.. _summit_whatis: What is a PhD? ============== .. warning:: This page is still being built! Before we can discern whether to pursue a PhD or learn how best to navigate it, we must first understand what it is. Beyond its literal definition as an *academic degree*, I conceptualize a PhD as an *apprenticeship in creating, validating, and communicating ideas*. This definition differentiates the PhD from a purely information-based degree (like a Bachelor's), emphasizes the PhD's central relationship (advisor–advisee), and identifies the core purpose of a PhD (participation in the economy of ideas). A PhD as an academic degree --------------------------- At its most literal, a `Doctor of Philosophy `_ (typically abbreviated as PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil) is a doctorate degree awarded at the highest level of academic achievement. TODO .. _summit_whatis_apprenticeship: A PhD as an apprenticeship -------------------------- Human relationships are central to the PhD experience. TODO A PhD as a purposeful experience -------------------------------- TODO