The Big Bang Theory: 10 Questions That Must Be Answered Before The End
7. What Ever Happened To Howard's Ph.D. Goals?
Howard Wolowitz is often the punching bag of Sheldon because he never earned a Ph.D. while the other members of the group had earned that honor years before. Sheldon sees Howard as "less" than him and the rest, but there isn't much validity to that belief.
Howard is arguably the most successful of the group despite his lack of a Ph.D. He is a successful engineer who has worked on various aspects of the Mars Rover and International Space Station, he performed a mission in space as a legitimate NASA Astronaut, and he married and had children long before any of the other members of his group.
Despite these successes, he has often felt maligned by Sheldon and decided to go for his Ph.D. in "The Junior Professor Solution" with the help of Sheldon. It was a funny situation, but it seems to have been forgotten and Howard has yet to earn his Ph.D.
Granted, that episode was in season eight and a Ph.D. can take many years to accomplish, but his efforts toward the degree haven't been mentioned since. Will he ever finish the Ph.D. and elevate himself in Sheldon's eyes or has he abandoned that goal? Hopefully, those questions will be answered.