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Ph.D. stands for
Doctor of Philosophy.
It is the highest degree that is awarded by
universities. It is an Academic Credential.
P.E. stands for Professional Engineer. It is a Professional Registration with the State, similar to a lawyer being a member of the bar, or a nurse having an R.N. It is an Industrial Credential. I've got one foot in each of these domains. Sadly, the P.E. certification is not respected much in academia, and the Ph.D. degree is not respected in industrial settings. Having a Ph.D. is not a very exclusive a club. About 2% of the U.S. population has some sort of Doctorate. A Ph.D. does not mean that you are the smartest person in the room. There are plenty of brilliant people who never graduated from college. A Ph.D. does mean that you are qualified to teach and lead research, and that you have a lot of determination and endurance to achieve your goals. |