Distance Learning: PhDEarning a PhD announces to the world that you are someone to be reckoned with. It means you care very much about learning as much as there is to know about your specialty and that you aren’t afraid of hard work. Two little letters, Dr., in front of your name instantly commands respect and can catapult you far beyond other candidates for the highest level jobs. The PhD degree is just one of several types of doctoral degrees. It means “doctor of philosophy” because regardless of your field, individuals who earn such a degree are knowledgeable about not only practical information but the theoretical underpinnings of such information. Generally speaking, a PhD degreed individual writes and publishes in scholarly publications, keeps abreast of current research in the field, and is sought out as an expert who is qualified to offer advice or insight.
Although many people realize that distance learning offers students the opportunity to earn a college degree and improve their lives, few people are aware that students can not only earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, but can also pursue advanced degrees, including a number of doctoral degrees, through distance learning. Programs in healthcare administration, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, human services, information technology, business administration, and much more are available as hybrid or distance learning options that can result in a doctoral degree. Earning a PhD or other doctoral degree takes years. This investment of time yields spectacular results, however. Not only are doctors in all fields treated with respect, but their earning power frequently almost doubles. You should expect three years of study, followed by oral and written exams. You will be tested in a number of areas; be forewarned that these examinations are rigorous and require a tremendous amount of focused study to pass. In fact, many candidates don’t succeed on the first attempt and must retake the exams at a later point. The doctoral degree won’t be granted until the dissertation is complete. For most students, this involves a year or more of hard work. The dissertation is a formal, book-length treatise that brings original thought and research to bear upon your chosen subject. Some students remain ABD, or “all but dissertation” for years while they work to complete the writing. The first step is writing a proposal that must be approved by the dissertation committee. After they have worked with you to fine-tune your ideas, it’s time to begin writing. While many students remain ABD for several years, in practical terms it’s best to complete the dissertation as quickly as you can without compromising quality. For one thing, the sooner you’ve got the degree, the sooner you can step into a top-level position. For another, until the dissertation is completed and approved, you must remain enrolled in the school, and that costs money. Individuals who decide to pursue a doctoral degree are usually very well grounded. They understand the importance of building new knowledge upon a firm foundation of prior knowledge, and recognize that organization is essential to learning. Most PhD candidates have worked in the field for an extended period of time and are very familiar with terminology, theories, and skills necessary to achieve success within that field. This means that in many cases, they are ideal candidates for a distance learning program. Another reason why distance learning may be an exceptionally good fit for PhD candidates is that they are most likely already working at a fairly high level within their company or school. They are seeking the highest degree possible in order to advance as far as possible within that field, and don’t necessarily want to give up the current job to return to school. Distance learning allows the best of all worlds. Candidates are able to work at their own pace and don’t need to quit their jobs and abandon what is no doubt a substantial salary to pursue the goal. Instead, they can focus on their studies when things are slow at work and set them aside for a bit when major projects are due or when issues that need considerable attention arise. PhD distance learning programs are not only flexible in terms of time, they actually save it. Consider all the hours that would be spent commuting back and forth to school and looking for parking. Now imagine funneling those hours directly into school work. It’s possible to harvest a few hours a week through distance learning and apply them directly to the work at hand. Another advantage is that PhD distance learning candidates who have worked in their area of focus for a period of time are likely to be very familiar with new or abstract ideas. Students who are going straight from a master’s program into a doctoral program aren’t likely to be as familiar with these ideas, and the professor will need to spend time teaching them. To a working PhD candidate, that means even more time savings since there’s little need to study what you already know. Fewer doctoral programs offer fully virtual education. A greater number of associate’s and bachelor’s degree-granting distance learning institutions use models that permit students to do everything from register to graduate without ever visiting a campus, but this is less feasible for a doctoral degree. Doctoral candidates work very closely with their professors. Depending upon the area of focus, doctoral candidates might need to visit campus at times to work with expensive equipment that isn’t available elsewhere, to attend seminars, or for other face-to-face requirements. This isn’t a bad thing, as it’s important for candidates to know the professor who will direct their dissertations, as well as the department head and other professors in the program. |
A doctoral degree is the highest degree available, although not all of them are PhD degrees. The Juris Doctor, which is a law degree, the doctor of arts, the doctor of divinity, the doctor of education, and the medical doctor degrees are all top-level degrees on a par with a PhD.