Extreme Academics Going Online
Post-graduate, online degrees are limited, in contrast to undergraduate and graduate online programs. Indications are, though, that as the distance learning paradigm expands a larger number of advanced degrees will move into the online realm and perhaps become as popular as their undergraduate counterparts. There are a few particular fields of online specialty that remain predisposed to post-graduate programs, which include post-graduate or post-masters certificates and doctoral degrees.
Attainment of the Doctorate Degree (Ph.D) is the highest possible level of academic achievement. Doctorate Degree holders are expected to create new knowledge and share it with peers and the public through conferences, published works, and public presentations. One of the primary reasons for earning a Doctorate is the opportunity to be recognized as a global leader in a specialized field of study and the vast majority of students pursuing this degree continue in research and development or join the ‘academic world’ as professors or lecturers. Pursuit of a Doctorate is a rigorous process and not something that can be earned by taking short cuts. It is an expensive, challenging, and time consuming endeavor and the prospective student should choose a program only after equally rigorous research of the available programs and the institutions providing the degree.
Types of Post Graduate Distance Programs
Doctoral degrees often come to mind when the topic of post-graduate studies comes up. But online education has already proven itself to be an inventor of more granular programs. Professionals with graduate degrees to their credit already may not seek fully realized doctoral programs, but instead crave chunks of advanced curriculum that provide targeted career know-how, jettison for the job market. Online degree providers—savvy marketers that most are—have answered this growing online demographic with customized post-graduate or post-masters certificates. This newest layer of online higher education provides a hybridized bridge between a staid Masters degree and dynamic post-graduate expertise.
On the other hand, a few traditionalists continue to seek online Ph.D. programs, although in much fewer numbers than their on-campus counterparts. Why are online Ph.D. degrees so limited? The sheer academic demands of most doctoral degrees has, up until this point in time, seemed to make them unlikely products to be served online, lacking the necessary flexibility inherent in other types of degrees. If nothing else, plenty of doctoral candidates are off-put to the idea of an online doctorate, presuming the curriculum to be either too much to take on with family and jobs, or not legitimate enough to stack up alongside face-to-face campus programs. But candidates in some fields are actually asking distance providers for online doctoral options that are tailored to an online paradigm.
Doctoral Program Course of Study and Residency Requirements
For a student who has already attained a Master’s Degree in the field, obtaining a Doctorate Degree generally takes about 5 years and can be broken down into 3 phases; a course of study, original research, and writing a publishable dissertation (thesis).
Depending on the student’s previous education, the course of study usually takes about 2 years, or 3 – 4 semesters of full time study. Studies consist of advanced level courses conducted in graduate seminars or independent study. Upon completion of the course of study, students must pass a written and/or oral examination proving that they have gained sufficient knowledge to go on to the next phase of independent research. The exam is given by the Ph.D Candidate’s Committee which consists of 3 – 5 professors in the field who agree to supervise the candidate’s research.
Doctorate level research must explore some unique aspect within the student’s field of study. Although the topic is chosen by the student, it will have to pass a rigorous acceptance process conducted by a dissertation committee before the student can begin research. The research process must be conducted along strict professional guidelines and be backed up by valid, reliable statistical methods. The research alone may take a year or more depending on the subject and research methods chosen after which the candidate must be able to compile the findings into a book length dissertation.
Writing the dissertation can be quite a work in itself and it is not uncommon for candidates to be listed as ABD – all but dissertation – for several years. During this time the student must remain enrolled at the university and pay at least the cost of one 3 credit course each semester. At an average of $600 per credit, each year will cost the student a minimum of $3600. This gives incentive for the candidate to devote as much effort as possible to the completion of the dissertation in a timely manner.
Upon completion of the dissertation and its acceptance by the candidate’s supervising professor, the student must defend the research and its conclusions before the Candidate’s Committee which accepted the thesis proposal. By all accounts this can be a harrowing experience which does not always result in acceptance. In the case of non-acceptance, the candidate must rework the research and/or dissertation according to the recommendations of the Committee. But once the dissertation is accepted by the Committee, the title of Doctor has been earned.
