PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Naseem, Jan 2, 2004.

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  1. Naseem

    Naseem New Member

    Hello,
    Does anyone know the minimum requirements to graduate with a PhD in interdisciplinary studies from Union Institute & University? Is Union Institute & University a respectable university? The program sounds interesting because one doesnt have to concentrate on just one major or topic while earning his Phd.
    Thanks.
     
  2. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    The last time I checked the Union web site they had a pretty good listing of the process. Beyond that I'd say that you may have a slightly inaccurate idea about what a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies means. Eventually you will have to pick a specific topic upon which you will write your dissertation. That topic may be interdisciplinary in nature but it will be specific. There are a couple of members on the forum who could say more as they have gone through the process and earned their PhDs through Union. Perhaps while you wait for their responses you could peruse the Union web site.
    Jack
     
  3. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    It is my understanding that the Interdisciplinary Studies option from UI&U allows one to combine different fields (like Steve Levicoff did with religion and law) or to develop a major in a specific field of interest (such as Rich douglas did with nontraditional education) to prepare for one's dissertation research.

    Dr. Rich and Dr. Steve can certainly give a much better first hand view of Union than I can.

    Tony Pina
    Faculty, Cal State U. San Bernardino
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Jack and Tony are on it. Let me add....

    Union offers the degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. But all learners declare a concentration--mine was in higher education. Most also declare an emphasis or two--mine was in nontraditional higher education.

    The degree is interdisciplinary for a couple of reasons. Union, when established, was trying to do doctoral education differently, recognizing the value of blending disciplines when tackling research issues. All Union learners must include interdisciplinarity in their degree programs, spelling it out in the Learning Agreements and, later, in their Program Summaries. My program combined higher education, human resources management, and business administration.

    You must complete a series of new learning, comparable to the coursework one normally does in a traditional doctoral program. You also have to complete residencies (entry colloquium, seminars, and peer days), a 500-hour internship, and a personal growth area. All of these are documented in your Program Summary, which also includes a significant Analysis and Reflection section. The Program Summary is often larger than the Project Demonstrating Excellence (PDE) the other document all learners must prepare.

    Consider the PDE to be the same as a dissertation. While Union allows learners to pursue alternative forms and methods, most learners do a traditional dissertation. Even when your PDE takes a nontraditional form, you still have to provide the research underpinnings for it, as well as analyze the outcomes. The effort is the same.

    Expect major changes to the Union Ph.D. program from its response to the Ohio Board of Regents report. It will be difficult for Union to continue awarding degrees in all areas (it doesn't have the faculty to justify this, relying instead on outside expertise). It gets by with this by (1) including two adjunct faculty members with subject-matter expertise on each learner's faculty, and (2) awarding the degrees with only "concentrations," not "majors." But the OBR was highly critical of this, saying Union didn't have the in-house expertise to supervise such wide range of learning. (They were also critical of some of the outcomes, supporting their contentions.)

    I expect them to curtail what they offer, offer alternate degree designations, establish in-house expertise in a few areas (thus limiting what they offer), not offer the Ph.D. to learners not doing dissertations, add a third adjunct to committees, require each learner to go through research methodolgy modules, require a dissertation proposal phase (and, thus a third committee meeting), and to establish competency areas for the degrees they continue to offer. But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
     
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Jack and Tony are on it. Let me add....

    Union offers the degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. But all learners declare a concentration--mine was in higher education. Most also declare an emphasis or two--mine was in nontraditional higher education.

    The degree is interdisciplinary for a couple of reasons. Union, when established, was trying to do doctoral education differently, recognizing the value of blending disciplines when tackling research issues. All Union learners must include interdisciplinarity in their degree programs, spelling it out in the Learning Agreements and, later, in their Program Summaries. My program combined higher education, human resources management, and business administration.

    You must complete a series of new learning, comparable to the coursework one normally does in a traditional doctoral program. You also have to complete residencies (entry colloquium, seminars, and peer days), a 500-hour internship, and a personal growth area. All of these are documented in your Program Summary, which also includes a significant Analysis and Reflection section. The Program Summary is often larger than the Project Demonstrating Excellence (PDE) the other document all learners must prepare.

    Consider the PDE to be the same as a dissertation. While Union allows learners to pursue alternative forms and methods, most learners do a traditional dissertation. Even when your PDE takes a nontraditional form, you still have to provide the research underpinnings for it, as well as analyze the outcomes. The effort is the same.

