Interested in eventually pursuing a distance doctoral program in IT

Discussion in 'IT and Computer-Related Degrees' started by jadoo1989, Dec 20, 2014.

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  1. jadoo1989

    jadoo1989 New Member

    Hi!

    My name is Stephen Kilgore. I started university a few years ago at a regionally accredited, brick and mortar state school in my state. I had some family problems and had to withdraw in my senior year. Now, I'm getting back on track and I'm finishing a BSIT from CSU Global online. During the last few years while trying to find the time to go back to school, I've been working as an ESL instructor. I've really enjoyed teaching and find I'd like to combine my love of technology with my love of teaching.

    Therefore, I'm interested in eventually earning a PhD (or DIT) in IT management or cybersecurity, two fields that really interest me. I'd like to be an online instructor (or possibly even an instructor at a small regional school or community college, as I know the traditional ivory tower that is academia looks down on distance doctoral programs.) I'm fairly new to the world of online education, so I'm posting here with a few questions in hopes that someone can give me some useful information.

    1. Are there any programs that have direct entry into a doctoral program from the bachelor's level? My main concern is the cost, and I'd like to eleminate some of the cost by going straight to doctoral studies, if at all possible. I think Walden has this option, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

    2. How much does the public impression of institutions change depending on the name of the institution? For instance, it goes without saying that attending an RA program is paramount. However, in the eyes of the hiring public, are all distance RA programs created equal?

    3. A huge worry of mine is cost. As I said, I originally attended a brick and mortar institution on a partial scholarship, so my educational debt right now is high, but not anywhere near what it could be. I currently have around 30k in debt after my bachelor's program. From looking at the cost of distance doctoral programs, they seem quite high, weighing in at around 50K at minimum. Does the type of jobs one can find with an online doctoral degree provide for a somewhat liveable lifestyle with the ability to repay loans?

    4. How easy is it to find faculty positions for online or small regional institutions for those with an online PhD?

    5. If one cannot find such a position, will having an online PhD be beneficial in the private sector?

    I realize these are quite involved questions, so I'd like to thank everyone in advance for your time and aid.
     
    jadoo1989, Dec 20, 2014
    #1
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    There are some of the schools offers online for Doctorate in Information Technology/Systems and Security/Assurance.
    - I don't see any of the program would allow you to enter the Doctorate degree without a Master degree program.
    - Capella University - Ph.D in Information Technology
    - Capitol College (Synchronous Mode) - Doctor of Science in Information Assurance
    - Colorado Technical University - Doctorate of Computer Science w/ various specialization
    - Nova Southeastern University - Ph.D in Computer Science/ Information Assurance/ Information Systems
    - Walden University - Doctor of Information Technology
    - Charles Sturt University (Australia) - Doctor of Information Technology

    Nova Southeastern University does have scholarship, but limited spot and require heavy residency (twice per semester during course works).

    2. Stick with Non-Profit/Public Universities, and the one with residency. And for teaching, would recommend to stick with Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) is academia vs Doctor of ...(professional Doctorate degree).

    3. There are plenty of scholarship out there, you have to hunt around. Even though B&M Doctorate requires huge costs in term of Teaching and Researches.

    4. No comments, I have no experience in obtaining teaching position

    5. It is good to be an indepenent consulting.
     
    TEKMAN, Dec 22, 2014
    #2
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Of the two, it's much easier to find a teaching position in cybersecurity than management.

    You're unlikely to find this, and even if you do it won't help you, because they'll let you into the doctoral program, but will require you to complete all the Master's degree requirements along the way.

    Rightly or wrongly, I think it's fair to say that well known for profit universities such as Phoenix are seen more negatively than public or non-profit institutions. So on the list Tekman gave you, that would suggest a preference for Capitol College and Nova Southeastern. You might think that foreign institutions could be a good option, but Americans can be very provincial when it comes to universities that are located abroad so if your goal is teaching domestically, I might stick with domestic institutions.

    Honestly, when it comes to doctoral programs, often not. Instructors, particularly at the sorts of instititions you describe, are poorly paid, and that's assuming you can even fina full time position.

    Having earned your doctorate online certainly won't help you, but many factors go into hiring decisions, and there are occasional success stories.

    Not really, especially in a field like information security where what really matters is whether you can demonstrate that you know what you're doing.
     
    SteveFoerster, Dec 22, 2014
    #3
  4. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I would add Dakota State University to the list. It's probably one of the cheaper options if not the cheapest. I think they allow entry with just a bachelor's degree.

    Program: Information Systems, D.Sc. - Dakota State University - Acalog ACMS
     
    sanantone, Dec 22, 2014
    #4

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