.Sc./Sc. D.)
• Doctor of Science and Hygiene (D.Sc. H.)
• Doctor of Science in Dentistry (D.Sc. D.)
• Doctor of Science in Veterinary Medicine (D.Sc. V.M.)
• Doctor of Social Science (D.S.Sc.)
• Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.)
• Doctor of the Science of Law (L.Sc. D.)
• Doctor of Theology (Th. D.)
• Executive Doctor of Management) (EDM)
◎Professional Doctorates (also called First Professional Degrees)
• Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (D.A.O.M.)
• Doctor of Audiology (Au. D.)
• Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.)
• Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.)
• Doctor of Human Sexuality (D.H.S.)
• Juris Doctor/Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)
• Doctor Liberalium Artium (D.L.A.)
• Doctor of Management (D.M.) (For example, in Organizational Leadership
• Doctor of Medicine/Medicinæ Doctor (M.D.)
• Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
• Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)
• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.)
• Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.)
• Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf or D.P.S.)
• Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
• Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D. or less commonly D.N.M.) / Doctor of Naturopathy (N.D.) -- N.D. can also stand for the licensed professional title of Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) conferred by licensing bodies.
• Doctor of Natural Medicine (D.N.M.)
• Doctor of Psychology (Psy. D.)
• Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DCP)
• Doctor of Optometry/Optometry Doctor (O.D.)
• Doctor of Occupational Therapy (D.O.T.)