Because of the prestige accorded the Doctorate Degree and the rigorous requirements of the program, almost all online degree programs require some length of time in residency (actual on campus attendance) at the granting institution. The residency requirements may stem from the stipulations of study fellowships or grant provisos but most result from the need for clinical practicum, seminars, and labs that cannot be conducted via electronic means. At many online schools where the residency requirements are minimal, the program will require that the student be already employed in the field of study so that practical applications can be studied in real life situations. If a student does choose a program that is completely online it would be of great benefit, if at all possible, to make personal, face-to-face contact at least once with the program director and dissertation committee as their commitment to the student’s success will be essential.
For accredited schools the residency requirements are non-negotiable, so students must be certain that they will be able to manage this requirement before enrolling. Thus if there are obligations that would prevent the candidate from relocating or spending extended periods away from work or family, it would be better to look for an online program where the supporting institution is close to home.
Although there are some online Doctorate programs that are offered without any residency requirement, any course of study which promises completion of the degree without any residency requirement should immediately draw suspicion. Likewise, any institution offering a quick and easy degree at the Doctorate level should immediately be discarded from the prospective student’s list.
University and Program Accreditation
Because much of the value of a Doctorate Degree stems from the prestige of the granting institution and the reputation of the program in the chosen field of study, accreditation is extremely important and the prospective student should seek out the most prestigious institution it is possible for him or her to attend. It is best to search for online programs that are associated with a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ institution that already has an established reputation within one’s field of study.
Accreditation is the process by which schools are evaluated against established standards to ensure the quality of the education they provide. And although accreditation is important when evaluating any degree program, the cost, length and difficulty of the Doctorate program demands a more rigorous investigation into the credentials of a proposed program of study. It is also important to research the accreditation agency listed by the school to ensure that it is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A school’s accreditation will determine whether the degree will be recognized by potential employers and professional associations, and whether the program will qualify for financial assistance. To independently check on a school’s accreditation, check out the U.S. Department of Education website at ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website at chea.org.
In addition to accreditation of the institution by an agency recognized by the Department of Education, it is imperative that the prospective student make certain that the specific Doctorate program of study is recognized and approved by the professional organizations and licensing agencies governing practice in that particular field of study. Many degrees in the Health Studies, Psychology, Education, and Engineering fields require additional licensing before a graduate can practice in the field and a degree from an unapproved program may cause a loss of licensure.
Popular Online Doctorate Degrees
Almost any career field that has split itself into tinier specialties is ripe for post-graduate specializations. Nursing provides plenty of opportunity for post-masters certificate programs. Nurses with their Masters of Science in Nursing degrees seek to sub-specialize in niche markets such as Nursing Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Health Systems Administration, Nursing Education, and many others. Business professionals also have a stable of post-grad certificates such as Human Resources Management and Global Strategy. Programs such as these offer abbreviated coursework of a dozen credits or less to working professionals that desire distilled coursework, without the extra academic hoops to jump through.
As unwieldy as some may see an online Ph.D., there are a surprising number springing up, clustered in some fields more than others. Education professionals pursue online doctorates, as do an increasing number of nurses. Business administration executives continue to impose demands on distance learning as well, seeking the next competitive edge, the Ph.D. in Business Administration. Without a doubt, online degree providers are already working to bend doctoral requirements to the shape of online learning, modify online curriculum management systems to handle the academic rigors of the programs, and put library and scholarly resources online where remote, night-time academics may have full access and range of academic motion.
The online student has a choice of several types of Doctorate Degrees that are granted in a wide range of career fields. The type of Doctorate pursued will determine the course of study content and the types of research topics appropriate for the dissertation. The most frequently granted degrees are in Psychology, Education, Public Health, Business and Engineering.
After deciding upon a career field the prospective student must choose what type of Doctorate degree they want to pursue. This will be determined by what they would like to do after earning the title of Doctor. In the field of Psychology, a Ph.D generally leads to a career in research and teaching whereas a PsyD is conferred upon students wdesire to go into counseling. These tracks will differ in course work and students on a counseling track will need to obtain practice credentials and licensing.
