Online Doctorate Degree

Are you wanting to complete an online doctorate degree? Some of the most popular doctoral degrees you can study online include Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Public Health (DPH), Doctor of Psychology (PhD), and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). There are however some doctoral degrees, such as in medicine, where practical training and extremely close supervision is required, where you will still need to go down the traditional tracks.

I got my doctorate the traditional way. I was hard - very hard - in fact harder than most people can imagine - and I worked intensively on my Ph.D. I cannot imagine the extra stress and determination online doctoral degrees require.

To succeed with this, you need to have a few things in your favour.

• Money: Even though it is online, it is not free! It still costs a considerable amount of money to get an online qualification from a reputable university.
• Time: While you can create your own schedule, you will still need to have spare time in your week which you can truly dedicate to gaining this qualification.
• Motivation: Working on my Ph.D. required every particle of motivation I possessed, and if I didn't come into work, friends would know there was something wrong and come and see how I was doing. In a virtual world, you lack this close support - and can be easily side tracked by other more pressing problems in your daily life.
• Intelligent and articulate: The types of online doctorate degrees you will be able to do will be those which require substantial research in the library and lots of writing. As a scientist, I had the lab and plants to look after. If you are doing a virtual doctorate, then you will be probably looking at much more theoretical issues.

How can I check if this school has been accredited?

I have created a list of the different accreditations authorities in the USA. You need to check and confirm that your university has been listed. This is really important, as if you attend an unaccredited school, then your degree will not be recognised by your employer, and indeed it can actually hamper your career's progression!

Will I earn more if I have an online doctorate degree?

This is hard to say. You will feel a certain amount of prestige and respect. As for income - it depends on if you actively use your degree. As I don't use mine, it has a spot in the kitchen, which always makes me smile in the morning, I have not gained its full benefit. However, saying this, it does help to open doors for me, as obviously having a doctor on your teaching staff, reflects well on the school itself.

If you do have a doctorate, then it allows you to gain jobs which are currently out of your reach, or those which can only be gained by substantially more years of practical experience.

All in all, gaining an online doctorate degree is a challenge, and it is going to take all you can give - but at the end of the day if you are prepared for the extra work, stress and anxiety it will produce (rather like deciding to have children!), then at the end of the day, you are certain to feel a permanent warm glow - and an unique inner confidence - knowing you have graduated with one of the toughest, most elite qualifications you are ever likely to have.

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