Online Ph.D. Programs

The Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest degree offered in any academic discipline. A doctoral degree (or doctorate) typically takes roughly five years or more to complete in addition to the time required to satisfy the programs prerequisites, such as earning a master's degree or completing relevant work experience. Some Ph.D. programs may require students to produce original research and to publish their findings in a dissertation in addition to defending their findings and research against a panel of the students' professors and other academics. Other Ph.D. programs may require extensive course completion in addition to practical work experience during a residency.

Individuals may choose to pursue a doctorate for many reasons. Some may pursue a doctoral degree to master a discipline, or to conduct research. Others may pursue the degree to teach at the graduate level, such as college professors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov/ooh, 2012), those working in careers as research scientists, counselors, and college or university professors are all required to have earned a Ph.D. or a comparable doctorate. Generally, doctoral degrees are not professional degrees, although there are doctorates in professional fields such as business management and marketing.

The amount of work and effort required to earn a Ph.D. (or any doctoral degree) are significant -- and the results may be as well. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, graduates of a Ph.D. program may potentially earn an additional $1 million more dollars over their lifetime than graduates of a bachelor's degree program alone (census.gov, 2012) and over $2 million more than workers with only a high school diploma.

What are the advantages of earning a Ph.D. online?

Ph.D. degree programs, unlike programs for a bachelor's or master's degree, may demand more than a significant portion of a student's time. Earning a Ph.D. online may provide students with the flexible class schedule needed to earn a doctorate without having to postpone their career or starting a family, for instance. Online doctoral degrees may also provide individuals in remote areas or those unable to permanently relocate the opportunity to earn a Ph.D. Online Ph.D. programs may, however, require some on-site attendance in order to meet a program's residency or practical experience requirements.

For online Ph.D. programs that do require students to complete a residency prior to graduation, the residency may be completed at the school's campus or at other local schools. The residency may last between two to three weeks during a year to a month or more at a time, depending on the school. Some schools may require multiple years of periodic residencies. Be sure to check with your school to determine how much of the online or hybrid Ph.D. program can be completed online and what the residency requirements may be.

In addition to residency completion, online Ph.D. programs may require students to have acquired some professional experience in the field prior to admission. Schools may also require students to have earned a master's degree as well.

Types of online Ph.D. programs

Ph.D.s are offered in the philosophies, such as history and literature, but can also include multiple fields such as accounting and education. However, not all doctoral degrees are Ph.D.s. Doctoral degrees can be offered in the fields of engineering (Doctor of Engineering), medicine (Doctor of Medicine), and law (Juris Doctor), as well as the sciences (Doctor of Science). Each of these field's doctoral degrees is awarded as a specific degree, such as a J.D. or an M.D.

Sources:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Occupation Finder, March 29, 2012, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm
U.S. Census Bureau, "Work-Life Earnings by Field of Degree and Occupation for People With a Bachelor's Degree: 2011," American Community Survey Briefs, Tiffany Julian, October 2012, http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-04.pdf

The Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest degree offered in any academic discipline. A doctoral degree (or doctorate) typically takes roughly five years or more to complete in addition to the time required to satisfy the programs prerequisites, such as earning a master's degree or completing relevant work experience. Some Ph.D. programs may require students to produce original research and to publish their findings in a dissertation in addition to defending their findings and research against a panel of the students' professors and other academics. Other Ph.D. programs may require extensive course completion in addition to practical work experience during a residency.

Individuals may choose to pursue a doctorate for many reasons. Some may pursue a doctoral degree to master a discipline, …