Help with PhD (Education)/EdD

Hi,
Some of you might remember me. I've posted off/on these boards for over 5 years now. I have a B.A. (Union College) and a M.A.T. (Webster University) and want to pursue an EdD or PhD in Education.

I am nearly 40 and have been teaching for 15 years.

I live in Kansas City. On the Kansas side, there is an EdD program for people wanting to become district administrators. It is offered through KU for a total cost of $6000. But, that is not what I want to do. I want to be a researcher/writer in Education. Actually, I'm thinking of eventually starting my own charter type school for urban African American children. Maybe even a home-schooling institute for African-American children that will help black parents form "blocs" to home school their children.

I am losing more and more confidence in "districts" and so I am very unconcerned about learning how they think and even less unconcerned about learning how to become a district administrator.

On the Missouri side, UMKC offers a Interdisciplinary PhD. With out of state tuition, I am looking at about $20,000. I simply cannot afford that. Period. And, it would require me to do studies outside of my area.

So, I am looking at DE. Walden, Nova, Union are too expensive. And, to be honest - they may be "overkill" for what I am trying to do. So is Regents and actually all the RA ones. I look at South Africa but I get the feeling I may have to make a trip there.

To be honest, I like California Coast but I am concerned that their lack of regional accreditation may come back to haunt me one day. Now, if I am going to open my own school - it won't. But, I am concerned it may.

So, here's where I am at : I am looking for a truly and totally non-residency research based doctorate program. I want to get either a PhD in Education or an EdD. If you know the names of some overseas ones that are affordable to me (under $4000 total cost), please post the names and/or links. If u don't mind, please e-mail them to me too : [email protected]

Thanks,

Harold

P.S., Where's my friend Steve Levicoff? I wonder how he is doing.

 

If they offer a doctoral-level degree for only $6000, you should jump on it. Once you get the degree, you could still accomplish the goals that you've specified.

$6000?

 

Part of the problem is that I talked to them and, because of the large number of applicants, they limit admission to those clearly seeking District Level Administrator positions. Most notably, folks already who are building level administrators. I meet neither of the above criteria.

It's the Edwards Campus for KU. You can check it out and see for yourself.
Thanks for replying.

 

can your school help with tuition

If you find a doctoral program for under $10,000, I'd like to hear about it too.
You said you have been teaching for 15 years. Is there any chance your school could pay the tuition for some of the courses. My little school district will pay for up to 9 credits a year. The course has to be approved by the administration, but as long as the course is appropriate to maintain or prepare for a teaching field, it gets approved.
Touro just added an education degree. The cost would be more like $20,000. But if you could get your school to pay for a course a semester it might work out over 3 or 4 years, to be pretty free.
Good luck!

 

I'm uncertain of the tuition but you might look up the EdD program at University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I know it's a DL program although there may be some short-term residencies. Otherwise, if you really need to go under $4K then I think you're looking at South Africa. Now that I think about it, Lawrie recently posted a thread related to inexpensive graduate programs. You might just scroll down the thread list and check that out too.
Jack

 

You might look at Liberty University. It would be pretty Christian in some aspects of its orientation, but if this does not bother you, it is not that expensive. Also, in terms of philosophy, you might find them as sympathetic to homeschooling, charter schools and "non-district" thinking as anyone. Liberty is fully RA. Also, if you are not bothered by a pervasively Christian ethos, though not accredited and requiring some brief residency, Pensacola Christian College offers an Ed.D. that is pretty widely accepted and costs only, I think, 100/semester unit. I sorta like California Coast more than many on this board because I know a few people who have been very satisfied with the degree. Many districts in California will accept it through petition, others outright, a few not at all. Quite a few people in educational consulting have used the CCU degree quite effectively. The $6000 RA Ed.D. you describe sounds pretty darn good too, and has the advantage of being local to your area. Once you have the degree you can do what you want. Perhaps it is worth jumping some hoops. Good luck!

Craig

 

If I understand the fee schedule (I probably don't), the prestigious University of Bath has an EdD program for about 9000 British pounds. If read carefully, the site gives signs that the program can be done non-residentially. http://www.bath.ac.uk/education/edd/

The University of Zululand may have a PhD program that meets your cost requirements; I couldn't raise the site tonight, but it is found at www.uzulu.ac.za .

How accepted is CCU outside of California?

 

Re: can your school help with tuition

What you suggest is quite uncommon. Mostly because it would be prohibitively expensive for school districts. The majority of districts pay teachers based on the number of units past the BA. If they were also helping to pay for the courses, they would be paying you to earn pay raises. Not a bad idea in my book, but not particularly attractive to most school districts.


Tom Nixon

 

The University Kansas programs is actually $7245. That's $161.00 per credit hour for 45 hours.

However, it is clearly for people wanting to become district level administrators.

But, I guess I could "play the game" and get the paper and then go in my own direction from there.

The problem I am finding is that since I am not an administrator, that shows how serious I am about becoming a district level one.

Districts do not reimburse for tuition. A few do, but most don't.

 

master agreements

Sorry to hear your teaching position does not reimburse for tuition.
In the middle New England region, (VT, NH, MA, and NY) there are many unionized public schools. The master agreements between teachers unions and school district typically have reimbursement for college tuition. The amount various. I have not seen one for less than 6 semester hours a year for a full time teacher or administrator since the 1980's.
The private school situation is different. The private school staff rarely unionize. However, there are two schools run by mental health agencies which are unionized.
Even the private schools reimburse for courses needed to maintain a teachers license.
U. of Nebraska has the ph.d. in higher education. It does require some summer school time. But the price is lower than many.

 

My guess would be that it is as well-accepted as any other state-approved, but not regionally-accredited, degree.

Even more important, in this instance, is that California Coast is likely worthless to him. Almost without exception (and I know of no places that are the exceptions), school districts, state departments of education, and teacher licensing offices require regionally-accredited degrees.

It *might* be acceptable for someone who wants to run a charter school. You would need to check with the charter schools office in your state department of education.



Tom Nixon

 

I agree with Tom. Cal Coast may be best for someone whose career doesn't require a doctorate, but wants one for personal satisfaction reasons. Although there is always the odd expception, the great majority of K-12 and higher ed institutions will not recognize a Cal Coast or any other non-accredited US degree. If your future is academia, a non-accredited school is not the way to go.

Having worked with charter schools for the past three years, I would also not recommend Cal Coast in this arena either. Although an RA doctorate is not required for work in a charter (assuming that you have other regionally accredited degrees), many in the educational establishment are on the warpath against charters and would love to generate publicity about the "questionable degree" of a charter operator.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln's doctorate in educational administration may be a good choice for you. Otherwise, the Kansas program's tuition is actually quite reasonable for a Ph.D. program (I paid $270 per unit for mine)

Tony

 

Interesting stats from US News & World Report information posted elsewhere.

One program that stands out for me in Education is the Ph.D./Ed.D. offered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. $121 a unit for out-of-state tuition is a good deal. Even more importantly, they seem to have a good program. The doctorate is in Administration/Curriculum/Instruction with a specialty in higher education offered. My bet is that you could turn it into almost anything that you wanted. Add to that that it is a brick & mortar institution (which is important for some folks) and that their program has been online longer than a fair number (albeit others have been doing DE longer).

Check it out at:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/elearning/rankings/edu_reg.htm

or at the school's website at:
http://hou-edadone.unl.edu/welcome.htm



Tom Nixon

 

Somehow this suggestion seems vaguely familiar
Jack

 

Yes, Jack, we are just validating your original great suggestion

Tony

 

Yes, Jack, but I said it so much better than you did.





Tom Nixon