DETC Doctorate - Is it worth it?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by vonnell1, May 31, 2010.

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  1. vonnell1

    vonnell1 Member

    Hello All,


    It's been a long long time since i've been on. Thanks for the help over the years with advice. DR. Bear...Im a fan always :)

    Question:

    Have DETC doctorate programs become generally acceptable? Im a government employee and was looking at Aspen because of cost. I'm not leaving the federal government and Im already at a senior level, would it be worth it?

    Thanks All
    Vonnell
     
  2. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    You might want to ask your supervisor whether it would qualify you for additional salary or promotion in Government positions.

    In Higher Education, DETC doctorates are generally not accepted as doctorates at this time.

    For most business or consulting applications, a doctorate is not required. A regionally accredited doctorate might give you an advantage in those situations. However, the DETC doctorate isn't going to be accepted for most applications, so it might work for you or against you in business / consulting. Hard to say.
     
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    It doesn't work that way in the federal government. There is no quid pro quo for earning degrees. In fact, seldom are specific education requirements dictated in job postings. (Usually where there is a legal or professional requirement.)
     
  4. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Actually, it would be fine to ask your supervisor for guidance. Yes, it does work that way in the federal government... :)
     
  5. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Ask HRSD. I work for government. HRSD stated they "would accept any degree that is recognized". To be more exact, recognized = recognized by USDOE and CHEA.


    Abner :)



     
  6. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Is it worth it??

    Only you can really answer that question.

    In my case it would be worth it if the right program (curriculum + cost) came along such as a DSc, DIT, or DProf.
     
  7. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    OP……………………………….. The US government does not care if your degree is RA or NA as long as its USDE approved. CHEA does not even matter.

    Please tell me Dave where you got this information from? In the real world outside of Higher Education no one cares unless you went to a big name school. Do you think someone with a degree from EC has a better chance for a job than someone with an AJU degree? I got a job based off of my soon to be had DETC degree.
    Yes, it's if you want to work for a RA school then you may need an RA PhD or whatever to obtain a tenured postion, but in truth if you’re not teaching no one really cares at all except a few states take require RA degrees to obtain certain licenses. I feel the days of the NA vs. RA debates are long gone as most schools have started excepting NA degrees and credits in transfer, it's all about being viable and with as many schools that are out there that are NA, there’s a huge chuck of money to be made by RA schools who accept those credits. Most state schools in Texas accept NA degrees and credit transfer. If I stay with AJU I will have earned my degree cheaper than most people did by clepping out of everything.
     
  8. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    i agree with most of what you say, but it still doesn't seem to be true that MOST schools will accept NA credits. Maybe more than in the past, but really, most?
     
  9. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Let me just throw it out there that if someone says the doctorate is for personal growth or achievement, that many South African doctorates are less expensive than any DETC school.
     
  10. Yeah, but I don't think the experience of a South African doctorate is going to be as personally satisfying as say Harrison Middleton University's mentor-style methodology. An SA doctorate would be a good option for those who want a capstone degree for professional advancement. From what I've read, it sounds like a very lonely endeavor. By contrast, the DETC doctoral experiences I read about here have been pretty positive...
     
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Let's be clear. This is one mans opinion. Not fact. One man who has not actually been involved with either program that he is talking about. Pure conjecture. Any number of others might disagree. In fact, there are very few people who have earned DETC doctoral degrees. Do we even have one on this board who can attest to the experience?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 11, 2010
  12. Well, yes, of course it is conjecture, I qualified my opinion with "from what I've read". What is an Internet forum but conjecture and opinion?
     
  13. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Wait...I thought is was all facts :laugh:
     
  14. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    If you are a government employee, with intentions of retiring from there, how could any DETC degree not be worth it? Check with your HR department via email so you have a response in writing. If you have a system of "pay per degree" in your department, the Aspen degree will pay itself off in no time. A win win. You get a raise, which will in turn raise your retirement benefits for later. Damn you government employees, putting a strain on taxpayers!!!! Oh wait, we government employees are taxpayers, and we pay into our own retirements. :)

    Abner :)



     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 11, 2010
  15. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    This depends a lot on each individual's situation. Some community college teachers might be able to get pay bump because the DETC doctorate while others might be able to use the credential for administrators position within higher education institutions.

    In general the ROI of a doctorate is low and I would think that DETC doctorate is even lower than RA accredited doctorate degrees but some people might be in a position to use the degree.
     
  16. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I thought long and hard about a DETC doctorate and decided to go RA, but that is because I work in education. I would agree with the above statements; many other business most likely will not care that your degree is not RA. I would wager that many would not know the difference. I also agree with other member's statements who suggest that a doctorate is not required for most non education jobs and is not likely to help you earn much more money, if any. I did a search on Linkedin a year or so ago and found an administrative assistant who had her PdD.
     
  17. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I posted here a link to a resume site that contained few examples of people with PhDs from UoP, NCU and other online schools doing odd jobs that not require a PhD. I have few friends that have PhDs from top schools and find hard to get jobs in the current economy, I wouldn't waste my time with low tier doctorates unless I had a position that would benefit from an accredited doctorate.
     
  18. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    RF I could not find that list, I looked over it when you posted it, had some crazy stuff in there. I think one guy had a BS, MS and a Phd from U of P and was working at a movie store as an Asst Manger. The dude has to be swimming in a ton of debt.
     
  19. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    The site is Resume Storage, Sample Resumes, and Free Resume Templates

    I think a DETC degree can work well for a BS or even a MS for technical fields. The PhD market is very selective as there are very few positions available for this type of degree. From the online schools, I have heard few success stories from people with Capella and Walden PhDs but never heard anyone with a DETC doctorate.
    I think the DETC doctorate can work well for someone with a full time faculty position that just needs the doctorate for a pay bump or to be respected when submitting articles for publication or research grant proposals. The utility is very limited so I would be cautious about investing my time there.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 20, 2010
  20. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

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