In the field of Education, a student may receive either a Ph.D or an Ed.D. The Ph.D usually leads to a career in teaching or administration at the higher education level while the Ed.D degree usually prepares teachers and administrators for higher level jobs in elementary and secondary education.
A variety of Doctorates are available for those within the Engineering field. There are two types of doctoral degrees, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.). The Ph.D is pursued by students looking to go into research fields while the D.Eng is geared toward careers in industry.
In the Health Career fields, the Ph.D prepares candidates for research or administrative positions in Community Health. The D.Ph concentrates on public health policy studies. The same degrees are conferred in the Business field with the Ph.D leading to careers in teaching and the D.Ph to positions in business research.
Employment and Salaries
While the U.S. Census Bureau lists the average annual earning potential of a Ph.D as $90,000 compared to $62,000 for those with only a Master’s Degree, a decision to pursue a Doctorate should not be based solely on earning potential. Not all Ph.Ds lead to large salary increases and some may pay considerably less than Master’s Degrees in other fields. For example, according to the World Wide Learning index of earning potential the Ph.D and the Master’s Degrees in Education have the same annual average salary at $65,000. Thus pursuing a PhD in Education will provide increased prestige and possibly expanded career opportunities but will probably not significantly increase earning. This however, is not true for all career fields but if the student is contemplating a teaching career, even at the university level, it should be remembered that many academic jobs pay much less than careers in the non-academic sector.
In many careers outside of Education, the Ph.D often leads to higher earning potential. In the Engineering fields, the average annual salary increases to about $75,000 which is $13,000 more than the average for the Master’s Degree. The potential pay off is even higher within the Social Sciences where a Ph.D pays on average $49,000 more than a Master’s Degree. In the Health Services career field, the potential earnings almost double – from $77,000 for holders of a Master’s to $140,000 for those with a Doctorate Degree.
But if entering the Business career fields, like those in Education, a Ph.D will not generally increase earning potential where the average for both a Master’s and a Ph.D is about $87,000 a year. But if the student is interested in college level teaching or publishing a Doctorate is a must.
The bottom line is that before beginning a Doctorate program the prospective student should seriously consider why he or she wants to pursue the degree. If the answer lies in academia or personal satisfaction then the arduous studies will be worth their efforts. However, if the end goal is increased earnings the student should definitely research their potential employment choices to determine whether the time, effort, and costs required by the Doctorate will pay off in the long run.
Ph.D Costs
The cost of full time study for a Doctorate Degree can be anywhere from $150,000 - $250,000. This figure includes tuition, living expenses, and the lost employment opportunity costs (what you would have earned if you had been working instead of studying). Because of the extreme costs involved most students do not attempt to pay out of pocket but rather rely on research grants and teaching fellowships/assistantships that come with a salary that applies directly to the cost of the courses. For larger, established schools these positions pay Doctorate candidates enough to cover tuition, fees, and live a minimal lifestyle. However, online schools cannot offer teaching assistant positions or research fellowships and so the costs can run well into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Costs for the Ph.D courses of study run the same at both online institutions and traditional universities at about $600 per credit. For the average program, this means 4 full semesters of study before the qualifying exam at 12 credits per semester - or about $30,000 for the first two years. After that, the student is required to pay at least the tuition for one 3 credit course for every semester that they are continuing their research and dissertation work. At the average of 3 years for completion of this part of the degree program, this adds another $8400 to the cost. Thus if the Doctorate Degree is completed within the 5 year average, an online degree will cost the student about $40,000.
There are online entities which advertise Doctorate Degrees that can be obtained for ‘life experience’ in as little as 7 days for just $599. These are obviously scams and will be of no value in the real world. As stated before, there is no easy road to a Doctorate Degree – either in time, money or effort - and any online program promising otherwise should be quickly dismissed and time spent on researching the many valid schools available and their programs.
Considering that the costs are the same for both online and traditional universities, most students should opt for the advantages of the traditional school when pursuing a Doctorate Degree. The availability of financial assistance through teaching and research fellowships and the established reputation of the granting institutions are advantages that online schools as yet cannot compete with. However, for the student who requires an online program, there are many reputable institutions available and it is up to the student to do the research in order to determine which best meets his or her needs.