Easiest PhD and Shortest Doctoral Programs Online

In most fields, doctorate degrees are considered the highest level of education one can achieve. These degrees are meant for students who are committed to advance their knowledge in specific areas of study.

Unfortunately, many people do not go up to this advanced educational level. Fewer positions requiring this advanced level qualification and reduced competition for such job opportunities among job seekers are some of the reasons behind few doctoral graduates.

With technological advancements in almost all areas of life, acquiring education, significantly advanced level education has become more accessible. Graduate students now do not have to attend physical classes to pursue their dreams of developing and advancing their skills.

You can pursue your doctorate at the comfort of your home or even your office. There has been a substantive growth in students pursuing doctorate degrees between 2000/2001 and 2015/2016 academic years, according to NCES. This growth of about 49% has been attributed to the availability of online PhD programs. If you are a student intending to pursue an online doctorate degree, the guide below is meant to ease your decision-making process.

Types of Online Doctorate Degrees

As students, you have many advanced degree programs to choose from. A ph.D or the Doctor of Philosophy is the most common and recognized doctoral degree but certainly not the only one. Ph.D. is a research degree whose curriculum includes conducting and designing research through the dissertation process. It prepares you as a student to work as professors in academia, conduct research to add your base knowledge, and serve as consultants in different settings.

Professional doctorate degrees are for fields like business (D.B.A), pharmacy (Pharm.D), nursing (D.N.P), and education (Ed.D). These online PhD programs prepare you to apply what you have learned in the work environment. Like Ph. D students are required to conduct research and, in addition, develop a unique project or a portfolio.

However, there are no clear distinctions between professional doctorate and PhD graduates, only that Ph. D graduates work in industries and the other graduates teaching at the college level. Therefore, before choosing an area of specialization, you should understand all that is entailed in that specific area regarding working environments, learning period, qualifications, and even fees charged.

Period of Learning

Most Ph. D programs will take 4 to 6 years with 2-3 of course work followed by supervised teaching and research leading to completing the dissertation or the original research project. Time taken to complete these programs may, however, depend on several factors, which may include:

• The research project and topic
• Whether online or campus-based learning
• Relevant working experience and related master’s level degrees.

Online Ph. D programs and professional doctoral degrees like Ed. D are both available online. However, they take a shorter period to complete than campus-based learning. It is even shorter if you have related degrees at the master’s level and an advanced relevant working experience.

If you are interested in an online doctorate degree program, it is essential that you closely consider the requirements of the curriculum:

• On-site fieldwork and clinical experience
• What you should expect
• How the program will help you achieve your goals

Choosing between campus-based and online doctoral degrees

It may be hard to decide whether to go on-campus learning or online PhD courses. If you are such a student, stuck between options, not knowing what to settle for, here is a guide to help you make the most informed decisions. Considering the benefits and the drawbacks of both programs will help you decide.

Campus-based Learning

Benefits

• The opportunities to study across departments are increased.
• Provide opportunities for immersion in faculty mentorship and research projects
• Increased networking opportunities and participated in collaborative projects with other students, supervisors, lecturers, and faculty.
• Instance clarification and response to questions.

Disadvantages

• Restrictions on your schedule, especially for students who are also working at the same time studying. Most doctorate students are part-time students doing other activities asides from learning. Going to class will automatically affect your schedule if you are such a student, in which case you may consider online or hybrid learning or evening and weekend classes.

Online Ph. D Programs

Benefits

• Flexible with your schedule as there is no need to make a physical appearance to class to meet the professors, supervisors, or other students. Attending class does not mean stopping what you are doing. It is easy to combine work and learning.
• You can study anywhere- This learning method allows you to study anywhere in the world. Moreover, you do not have to be physically in that country to learn there because online programs used online platforms and forums to connect with the professors.
• You can also connect with other students from different parts of the world
• Improves your self-discipline and motivation skills as no one will know whether you attended the class or not. It is within the discretion of the students to do so.
• Distance learning is a cheaper learning method because some costs such as transport to and from school and hostel accommodation are avoided.

Disadvantages

• Students require technological know-how and technical equipment such as laptops, computers, smartphones, and the kind. This may be expensive to some extent.
• With this form of learning, it is challenging to create faculty mentorship relations with other faculty members.

As a student, you can go through the disadvantages and advantages of each method to find out the most appropriate for you.

Cost of an Online Doctoral Degree

When choosing any doctoral degree program, it is crucial to consider the cost factor involved. Even though online PhD courses may be cheaper than on-campus learning, students need to be careful with their budgets because several costs are involved. You should be cautious about calculating payback, including interest rates if you rely on loans for fee payments.

In your costs, consider expenses such as school fees and other living expenses when planning your financial requirement as an online student. In addition, it would be best to consider other additional charges to tuition that relate to your academic work. Such costs include hardware, software, internet access, and textbook costs. All these costs must be incurred in an online course. Finally, consider the cost per credit when conducting your research options, which may vary depending on the program, type of course, and school.
Below are the annual tuition rates of different institutions as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

• Private-For profit institutions- $14,208
• Private-Not for-profit institutions- $27,776
• Public institutions- $12,171

In addition to the average costs according to the NCES, you should keep in mind the average time taken to complete a doctorate program which is around five years. You also have to remember that these rates are not standard and that they can change every year. Therefore, when budgeting your financial requirements to complete an online doctorate program, you can start at this point as your basis.

Choosing an Online Doctoral Degree

Since doctoral programs require many investments in commitment, money, and time, it is vital to consider all the necessary factors before deciding. Suppose you have settled for an online Ph. D, the next step is comparing your options in your field of interest. This is to help you avoid investing your resources in an area that will not help you achieve your academic goals. Take some time to consider the uniqueness of each program in terms of specialization options, curriculum, and faculty.

To reach your career and educational goals, you must be careful to make the right decision for an online PhD. It would help if you also explored the following considerations.

• The flexibility of the class schedules
• If the program will fulfill certification or licensure requirements.
• If there is in-person attendance required.
• Specialties of the faculty members.
• Organization of the program.

Who is Eligible for an Online Doctoral Program

Any student who intends to pursue a doctorate is suitable for an online program. If you desire to advance your academic levels in a different country from your home country or join any institution worldwide, an accredited online PhD program is your best option.

How Cheap is it to Get an Online Doctorate?

As more schools offer online PhD degree programs, the difference in cost between online and on-campus programs is becoming narrow. Most institutions are currently offering both programs at almost the same rate. Even though tuition costs might be the same for both programs, being an online student can still be financially advantageous. This is due to reducing some costs factors such as commutation and transport costs, hostel and parking costs.

As a student, you may also enjoy some government grants and stipends. For example, if you are working with a company that encourages the advancement of education, you may receive a scholarship that will make your online learning cheap. In addition, aid such as federal loans, state grants, federal grants, and institutional grants are all available for online students who intend to pursue an online doctorate.