Doctoral Degree Search

Looking for US or foreign based 'brick' n 'mortar', regionally accredited (no DETC), research or structured modules, no Public Administration, NO class attendence required, Doctoral degree in either of the following:

(a) Government

(b) Social Science

(c) Public Policy

(d) Legal Science

(e) Juridical Science

(f) Political Science

(g) Public Affairs


Thank You...

 

Let's see...

You are possibly looking into a foreign based doctorate that is also RA...I guess foreign universities are out.

You are also possibly looking for a B&M, RA university with no class attendance...if by no class attendance, you also mean no residencies, then all of the RA, B&M universities that I know about are also out.

You're SOL...

Take a look at the DANTES catalog. The DANTES catalog has an excellent list of RA universities that offer DL doctorates. Just rule out the non-B&M universities and those in which you have no interest in and contact each university left on your list to check their policy on attendance. The nice thing about the DANTES catalog is that their list isn’t very long because they limit it to RA universities.

Also, if an RA equivalent university is okay then you have quite a few foreign universities to choose from, many of which have been mentioned numerous times in this forum.

 

Try this

I just started looking myself.

Take a look at Northcentral University.

No guarantees, it looks like it meets your criteria, but I've basically just bookmarked it for now to look at this weekend.

Let me know what you think

 

Sigh....

Some observations:

You won't find a U.S. B&M school without residency requirements.

You might find a foreign school without residency requirements, but avoid all travel to these schools is extremely difficult. This is true even with dissertation-only programs--primarily because they aren't really "dissertation only"; they use the dissertation as the sole means of determining whether or not you pass, but the school and/or your advisor will likely have many study requirements for you. Expect to spend at least a few days each semester on campus.

You won't find a U.S.-based school without classes. The closest to that model are Union Institute and University and Fielding Graduate Institute. But both require residencies and neither are B&M.

Northcentral does not meet your requirements, despite what another poster said. NCU isn't B&M. Nor does it offer degrees in your stated areas of interest. Speaking of which.....

Doctoral study is highly specialized. One normally enters it to master a particular field of study--a field one usually has academic and/or professional experience in--and also to create new contributions to it. Having a huge list of possible degree majors makes it look like you've not yet made this all-important decision--one that, by the time you start contemplating doctoral study, you've already made by default from your previous academics and experiences. You'll need to decide what you are first, then seek the degree program that will help you advance.

 

Re: Re: Doctoral Degree Search

The only two universities that I am aware of that are RA and do not require any physical attendance of any kind are Touro University International and NCU. But neither are B&M.

I don't recall seeing anything close to what you want from Touro but NCU does offer a PhD with a specialization in Public Administration.

Good luck in your search.

 

THANKS

Actually, I have been looking at Charles Sturt University - they claim to be totally online/distance. However, their Public Policy Doctoral Degree is structured for Law Enforcement interests. Charles Sturt did say that they have Residential Institutes in the US but while a student is strongly encouraged to attend, those are not manditory.

Deakin University's SJD also purports to be a strictly online/off-campus degree and I have sent them an application, after several emails back and forth.

I just wanted to say that the reason I am not very strict on my PhD of choice is because I am seeking a PhD for status. I plan on a career in Politics and a PhD will help in lending credibility and status, if you will. If for no other reason, I am interested in a PhD because I like to experience study at the PhD level. I have no interest in teaching.

I am currently enrolled in Nova's PhD in Conflict Resolution but I plan to transfer.

In the meantime, thank you for your suggestion. I will visit DANTES.

Thanks....

 

Re: THANKS

Newt Gingrich has a PhD but never uses the title as far as I know. I think a PhD in politics is a kiss of death. Those who have it, and are in politics, don't use it from what I see.

Any thoughts on the DBA? Newcastle(in Australia) has a good looking program. 100% distance, too.

I'm partial to Northcentral...but I would be as I am a student there. They have a program in public administration.

 

Re: Re: THANKS

Interesting...

I know a lot of politicians have law degrees but I didn't realize that the PhD was a negative thing for their careers.

I guess having smart politicians in office is threatening to the vast majority of Americans.

Is this how threads start to go awry?

 

Thanks for correcting me Rich

I was focused on the non-residency portion.

True, NCU is not B&M, but it is purely Distance. Even the Dissertation defense is distance, I found that odd for a RA.

 

Re: THANKS

It's not apparent that the PhD has any value whatsoever in American electoral politics. Offhand, I can only think of a few PhDs who went on to become prominent political figures:

- Woodrow Wilson (Johns Hopkins): a long time ago, degree awarded in 1886
- Newt Gingrich (Tulane): who does not advertise his degree; most voters don't know about it
- Alan Keyes (Harvard): who has never actually won an election

There must be others, but I still doubt that it's a particularly valuable credential for a politician.

Sad to say, the PhD does not actually provide much status except in academia, and even there it is slipping as universities fill up with underemployed PhDs in post-doctoral and adjunct positions.

 

The J.D. is also losing ground in politics. I don't know; it could be a sign of growing populism...might not even be unhealthy in the long run.

 

LadyEx

I'd be VERY interested to hear more about Deakin's S.J.D.

According to their website, it's open "to continuing students only". From what you post, that's not entirely accurate?

I don't recall if you have a first degree in law; if not, how did you get around it?

 

There is a list of college degrees held by US Senators of the 108th Congress here. This is the 2003-2004 Congress, so it is not quite current.

By my count, 61 of 100 senators had law degrees (J.D., LL.B., LL.M, or LL.D.). So law degrees have a lot of ground to lose, at least in the US Senate.

I also counted eight MBA degrees, one MD degree, and (interestingly enough) two DVM degrees. But zero PhDs.

Only one senator did not have any college degree.

 

CalDog,

Keep in mind that in the U.S., the LL.D. is virtually always an honorary degree and is awarded without reference to whether the recipient is a lawyer.

Take a look at the most recent edition of the California Bar Journal for October 2005 for the story:

www.calbar.ca.gov

 

CalDog,

You're sure right, though. There are still a lot of lawyers in the Senate!

 

The conventions may have been different in 1958. That's when Pete Domenici (you probably know what state he represents) was awarded an LL.D. by the University of Denver. It appears to be an earned (not honorary) law degree; Domenici apparently practiced law with it before entering politics.

That's the only LL.D. degree on the list in question. All of the other law degrees on the list appear to be earned J.D. degrees, or LL.B. degrees (the older equivalent). Two of the J.D.s also have LL.M. degrees.

 

Yeah, I am painfully aware of Senator Dominici. Actually, one of his daughters was in my law school class one year; I think she finished up in a school in D.C.

But I'd be REALLY surprised to leard that he, or anyone else alive today, ever practiced law on the strength of an LL.D. in the United States.

I think the good Senator received an LL.B. from the University of Denver in 1958.

 

Law degrees in entire 108th Congress (House and Senate) here.

Senate = 61.0 % have law degrees (61 of 100)
House = 39.9 % have law degrees (169 of 435)

Total 108th Congress = 43.0 % have law degrees (230 of 535).

Does not include non-voting members, two of whom also have law degrees.

 

Having a PhD might well be a disadvantage in American politics. Somebody important, maybe Will Rogers or H. L. Mencken, said that no voter will support a candidate who is smarter than he (the voter) is himself . . .

GB

 

Interesting.

I wonder what the trend in the House has been over the last few Congresses?

So, CalDog, are you suggesting that LadyEx should consider a law degree? I made that suggestion to her some time ago but she wasn't interested...