Doctors’ Degree Courses as an Element of Substantive Education in the Economic Sciences

Abstract

Doctors’ degree courses are a specific form of substantive education at university level. They include post-graduate studies, the Master o f Business Administration (MBA) qualification, which is relatively new in Poland, and other forms of education offered at the request of specific firms. The particular nature of doctors’ degree courses stems from the fact that this is the only form of education whose end result, the defence of one’s thesis, ensures an academic qualification. In the article, the author attempts to discuss the chief factors influencing the supply and demand for doctors’ degree courses. The main dilemmas connected with the further development of these studies are connected with the following questions: Are there any barriers to the development of this form of education in colleges, and if so, what are the barriers? In the case of doctors’ degree courses, should demand be the chief determinant of their development? What are and what may be the consequences of the development of this form of education? What purpose should doctor’s degree courses serve?