DL Ph.D. Candidates - What's required Day to Day?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by WiseOne, Feb 3, 2002.

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  1. WiseOne

    WiseOne New Member

    Fielding, Nova Southeastern University, Capella, and UOP: What is required on a weekly basis from students in these programs to receive their Ph.Ds.
     
  2. Dr Dave

    Dr Dave New Member

    I spent a couple of years at Fielding and can answer your question in that particular context. During the time you are engaged in the eight knowledge areas (KAs), nothing is required of the the student day to day in respect to deadlines. To bring any KA to closure, of course, you must complete/submit acceptable work products to satisfy the breadth and depth criteria in demonstrating your grasp of the subject matter. But once you have had your learning contract approved for that KA, you have the latitude to do your thing without somebody following up or forcing you to keep to a schedule.

    Given my own learning style (and everyone's is a little different), I found this to be highly problematic for two reasons: 1) In demonstating depth and breadth, I tend to be an overachiever and a stickler for high quality. In fact, I am harder on myself that any faculty member could ever be. A couple of the faculty tried to gently clue me in that I was doing far more than necessary. 2) Fielding's tuition system runs on the taxi meter priciple--as long as you're matriculating, you'll be billed like clockwork based on time, not on a KA (i.e., coursework at another institution). In fact, it is contrary to Fielding's financial self-interests to try to motivate students to pick up the pace. The longer someone is there doing satisfactory work, and the longer the taxi meter runs, and the better it is for Fielding. (Their tuition is very high too, as you know.)

    When you combine #1 and #2 above, you can begin to see the danger of being in the program for too long. Back then I was covered by a corporate 100% tuition reimbursement plan, so I didn't worry too much about it. When I eventually left the company though and lost that financial benefit, it was one impetus (along with some other factors) to rethink my educational strategy. Ultimately, I decided that a DBA would be more useful to me in my work than Fielding's PhD in HOD, so I left Fielding and did a more structured DBA program elsewhere. None of this is meant to say that Fielding is not a good choice for many. It is, as long as one is totally comforable with the learning contract model and knows exactly when to say "the end".

    Dave
     
  3. Andy Borchers

    Andy Borchers New Member

    Nova's program (at least in Business) appears to be somewhat more structured than some other programs I've read about. I spent 4.5 years on mine - some folks finished in 3 years, but not many. Day to day you have a lot to do:

    1. Eight core classes require either monthly class meetings at cluster sites or week long seminars in Ft. Lauderdale. There is a lot of work to do ahead of and after class meetings. One of the things that I liked at NSU was the face to face class meetings. It really allows you to get know peers and faculty. Sidebars are often as instructive as the material.

    2. Public policy and strategy had to be taken in Washington and Ft. Lauderdale, respectively, in week long seminars.

    3. Research methods - Students have to complete a series of research methods courses. These are either computer mediated or face to face.

    4. Comps - Students have to complete two comps - one after 20 hours and one near the end.

    5. Publication - Students have to publish an article in a peer reviewed publication or conference proceedings.

    6. Conference - Students have to attend a professional conference related to their field. IT students attend AIS (Association for Information Systems), marketing students attend a marketing seminar (American Marketing Association?), management students go to the Academy of Management. This isn't a free ride. I had to attend and write summaries of sessions.

    7. Dissertation track - This is probably the toughtest. Here you have to create your own dissertation without the structure of the items above. It seems to me this was the point that stopped people if they didn't finish the program. It takes some real initiative to find a topic and do the work.

    Regards - Andy
     
  4. Howard

    Howard New Member

    At Capella the day-to-day involvement differs by department. In human services you are required to post each week. In psychology I believe you are required to post twice each week. You are also required to have a major project for each course. Howard Rodgers PhD - 1999
     

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