As distance education at the university level has expanded dramatically over the last decade, with more than 20 percent of all students taking online courses in 2007-08, students and faculty members have become more acclimated to using technology in an education environment and over distributed networks. Asynchronous, online learning means that professors and students can work together, but not simultaneously, giving each a convenient professional experience for acquiring knowledge and skills that can enrich education on the whole. But what about pursuing the highest terminal degree in many fields -- the doctoral degree?
Online Ph.D.
The Ph.D., or doctor of philosophy degree, is the highest degree in most academic fields. Just under 1 percent of all Americans earn a doctoral degree, and the competition for Ph.D. programs is very tight. Online Ph.D. programs need to be extra rigorous, then, to provide the same level of educational enrichment and analytical pursuit as "on ground" programs, while giving students access to research opportunities that allow them to develop into finely-honed scholars and future university professors.
In recent years, three established, well-respected universities have created doctoral programs delivered online, as noted by Online Degree: Benedictine University, Boston University, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Earn an Online Degree -- Doctoral Degrees Via Distance Education
Benedictine University offers an online Ph.D. in Higher Education, a program that helps higher education administrators and college professors to focus on the very diverse -- yet specific -- needs of working administrators, deans, and provosts in a university environment. Boston University offers two very different Ph.D. degrees via distance learning: a Ph.D. in Physical Therapy for working PT professionals, and a Ph.D. in Music.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is a graduate school devoted solely to the field of psychology, so its online doctoral programs center on one area, though there are four options:
- Doctoral Degree in Psychology
- Doctoral Degree in Management & Leadership
- Doctoral Degree in Forensic Psychology
- Doctoral Degree in Behavioral Science
Most Ph.D. programs require that admitted students hold a master's degree in the same, or a similar, field, and have a strong background in teaching or research in their chosen field. Most require that students enroll full-time, though some offer part-time status. A Ph.D. program is unlike completing an undergraduate degree, or even a master's degree, online.
Accredited Online Degrees Are Key
The doctoral student needs to be steeped in intensive research, theory, and analytical discussion via email, phone, and message boards for a full academic experience and to pass such hurdles as oral examinations, written examinations, dissertation proposal development, and dissertation defense before a committee of university faculty members.
However, earning a Ph.D. is a capstone to an academic career, while also helping students with the drive to succeed to find a place in academia or industry that gives a career boost, or sets a career path for life. For students who need to work while completing a doctorate or who can't move for geographic reasons, these programs are critical.
Sources:
Educational Attainment in the United States. Census Bureau, 2009. Accessed November 21, 2011. http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/2009/tables.html
National Center for Education Statistics, Distance Learning: Fast Facts. Accessed November 22, 2011. http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
Comments
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