OK, so I need a PhD...

I've been lucky enough to receive an offer to teach computer science at a small, state 4-year college. It's a great opportunity, but if I want to turn this into a tenure-track position, I need to earn a doctorate in the next several years. I've been casually looking at PhD programs for the last several years, but now the situation is a bit more urgent (I intend to start in Fall 2007).

My criteria are as follows:
1) Would prefer a PhD to a DBA or EdD. However, the specific doctorate is not critical. A PhD probably has the greatest utility for other college computer science teaching jobs.

2) I would prefer the doctorate to be in computer science or software engineering, rather than information technology, information systems, business administration, or education. A degree in computer science probably has the greatest utility for other college computer science teaching jobs.

3) Reputation of university is important. Carnegie Mellon > George Mason University > Nova Southeastern. Again, it's a utility issue.

4) My primary research interest is optimization (and more specifically, genetic algorithms). This isn't a really common specialty. My secondary research interest is software engineering. Fortunately, this is common.

5) Cost matters

6) The degree need not be distance learning based. However, due to teaching, significant residency requirements outside of summer is impossible.

Note that receiving an RA doctorate is the most important factor. Maximizing utility while minimizing cost is secondary.

The primary universities I am considering at the moment are:

1) George Mason University
Pros: Can be done partially online, they have a superstar in the field of genetic algorithms, and the department is heavily geared towards part-time learners.
Cons: Expensive, 5 hours (each way) from primary residence so any on-campus coursework will be a significant problem (fortunately classes are held in 1 3-hour block per week), and they have a lengthy residency requirement (which may or may not be easily overcome)

2) Carnegie Mellon
Pros: Can be done partially online and top CS school
Cons: Very expensive, 3 hours from primary residence, not really geared to part-time learners.

3) West Virginia University
Pros: Can be done partially online, closest (90 minutes) of the non-DL options, might be least expensive (depending on whether or not I will qualify for in-state tuition or tuition wavers based on my employment at another WV state school).
Cons: No major drawbacks, except for 90 minute travel for on-campus activities.

4) Nova Southeastern University
Pros: Close to 100% online
Cons: Name recognition, little flexibility in courses to take

5) UNISA
Pros: Dissertation only, very cheap tuition
Cons: Unknown travel requirements. Once/year is doable, but more would be rough. Foreign university.

6) NCU
Pros: 100% DL. Interesting options for courses and specializations
Cons: Would be a PhD in Business Administration (with specialization in applied computer science). It might have the lowest utility for other CS jobs.


Are there any other options I should be looking at? WVU looks most attractive for a generally solid degree, but I want to examine as many options as are available.

 

First off, since the degree must be RA, I’d rule out foreign degrees from the start.

Since reputation AND cost are both important, you will have a hard time narrowing your choices down and may need to trade off one to get the other.

Did you check with Carnegie Mellon, George Mason University, and West Virginia University to see if they require you to be a full-time on-campus student at any time during the program? I checked into a lot of doctoral programs that could have been done by taking courses on a part-time basis but most of them required students to put their lives on hold for the two semesters before the dissertation and become a FT student.

If you can live with a long commute and a large student debt, then Carnegie Mellon would be the best choice. If you can arrange for an in-state tuition rate with WV, then West Virginia University wouldn’t be a bad choice either. I would go with Nova before NCU because the degree from Nova is a true degree in computer science, although, I have a friend working on the applied computer science specialization through NCU and he tells me that the degree is very much computer science. He said someone without a CS background would have a very hard time completing the specialization.

 

I suppose it doesn't actually have to be RA... it simply has to pass muster with the college. I suspect an NA degree would not. A foreign degree from a reputable university presumably would (though I would need to find this out before I commited to a program).

And yes, it's the residency requirements that will ultimately torpedo many non-DL options. I haven't contacted any of the B&M schools yet. I suspect WVU will be most willing to work with me, in part because they explicitly allow for approved alternatives to their 2 consecutive terms of residency requirement.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Jeff,

Have you considered a PhD in Industrial Engineering or Operations Research? Both disciplines are very concerned with optimization and may offer a great way to take a broader approach to your research. The University of Alabama at Huntsville has a PhD in Industrial Engineering program that can be completed by DL with the following residency requirements: a student must complete 6 hours per semester for three out of four consecutive semesters. I also believe that some classes require a DL student to be present for one class per semester for presentations.

University of Alabama, Huntsville

Other than the examples which you have already presented, this is a program you might want to investigate if you fail to find a PhD in your field.

 

I don't know where you live but Nova has a very good rep in the Southeast. There are many CC and university instructor with a Nova PhD/EdD. I can't say if it was DL or B&M but the school is strong.

 

Along with that suggestion, Colorado State University offers a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with an Industrial Engineering and Operations Research emphasis that can be done via DL. I've looked into this degree and it is more operations research than it is mechanical engineering.

