WaNt New DL Programs????

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by tmartca, Sep 20, 2004.

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  1. tmartca

    tmartca New Member

    I would like to propose a couple of questions:

    What programs do you think should be offered through DL that is not already being offered??

    For instance, I have been looking for an MA degree program in Geography. I found one program, but it was aimed at teachers who teach geography, not exactly what I was looking for. I have found no other programs. UoL used to have one, but apparently they are not offering it anymore.

    Now there are some Geographic Information Science degree programs through DL. I have seen GIS programs being offered through Northwest Missouri State and Penn State. However, this is not exactly the same as a degree program in Geography. Sure they are related. However, Economics and Psychology are related in the sense that they are both social science subjects, but no one will confuse one for the other.

    Or if a school is going to add a DL program in a subject where there are many other similar programs (like a MBA program), what would you propose to that school in order to make its new program stand out from the rest??
     
  2. plcscott

    plcscott New Member

    Sex Education since there is a lot of research material available on the net. :D

    Seriously, I would like to see most all majors available via the internet one day. I realize there are some professional programs that may not be able to completed via distance like medicine and dentistry, but most others could.
     
  3. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    A masters degree in technical/professional studies that would include credit for publications/portfolios.
     
  4. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    As I’ve said here before, I have no interest in degrees in the general professional fields that are most common in the DL world – programs such as:
    • Business administration, management
      Organizational development, human resources, etc.
      Healthcare administration
      Human services administration
      Public administration
      Technology management
      Project management
      Environmental management
      Information technology, computer science, information systems, e-commerce, etc.
      Education
      Pharmacy
      Nursing
      Psychology (including school psychology, family therapy, etc.)
    I’m interested in most programs OTHER than these!

    I wish I could filter all of these out. This would make it easier to spot interesting programs – such as Napier’s MSc in Wildlife Biology (which includes a 2 week field trip to Africa).

    New programs that I wish were offered? I would like to see more science (not technology) programs – especially in biology.

    But I can’t see myself pursuing any of these. So this is simply a dilettante’s view!
     
  5. anthonym

    anthonym New Member

    There should be a DL, R.A. doctorate in history.
     
  6. NNAD

    NNAD New Member

    Lib Arts DA or D LITT via DL

    How about a non-phd doctorate that is focused on breadth and interdisciplinary studies instead of one concentration. An alternative to the research degree, it could be teaching, writing, or lifelong learning oreintated.

    How about combining one professional area (business, education, public admin, health care, ministry) with one or more liberal arts and sciences with a focus again on breadth of study.

    Excelsior, TESC, or maybe AMU/APUS could pull it off if they tried.
     
  7. airtorn

    airtorn Moderator

    Something like Idaho State's Doctor of Arts in Political Science.

    A masters in economics from an American school.

    An ABA JD proram.
     
  8. mrw142

    mrw142 New Member

    A PhD or DBA in Buiness Admin/Management thats:

    1). AACSB-accredited

    2). Offered through an established non-profit U.S. University

    3). With minimal residency
     
  9. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    It seems that most Humanities topics are ignored. There's always an overlap between Humanities and Arts but subjects like Philosophy (my favorite), History, English, etc. all lend themselves well to the internet. To my knowledge, there is only one RA DL Philosophy Masters degree program. Could that be the limit of the market? I think not.
    Jack
     
  10. Buckwheat

    Buckwheat New Member

    I'm 100% with you!
    Gavin
     
  11. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Why? Is there some pocket of potential historians, desperately needed by society, that is untapped because they cannot be educated by means other than DL?

    Or, is there a demand for such degrees? If there was, there would be many schools--with an eye on the profitability of DL programs--that would step in to fill the void. But that doesn't seem to be happening, despite many market-sensitive schools offering DL doctorates in a number of fields. But not history.

    If the need was there, someone would fill it.
     
  12. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Holy market, mother of degrees, provide for us seekers now and in the hour of our dearth.
     
  13. anthonym

    anthonym New Member

    So, you're saying that the only evidence that a degree program is needed is that it currently exists? There is currently a DL M.A. in History program at Sam Houston State, a DL M.A. in Humanities with an emphasis in history at CSU and a DL MLS with a concentration in history at Fort Hays as well as DL history doctorates overseas. It stands to reason there might be a pool of potential DL students to support a DL history Ph.D. in the U.S. Certainly, there is room for new DL programs, history or otherwise.
     
  14. Tireman4

    Tireman4 member

    I agree with Rich. Guys I am coming at this from this end. There has to be a market for it. There is not. There are TOO many Phd history degrees as it is. Colleague of mine in my current class at A&M who teaches at Sam Houston State University told me that there were two job openings there. Guess how many applicants for both. 150 each. 150 Phd's each. A DL history may not happen for awhile, if ever. Second, the mindset of the traditional historian has to change. It took forever for historians to embrace the computer. Dr CV Woodward handed in handwritten pages to his secretary while he was at Yale. You gotta change the mindset and the job market. Until you change that, it may never happen.
     
  15. tmartca

    tmartca New Member

    Originally posted by Rich Douglas
    Or, is there a demand for such degrees? If there was, there would be many schools--with an eye on the profitability of DL programs--that would step in to fill the void. But that doesn't seem to be happening, despite many market-sensitive schools offering DL doctorates in a number of fields. But not history.