    Expect major changes to the Union Ph.D. program from its response to the Ohio Board of Regents report. It will be difficult for Union to continue awarding degrees in all areas (it doesn't have the faculty to justify this, relying instead on outside expertise). It gets by with this by (1) including two adjunct faculty members with subject-matter expertise on each learner's faculty, and (2) awarding the degrees with only "concentrations," not "majors." But the OBR was highly critical of this, saying Union didn't have the in-house expertise to supervise such wide range of learning. (They were also critical of some of the outcomes, supporting their contentions.)

    I expect them to curtail what they offer, offer alternate degree designations, establish in-house expertise in a few areas (thus limiting what they offer), not offer the Ph.D. to learners not doing dissertations, add a third adjunct to committees, require each learner to go through research methodolgy modules, require a dissertation proposal phase (and, thus a third committee meeting), and to establish competency areas for the degrees they continue to offer. But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
     
  6. Naseem

    Naseem New Member

    Thanks all for responding, your replies have been helpful.


    Can you say how many semester hours or/and courses are usually required to earn a phd at Union? Also, how is their reputation or credibility?
     
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    While there are no prescribed number of "courses" or "credits," you can expect to do around 5-9 content areas, plus all the other stuff. It all adds up to about 60 s.h. beyond the master's. I didn't use credits for my transcript, but it would have been 64 s.h.

    Reputation? Good academically, lousy administratively and financially. Credibility? What does this mean?

    The Union Ph.D. isn't an entry-level program. It's designed for mid-career adults who want to advance in their careers or, occasionally, to change careers. Some critics like to say that you don't see a lot of Union graduates teaching at traditional universities. Right. You see some, but I would guess most were teaching somewhere before they went to Union. Most learners are in non-teaching career fields, using the doctorate to advance their professions and their careers. That's what I did. I used the degree to change careers. But I wouldn't be caught dead at some assistant professorship. Besides, I did that in my 20's when I taught AFROTC. I can't imagine actually being on some traditional school's payroll as a professor.

    At a seminar I attended in 2002, here are some of the professions represented:

    Secondary school administrator
    Navy officer
    Counselor
    Researcher
    Social worker
    HR consultant
    Priest
    OD specialist
    Hospital administrator

    There wasn't a full-time university professor in the bunch, nor anyone striving to become one. For them, the degree had a great deal of credibility in their fields. Of course, you can find Union graduates teaching at accredited schools in many places. But most Union graduates go elsewhere.
     
  8. Naseem

    Naseem New Member

    Thanks Rich Douglas,

    I will be getting my MAT in elementary education in June 2004 (Hopefully), but I don't think i want to be a teacher anymore...during my studies it seems so stressful...administrator, coworkers, parents, politicians, and even students dont appear to be on a teacher's side. I had problems trying to control students behavior during my master's program so far and i hate be a disciplinarian or a babysitter....i just want to teach...so i may give up my hopes for actually becoming a teacher. That is why i wanted to earn my Phd in something but i don't know if i even have the determination to stay in a traditional phd program where we would continually have to conduct research, dissertion, etc. Moreover, to be honest, I dont know if i have the academic ability to earn a phd...my memory stinks, my creativity stinks (lost it in college schooling (lol), and without detmination...i dont want to write a book...i may postpone getting my Phd until i know what i want. I have been criticized by others for my BA major in sociology as useless, worthless and again criticized for my MAT major in education becauase of wanting to be a poorly respected, lowly paid teacher with alot of stress. I would happy to just get a decent 9-5 job where i can help people. Again thanks for the advice everyone. I put the college address on my internet browser's favorites for future reference.
    Naseem
    BA Sociology
    MAT (In progress to be completed in 06-2004) in Elementary Education
     
  9. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Naseem:

    If you feel you don't have what it takes to do a traditional Ph.D., you are not a good candidate for a leaerner-centered degree program like Union's. I can't tell you how many learners I've seen that were products of traditional programs, and who drowned in Union's. The notion of designing and executing an entire doctoral program is simply beyond some people. (Smart, capable people, but who don't grasp the idea that Union will require them to define their own directions and then take them.)

