A DETC doctorate -- Why *not* ?

Let's remove the big five obvious reasons from the discussion:

1) Time/Effort.
2) Money.
3) Largely looked down upon and discriminated against by traditional academia.
4) Probably cannot transfer credits to other programs.
5) Often limited professional utility.

Otherwise, why not get a DETC-accredited doctorate if you're interested in the experience and challenge of it?

 

Honestly, I fail to see the point. If you are going to put the work in, why would you limit yourself with # 3, 4, and 5 above? I do not see how you can eliminate those reasons from the discussion.

 

Not just the experience or challenge of it should be the reason for pursuing a DETC -accredited doctorate. If you want to be called a doctor, or if you want to learn and earn an accredited degree at a substantially reduced tuition costs, a DETC degree is a good option. Also, assuming you intend to work in another country in the future, and a doctorate may position you better for such plans, then pursuing a doctorate from any school that is accredited by any form of accrediting agency might also make sense.

Further, have you ever found yourself looking for a specific doctorate degree that online RA schools do not offer? If a DETC school offers one, then that is good justification for pursuing it. For example, very limited online RA schools offer PhD in Information Technology (Capella's PhD in Information Technology is too expensive for many; attempting to attend Capella may equate to financial suicide). They all seem to only offer PhD in Business Administration with strange specializations. For folks (I'm one of them) who do not want ANY business administration degree, a cheap DETC accredited PhD or DSc in Information Technology (or any other technology area as long as business is not included in the name) may serve their needs perfectly.

Finally, many who pursue doctoral degrees do so with hopes of teaching at some point. However, if one's plan does not include teaching at the graduate level (master and PhD), which is what doctoral degrees qualify you for, then a DETC accredited program is good enough overall; especially, considering the fact that one can teach undergraduate classes with an RA master's degree, and many employers in some industries do not pay particular attention to differences in accreditation.

 

When looking at a DBA I think the question is how much money and how limited in utility, versus other reasons one might pursue a doctorate. If our favorite university named after a tree comes through we may see a DBA that compares favorably in expense with some hobbies.

Phillip

 

I would like to suggest that you scratch #4 off the list. My reasoning is this: If you actually earned a DETC doctoral degree, why would you be transferring credits? You've got your degree, are you starting a second (this time RA) doctoral program? I know that occasionally people earn more than one doctoral degree but if you're going to earn an RA PhD then why earn a DETC doctoral degree first?

Beyond that I'd say that a DETC DBA might look OK sitting on top of an MBA. A DA might look good sitting on top of an MEd. I'm all good with that. I just think that you need to know precisely why you're earning such a degree and have done some research that indicates that such a degree is actually capable of doing what you want it to do.

And beyond that I'll ask a provocative question: Which would be more valuable, a DETC doctoral degree or a non-US research based doctoral degree as is available from British, Australian or South African universities? Personally, I'd rather earn a PhD from UNISA than a DA from HMU.:hijacked:

 

Eh, if you're sure that it meets your needs, go for it. Ex, just need a degree starting with a "D" to get a raise, or doing it entirely for personal edification.)

But for most people, the negatives will be just too much to overcome. Ex, even if you have no plans of teaching now, why limit your potential options in the future?

 

I tried to remove the reasons that have been beaten to death here and I do think that your suggested conversation would be a fascinating one.

 

Good point but you could always rack up RA graduate classes to teach certain subject areas. I think your odds of getting a tenured position with even an RA online doctorate will be low.

This brings up an interesting question:

Would you be better off (for teaching online) with CalSouthern's NA PsyD @ $295/cr + 18 low cost RA graduate credits in psychology or University of the Rockies' RA PsyD @ $882.00/cr (or insert other RA psychology doctorate here).

 

It is a toss up for me, I can see the pros and cons of each. I'd probably lean to the foreign PhD if a degree were magically handed to me but if I had to go through the process I think I'd have to say HMU.

 

OK, it seems like you just said that the MHU degree would be easier to earn. And that's why I'd rather have the UNISA degree.

 

If I can afford go to graduation, no contest.

Phillip

 

I can't say which would be easier to earn, to be honest, but the process of HMU sounds much more appealing from a personal development standpoint. What I meant was that I'd rather go through the experience of HMU than UNISA but I'd probably rather have a UNISA PhD on my resume.

 

The problem is that some DETC-accredited schools won't accept NA degrees to teach. I know of one DETC school that mandates an RA degree as a qualification in their job announcements. I suspect several other DETC schools have similar policies, though possibly unwritten, based on the lack of NA degrees held by their faculty members.

 

How many DETC doctorates have been awarded so far? I suspect that the number is very small, if not zero.
So the requirement for an RA degree may be a way of avoiding various non-accredited doctorates. I suspect the policy may change as more DETC doctorates are awarded.

 

This is hypocritical. Many schools are guilty of this. I have seen many state schools that offer online programs and then will not hire someone with a degree from such a program. Thus, they offer it but they consider it inferior.

 

It's a policy that is in place NOT "based on the of lack of NA degrees held by their faculty members." Instead, in my opinion, it is a policy based on the notion that everyone recognizes RA accredited degrees to be the gold standard. So the policy is set to encourage potential students to enroll because their faculty is staffed by RA degree holders. IS this not the same lame argument: it is okay to get your degree from my degree millish school because our faculty or your professors have degrees from top-notch schools? Should the argument not be because our faculty all have highly regarded degrees, maybe you should try to get your degree from a top school too? Instead of get it from our degree mill?

It is total nonsense to offer DETC degree, but somehow, the same degree that you offer is not good enough for teaching at the same school or at another DETC school (this is why enrollment at these schools will continue to go down because folks are "catching up" on the scam). Likewise, B & M schools offer online degrees, but graduates from those programs are not good candidates for employment at the school (I know some schools have as a policy not to staff their faculty with for students; this argument is based on schools that don't, and many do not have this policy). In my opinion, if the same degree that you make money from selling to people are not good, is it not a scam to sell an education that you this is substandard? Pure nonsense and hypocrisy!!!