One note of caution about these options - they are offered by engineering departments of both universities. Despite the fact that I have the background to do the degree, I didn't have the necessary engineering background to pass the written diagnostic examination. I would have ended up having to take around seven or eight undergraduate courses (or equivalent) in physics and engineering in order to pass the exam.

 

Thanks for the links to the engineering programs. I really would enjoy those programs and I actually do have the math background to succeed in those, but I am short on physics/engineering courses. I'll still keep those in mind.

I don't have a problem with Nova, but I suspect it's name recognition/reputation is less than a major state school. It may not be fair, but I suspect more people would have a favorable opinion of WVU, for example, than Nova, simply because more people have heard of WVU, at least outside of Florida.

I have little doubt that Nova > NCU in this regards as well. I suspect that if the regional B&M options don't pan out, I will go with Nova since it is more recognizable, has an actual CS option, and has a B&M presence (which makes the degree less obviously DL).

 

Good assessment. The main reason, I suspect, that WVU is well known is due to their athletics. They play in some of the major televised events. You don't see Nova hosting a major college football team.

The one thing that Nova has over WVU is that their program is set up for DL whereas WVU will require some workarounds.

 

If you look at the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s DL PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering program, you’ll see that as part of their admissions process, they require an ABET-accredited BS degree in engineering.

If you look into Colorado State University’s PhD in Mechanical Engineering program with a concentration in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, you’ll see that as part of their written diagnostic exam, they test you on some very engineering specific topics. They test you on two of five possible topics (your choice as to which two). Of the five topics, one is math and the other four are something like thermodynamics, fluids, and I forget the other two.

One program that you would like is Old Dominion University’s PhD in Engineering with a concentration in Modeling and Simulation. I applied and was accepted into this program but I wasn’t impressed with it so I decided to stick with NCU. The degree is very math and computer science orientated but not engineering prohibitive. They generally admit people with masters degrees in math, physics, engineering, operations research, computer science, and the like. The program is offered to a few sites as well as the main campus in Norfolk, VA. Check with the department to find out more. The links are below.

http://www.vmasc.odu.edu/
http://www.dl.odu.edu/
http://web.odu.edu/

 

Yeah, it would definitely take some commitment to start a program in hole 12-18 hours (maybe even more.) I keep looking at engineering PhD programs simply because they are from schools I consider better regarded that Nova and because when during my initial attempt at college I completed 3 years of an Engineering Physics program. So consequently, I generally have the engineering prereqs covered.

Good luck in your hunt and please (please!) post your progress for those of use walking behind you.

--
JoAnn Peeler

 

That's what is written in their admissions guideline. However, I believe when I contacted them several months ago they said they would also consider students from Computer Science or hard sciences if they make up the engineering prereqs.

 

Have you thought about Colorado Tech Univ's D.CS. program? They have a Computer Science Doctorate program via "executive" learning method (DL with residencies). No dissertation required (not sure if that is good or bad).

The program is pricey (~$575 per hour) + requires 3 residencies per year over the course of 3 years. Total cost is right around $55K.

More info here at:
http://cs.coloradotech.edu/degree_programs/wrapper_doctoral.asp?page=/includes_shared/degree_programs/doctoral/dcs.asp

 

Thanks for bringing this one to my attention, as I had no idea it existed. You are right - the downsides are cost and a somewhat weird title (D.CS rather than Ph.D). I also suspect the 6 "publishable" projects may not really be the equivalent of a dissertation. Finally, do I really want to take a 5-hour course in "Socio-Technical Futuring"?

All that said, that's a really interesting option that I haven't seen before. I'm starting to think I need to create a doctorate version of JoAnn's incredibly useful masters site.

 

That was exactly what I thought when I read the course list.

 

Another program you should take a look at if your can overlook the cost, is the Doctorate of Profession Studies (i.e. DPS) in Computing at Pace University.

 

It is very useful (especially for me); however, since I've started a graduate program I find I have not free time that care to spend keeping it up to date.

 

Does Columbia University www.cvn.columbia.edu still have that PD (professional diploma?) in Computer Science via DL, which (if I read it right) seems to amount to one year of post-master's coursework, i.e., the equivalent of the coursework phase of a doctorate? If so, could such a degree be used to obtain advanced standing in a doctoral program and then complete the dissertation at a distance?

 

PD (Professional Degree).

This is something that I've never heard of. It resembles the EdS. I see they offer a Professional Degree in Industrial Engineering/Operations Research...very interesting.

At a tuition rate of $1064 per point (credit hour), with the average course consisting of three points, it's very costly, but still an excellent find!

 

Re: Re: OK, so I need a PhD...

One of my professors at Texas A&M last semester had a DBA from NOVA. He talks highly of their program.

http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/mktmgt/faculty/Humphreys/Humphreys_hp.htm