Academic degree
Doctoral degrees or doctorates, such as the Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD or DPhil) or Doctor of Education (EdD or DEd) are awarded following a programme of original research that contributes new knowledge within the context of the student's discipline. Doctoral degrees usually take three years full-time. Therefore, in the UK it may only take seven years to progress from undergraduate to doctoral level – in some cases six, since having a Master's is not always a precondition for embarking on a doctoral degree. This contrasts with nine years in the United States, reflecting differences in the educational systems.
Master of Philosophy
In Pakistan, the degree of MPhil is offered by Public and Private Universities in several different fields of study. This is a two years full-time research based program that completes 18 years of education and leads to PhD. The degree of MPhil is also a requirement to get admission into a Doctoral program in Pakistan.