    On this board, it makes almost no sense to discuss Union along with the other DL doctoral programs (like Walden, NSU, NCU, UoP, Argosy, Capella, etc.). Union is utterly different from all of them. The others are traditional programs with nontraditional delivery systems. Union is another thing entirely.
     
  10. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    Union seems to be in doodoo with state authorities for the low quality of dissertations, among other things including the lack of expertise in areas they have granted degrees.

    I have heard of a case where a degree proposal, research, writing of a dissertation, acceptance thereof, and granting of a doctorate was accomplished in 8 months. Need I say more?

    It is at the bottom end of accredited schools, but because it is accredited, the degree should be more useful than an unaccredited degree.

    As a qualification the degree would get you a teaching job at many universities but any advancement would, of course, depend on other research and publication.
     
  11. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Again, Dennis, I urge you to identify the 8-month person. Please support your statements with the facts. :rolleyes:

    (NB: It took me longer. My Learning Agreement was certified in 1987. I graduated in 2003. There was a significant time off in the middle.)
     
  12. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    The ol' nomenclature kook had to ask: in light of the matters you mentioned from the OBR, any idea what alternate degree designations might be used, or might be appropriate?
     
  13. roysavia

    roysavia New Member

    I would think that any reputable school that is regionally accredited would not grant a doctorate degree (or any degree for that matter) in 8 months. Union was on my list of prospective schools when I was looking for a PhD program in sociology and business ethics. It is impossible for any candidate to complete the degree in less than 4-5 years. The only reason why I didn't choose Union was because I didn't want to cough up $15,000 U.S. per year in tuition.
     
  14. Naseem

    Naseem New Member

    Union University seems like a credible school and I have heard about Union's problems in Ohio before. I will probably wait until I actually graduate with my Masters this spring before deciding what i actually want to do. I guess like you said Rich, an indpendent program with little structure might be good for some and not others. I dont understand why it takes a couple years or so to get a masters but 4 or 5 yrs to earn a phd (from masters to a phd degree)?! What I hate most about all PhD programs that I know of is having to do research, writing a dissertion.....i did my time doing research papers and projects in BA, and MAT. I will postpone my decision for the future. Also, I don't know if anyone can complete a Phd program in 8 months!? Is it even possible?
    Even if there were no prerequisites for the different doctoral courses (which there is almost always are), one must live like a hermit...lol
    Thanks all for responding.
    Naseem
     
  15. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    It has been possible for some people to complete the degree in the minimum two years. Steve Levicoff did it. I'm on two learner's doctoral committees that will likely make it (or close). But 3-4 is the norm, and it's not unusual for it to take even longer.
     
  16. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

     
  17. Naseem

    Naseem New Member

    Nice analogy with the eggplant...lol.

    You all have given me alot to think about. I probably won't rush it....and decide later...after I have actually earned my master's degree in june 20004. I don't want to count my chickens before they have hatched. Union University is interesting because it sounds like there is alot of flexibility in the coursework. However, I am a shy person and would have difficult having to defend a dissertion. I still remember my first speech class in college....pepole were laughing at me and it made me feel uncomfortable...perhaps it was just the unfortunate events I told them about myself in the speech...but hey i did earn an "A".
    I would like Union to send me a catalogue...i have already requested one by email.

    AA is like Silver.
    BA is like Gold.
    MA is like Platinium.
    PHD is like ______?
    Night all.
     
  18. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    NB: It's "Union Institute and University," not "Union University." This is no small distinction, as Claude Pepper fans know.
     
  19. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    I just can't quite place the name.

    Since you brought it up, is 16 year old work relevant in a field that has evolved as much as distance education? Just curious.
     
  20. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Just clueless, you mean. :rolleyes:

    First you mis-state the facts regarding OBR because you have no idea what you're talking about. Then you distort the facts regarding my program (which, again, you haven't a clue about). What's it to you? Besides working a personal animus towards me, I mean.

    To answer your question (as if you could possibly understand the answer), yes, that work is quite relevant. But not sufficient. That's why I was required to submit a huge (100+ pages) work in my re-admittance package demonstrating my currency in this field. I have the advantage of first-hand, historical perspective. You, on the other hand, have only an MBA program (incomplete still?) from an unaccredited school. Enjoy. :cool:

    (This got a little personal, but only in response to a typical degree mill-shill attack from a fraud. You gotta stand up to people like this sometimes. Sorry.)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 5, 2004

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