Doctoral education is going through a period of transition. This transition is evident in the many varieties of doctoral degrees currently offered in higher education institutions worldwide, from the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to the Professional Doctorate and the New Route PhD. This article reports on a study which considers factors relating to the rise of the Doctor of Education in three different countries: Australia, China and Iceland. The emergence of professional doctorates worldwide is having a significant impact on the status and structure of traditional research-based PhDs. This scenario has implications for the changing roles of academics and students in the so-called knowledge economy and suggests an agenda for research in the field of professional doctorates. The present study aims to contribute to the growing interests of these new genres of studies at the doctoral level.