An Overview of Distance Education Doctoral Programs

A recent report in the US regarding the state of education – “In Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States”, 2005 – revealed that 38% of schools offered distance education Doctoral programs online. Further, the “Survey of Earned Doctorates” found an increase of 3.4% in the Doctoral degrees that were awarded in the U.S. as of June, 2004. Distance education Doctoral programs offer the working student an opportunity to complete their coursework within the parameters of their busy career work schedules.

This has also accounted for the significant increase in Doctoral degrees that have been earned in the past two years overall. Doctoral degree programs have been designed and developed to give the student a chance to explore a subject more fully in order to gain the greatest level of proficiency and skills possible in that area. Distance education doctoral programs are usually based upon specific curriculum and/or research as well as independent study.

The Benefits of Distance Education Doctorate Degrees

Recently, a study was conducted by the Penn State University Outreach Marketing and Communications with University Continuing Education. The findings were that nearly 50% of distance education college and university enrollments were adult students that preferred the flexibility that online classes enable. The student saved energy and time by not having to travel to and from the campus, and they were able to pursue their course studies on their own schedules.

Distance education doctoral programs afford the student with guidance throughout their course workloads, email, online chats, and virtual lectures. The Student is expected to perform independently and use various research resources in order to fulfill their study requirements. Some distance education doctoral programs also require the student to compose a thesis, detailed research content that is made available to other students in that degree endeavor.

Here are three key benefits resulting from enrolling in a distance education Doctoral degree program:

1. There is literally hundreds of distance learning Doctoral programs available today. Currently, there are over 120 programs available online, and more are getting added all the time by the various colleges and universities.

2. PhD’s in Business are in extremely high demand especially when it comes to the areas of consulting and financial analysis. The new professor wha has a PhD. in Business earns $88,000 a year on the average according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

3. Individuals with PhD’s and who establish their own consulting companies will earn $90,000 (average) a year in salary. These individuals are revered as the world leaders in their industry, and contribute on a regular basis to various books, magazines, and websites with their analysis and insight.

Distance Education Doctoral Programs Available

The amount of Doctoral degrees online is staggering, but generally speaking the eight Doctoral programs listed below receive the most attention and enrollment:

· DA – Doctor of Art of Administration

· DBA – Doctor of Business Administration

· EdD – Education Doctorate

· DPA – Doctor of Public Administration

· EngD – Engineering Doctorate

· PsyD – Psychology Doctorate

· DSc – Doctor of Science

· DHum – Doctor of Humanities