Changed My Mind. I *WILL* Be Getting a Ph.D. After All.

People have full-time jobs and kids to take care of, yet they still have time to get their bachelor's degrees and even enjoy hobbies. Doctoral work may be more difficult, but there's no reason I can't do the same. All my reasons for not getting a Ph.D. were just excuses. I don't need to spend 20 hours per week on hobbies. It's more than enough for me to spend about 5 hours per week. So for anyone else looking for an excuse not to get a Ph.D., stop looking, because you're not going to find it. Five years from now, you will be right back on these forums wishing you had gotten started now.

Northcentral University (NCU) is still on my short list. I would like to attend Walden, but it's just too expensive to pay $1,500 for each residency as well as airfare, hotel, and meal expenses. I also don't want to spend my vacation days on something that isn't a vacation. Same deal with Capella, except that Capella has another downside. The program just takes too long.

NCU - 51 semester units
Walden - 82 quarter units
Capella - 120 quarter units

 

Best of luck and really, what do you have to lose?

 

Thanks! Nothing to lose, really.

 

My preferences:

1. Walden
2. Capella
3. NCU

I like the first two because of their residency requirements.

 

Good look!

I'm currently enrolled in Walden's DBA program! I am thorougly enjoying the experience even though I'm new to the program.

Good luck to you on whatever you decide.

University of Memphis - BBA
Central Michigan University - MSA
University of Arkansas - MSOM
Walden University - Doctoral Candidate

 

I think you better keep a cool head and give yourself a month or two. Getting a PhD is a long term commitment. If you keep changing minds, you will end up wasting time and lots of money.

 

I think that this is smart.

 

Without explanation, these numbers are deceiving.

NCU: 51 semester hours excludes the MS degree hours necessary for addmittance. If you add the MS degree hours, you would have approx 85 total graduate hours.

Walden: This too excludes the MS hours. You can enroll in the Walden PhD program without an MS, but then the total quarter hours required jumps to 120+, which would include the MS equivalent in the PhD program

Capella: The 120hrs listed assumes no MS degree when you are admitted. Like Walden (and many other brick and mortar programs) you can enroll in most Capella PhD programs with no MS, but you must complete the equivalent of an MS in hours as a part of your doctoral program. If you have an MS already, then your doctoral program would be more like 80 quarter hrs.

When you translate semester hrs to quarter hrs, all three programs are almost the same length. All require an MS to be admitted, or you will be required to roll into your doctoral program the added work of an MS if you do not have one already.

 

Are you speaking from personal experience?

 

Capella requires a master's degree.

http://www.capella.edu/inc/pdf/admissions_requirements.pdf



Walden does, too:

http://www.waldenu.edu/Admissions/20577.htm

 

I assure you, if you call and ask specifically about this, you will be told that a transfer of credits from a Master's degree will be subtracted from the 120 hours. If you look on the Walden site (http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18175.htm), it also indicates 120+ credits for the PhD program. However, if you already have an MS, those credits get subtracted from that 120.

Call either school and ask. This is how it is done.

 

I was comparing the credits for the Criminal Justice Ph.D. program.

Also, although I have a master's degree, it's not in a related field. Which courses would be subtracted from my curriculum? I don't see how that would work, seeing that the curriculum is already set at the number of credits I posted above.

 

What they will do is evaluate your master's classes and see if any can be applied to your program. Usually even if you can't apply all of them because it's in a different field you'll get some that can be applied as electives, thus lowering the total number.

And I have to second Rich's opinion about residencies -- I found them to be extremely helpful and motivating, and I learned tons at mine.

Cheers,
Adrienne

 

Why do you think that a PhD is so important?

 

Why not? I want to be recognized in my field and a PhD would help with that.

 

Just using Capella as an example, I believe there are in excess of 50 "elective" credits in the 120 required. As with any program, electives are acceptably unrelated to your core area of study. They simply apply your MS credits to the electives bucket. It is normal and usual.

 

In your original post you told those of us who have decided not to pursue a PhD to give it up and start a program now, because if we don't we will be regretting it in a few years. So I asked you why it's so important to have a PhD.

"Why not" is pretty weak justification for spending tens of thousands of dollars and years of grueling effort.

Regarding being recognized in one's field, I don't know that a PhD is always the best way to approach that. A better idea might be to accomplish things that raise your profile and to take a more active and visible part in professional life.

In fields where a PhD is kind of the price of admission, the sciences for example, or university teaching, the degree represents advanced education and specialization, and people will probably be more interested in your intellectual cv than in your being a "doctor". Everyone else around you will be a doctor too and they won't really be tremendously impressed unless you give them some reason why they should be.

I'm not sure how impressive a typical DL doctorate would be in that kind of environment, anyway.

 

The accreditors more or less require that, don't they?

 

I see "why not" as a perfectly acceptable response. That is the reason I really started mine. Of course, things change and I got some stronger reasons to finish it but you don't need a stronger one to start it.

For me "Why not" - I have the time to start the course work, if I bail out I did learn something and earned some credits, I may be able to roll it back to an MBA instead, I get tuition assistance from my employer so it is "free", it is my hobby, life is about learning, .........

Years ago we had nothing to do on the weekend and had seen a "2 for 1" coupon to go snorkeling. My wife and I said "why not". We fell in love with it, took up scuba diving, traveled the Caribbean diving, and have a great hobby that all started with a "why not". You just never know where the first step will take you. Does that make sense?