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.
Institut d'études politiques de Lyon
Sciences Po Lyon currently offers a 5-year-long programme, with a three-year-long undergraduate programme and a two-year graduate programme in line with the Bologna Process and delivers its main diploma equivalent to a master's degree. The first two years are aimed at giving students a multidisciplinary background, primarily focusing on social sciences such as economics, public law, contemporary history, philosophy, sociology and public policy. Additionally, students need to study at least two foreign languages, such as English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, or Russian.