Question: What is the process of getting a PhD (my dad has one)?

Jake Langham answered on 7 Nov 2017:

It’s a bit different for every subject (and in different countries). The main thing you have to do is make a ‘contribution to knowledge’. That means you have to find something out or have an idea that no one has had before.

Then, to check that you actually did it, people who already have PhDs test you. You have to write a long report called a ‘thesis’ that explains what you did and why it’s important. When you’ve finished writing, they read it, then you meet up and they ask you questions to make sure you know what you’re talking about. (That’s called a ‘viva’.)

The whole thing usually takes about 3 to 4 years!