    If the need was there, someone would fill it.


    Originally posted by anthonym
    So, you're saying that the only evidence that a degree program is needed is that it currently exists? ... Certainly, there is room for new DL programs, history or otherwise.

    I believe that history departments that have offered a traditional PhD program may have a faculty or administration that is not very tech literate and may not be comfortable with teaching in an online environment. For instance, when I was an undergrad at UC I asked told one of my political science professors that I was thinking of taking an online program in political science, international relation or something similar. He looked at me weird and I asked what was wrong with that. He said that he didn't know such programs existed. So it may just be similar in History departments.

    Another issue may go to the lack of demand angle would be that potential students may not get tuition reimbursement for taking this program as opposed to a doctorate in their field of practice. Imagine an engineer or a manager asking his boss or other company rep for tuition assistance for his/her PhD in History. Its simple economics, if customers are not subsidized, even partially, then there will be less of a market base.

    Personally, I don't buy the argument that there is not enough of a demand to have at least one DL PhD program in History. The US has hundreds or millions or people who enjoy one of the best standards of living in the world. It's not exactly like were living in a 3rd world country where food is scarce. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Food and other necessities are readily available if you have the cash. And I don't think were talking about the same number of programs for History as there are for an MBA or even business doctorates (PhD/DBA/DM).

    Also, there are some universities that simply are behind the curve as far as implementing DL education. The UC system is a perfect example. It was at one time the most highly regarded public university system in the world. Today, it still up there but not as well regarded as before. Many of the equipment used is dated. The LA Times had an article a few months back about the deterioration and dated equipment at UCB's Physics department. They did further investigating and discovered that this was the case system wide. I guess it is no surprise that they barely started the systems first DL masters program. In fact, I think that's the only DL degree program that the UC offers. Of course, there are the extensions that offer some online courses, but they are not really concentrated or focused to particular degree or certificates.

    It simply comes down to the innovative ability of the people who are responsible for creating and maintaining such a program. If they are not willing and able to run such a program it simply will not be done.
     
  16. anthonym

    anthonym New Member

    Tireman4,

    Nevertheless, there is no shortage of people seeking a Ph.D. in history. What motivates you or your friend to pursue traditional history Ph.D.s at A&M when you both know the tenured, fulltime positions are scarce? You both must have some other goal or motivator. Secondary teachers and community college faculty, for example, are groups that might pursue a DL History Ph.D. The DL Ph.D. in Classical Civilization at the University of Florida, designed for secondary teachers, is a good model for a standard history program.

    http://www.classics.ufl.edu/distance/distancephd.htm#3./
     
  17. Buckwheat

    Buckwheat New Member

    Ok,
    The need for a Ph.D in history may not be in such high demand as other graduate degrees such as in business; thus we throw the founding principle of self-enrichment and resume building out the window? Might as well advocate that for other degrees as well! Afterall, there are rumblings that MBA's are reaching a saturation point too!

    I think if another college that was stateside and RA other than U. of fla. and Union stepped up they would find enough takers.

    Gavin
     
  18. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    I would like to see the creation of a full-scale distance-learning university, one that offers all of the programs offered by a major research university, provided that the subjects lend themselves to distance-learning deliver media.

    The laboratory sciences would be problematic, as would the performing arts, medicine and quasi-medical subjects, etc.

    But the text-based subjects could transfer easily. By that I mean those subjects where laboratories or hands-on practical experiences aren't necessary and where instruction typically consists of lectures and classroom discussion.

    Examples of possible majors include: African Studies, Agricultural Economics, American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Mathematics, Art History, Arts Administration, Asian Studies, Astrophysics... And that's just from the A's. (Obviously, some specialities and research problems in these fields would lend themselves to DL better than others.)

    I propose a university that does that all the way down the alphabet to Z. A university that can bring all of these majors to students no matter where they are located. You may be in a snowbound cabin in the Grand Tetons, but if you have internet access, there's no reason why you can't be studying arcane problems in applied mathematics just as if you lived in Berkeley. The technical means exist, all that's lacking is the will.

    Frankly, I think that all of this talk about markets is a red herring. If the market for higher education exists in Berkeley or in Cambridge Mass., it exists. The question is whether students can be given the opportunity to study in a wider variety of locations, or whether higher education is going to be restricted to a few favored places.

    In fact, as I've argued repeatedly, it's precisely the low-demand subjects that might lend themselves best to DL.

    For example, take the Pali language. Obviously, the demand for degrees in this extinct language is pretty low. The only doctoral program in Pali that I know of in the United States is at Harvard. Oxford almost discontinued their program, until they received a private donation to keep it going.

    Now imagine that a DL program in Pali could recruit students all over the world, without geographical restrictions. There may only be one potential student here, two there, rarely enough to justify a university department. But collectively, if you could add them all up, there may be hundreds of prospective students out there, enough to easily support a thriving active department.

    So, if a DL university is going to have limitations in the lab sciences, it can make up for that by offering all the small obscure subjects that are hard to justify if their market is restricted to the students in just a single location.
     

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