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.
Cand.polit.
After the "Quality Reform" it has been replaced by a Master of Philosophy degree, shortening the nominal study time from six to five years. The cand.polit. degree was at the time of its abolition in practice a two-year or a two-and-a-half-year extension to the four-year cand.mag. degree or equivalent qualifications.