Opportunities available for dual doctorate?

cosmicfish
Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:38:37 +0000

First of all, there is no point in getting two degrees in such close fields. An applied physicist can work their way into the theoretical side if they chose, and vice versa. Same with the engineering degree - I know PhD engineers who work as physicists and PhD physicists who work as engineers. You do not need a second PhD to cross between such similar fields.

Second, there are probably only one or two schools that would permit a dual doctorate program, and many to most schools won’t allow a second doctorate even when the first doctorate was decades prior. Most of the places that will allow it will only allow a second doctorate in a significantly different field, on the presumption that it is necessary for a career change - not your situation at all. So even if you aspire to do so, you will have a heck of a time finding someplace that will let you do it.

Third, no one does this (or very nearly no one - I am aware of a single case in recent history) so doing so requires extra time but really opens no new doors. Employers and universities won’t care about the number of doctorates, they will care about your specific coursework and your original research and publications… neither of which will be limited by a single doctorate.

So pick one.