Degree dilemma. . .what would you do?

Hi all -

First off, thanks for all of your help so far; I've learned much from just being an active member over the past month.

Secondly, I've debated this question in my head for months and thought I'd throw it out to all of you to see your thoughts. . .

My undergraduate degree is in Communications and my master's is in Higher Education, both from large-state schools. I've been teaching online for about four years, primarily first-year experience courses. Prior to this, I was on the administrative side of higher education in various positions.

My dilemma is this. . .

It seems more and more online schools are only hiring those with doctorate degrees. I believe that I'm lucky as I got into online teaching when it was fairly new and have been pretty successful at it. I'm afraid, though, at some point, this luck will run out.

Also, since my master's is in a more general subject-matter (I originally thought I'd stay on the administrative side of college life, not teaching), the courses I can teach are limited.

Here's my question. . .

How "worth it" is a Ph.D.? I could only, for personal reasons, pursue a degree online and am not sure that the $50,000 or so that it would cost me is "worth it."

Does it make more sense for me to complete the graduate courses (I think most require about six) in a specific discipline so that I would then be more marketable as an instructor? This, I figure, would cost me much less and, perhaps, serve me just as well in the future.

I really would like the Ph.D., but primarily for personal edification (and to make friends and family call me doctor. . .ha, ha, ha). Alternately, if I'd never recoup these funds from my career, I could live without it.

Not sure so I seek any/all opinions. . .

Thanks in advance -
Allison

 

Allison - There was recently a thread entitled "Will Your Degree Pay For Itself"
http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22989
You might want to look at it. In your situation, which is not entirely unlike my own, it seems to make sense to do the PhD but to do it in the most inexpensive manner.
South Africa.
Jack

 

First of all, define "worth it."
A: Accounting worth: (a) Add up future salary with no further education and subtract zero educational expense, then (b) Add future salary with doctorate and subtract your tuition payments, then (c) Ask which is greater.
B: Economic worth: A thing is worth whatever mutually agreed upon price at which a willing buyer will buy and a willing seller will sell.
C: Psychological worth: If you enjoy going to school, then it's worth it.

 

Thanks Jack. . .

I did first review this thread and found it quite helpful.

Primarily, I was seeking others thoughts on completing a few courses in a specific discipline versus a Ph.D. as well as everyone's opinions on the eventual hiring (possibly, but hopefully not for me ) of only those with doctorates for teaching.

Allison

 

Oh! And then there's the Ann Landers/Dear Abby version of "worth it."
Letter Writer: Ann/Abby, I'm thinking of going for my doctorate, but I'm not sure if I should because I'll be fifty years old by the time I finish up in six years.
Ann Landers/Dear Abby: And how old did you think you would be in six years if you don't finish your doctorate?

 

Re: Thanks Jack. . .

The answer in the accounting worth sense might depend upon which field. You might check www.salary.com and see if salaries differ for communications professors vs. education professors. As for the hiring of doctorally-qualified faculty only, universities (like any other employers) will do whatever they can get away with in hiring. If there are enough otherwise unemployed PhDs in your field, universities might well get away with demanding that all faculty have the doctorate. By comparison, if demand for professors in your field is hoppin' and there are relatyively few unemployed docs in your field, then the master's degree might well remain quite serviceable. If you are talking about a specific situation with a specific university (as in, the one you're working for now), it might behoove you to find out whether they're grandfathering in all their current master's-qualified faculty and demanding the doctorate only of their new faculty or whether they're requiring their current master's-qualified faculty to get doctorates as well, and, if so, how long they have to meet this new qualification. Now, if that were the case and the order has come down from on high to get the doctorate or leave within such-and-such amount of time, then the expense of the doctorate and the future income to be derived therefrom might need to be compared to what you might make in alternate employment elsewhere with your current degrees. Just a few thoughts.

 

First and foremost, you have to pursue a doctorate because you want one. It's all about you. Second, there is nothing wrong with pursuing a doctorate for personal enrichment. In fact, you might get more out of it if that is your motive. Third, you don't have to spend 50k to obtain a doctorate. If you can find an online university that will accept your Masters credits, then you're 30 credits closer towards a doctorate. Northcentral University accepted 30 credits of my MA degree towards a doctorate.

 

Allison,

Have you considered pursuing a second Masters degree in a discipline that your interested in teaching? This might broaden the number of courses that you're qualified to teach.

Just a thought.

BTW, NCU (http://www.ncu.edu) will accept up to 30 graduate level credits towards their PhD programs. This might be attractive to you.

Good luck!

- Tom