I have been looking for a reputable PhD in History online. However, I have had no luck. I have found the online PhD in Humanities offered by Faulkner University. Any ideas on what could be done with this degree, as far as university teaching ?
The only thing I can think of that that program would be good for is for those who just need a doctorate in something. It might make sense for many who teach multiple subjects at community colleges and small four-year colleges. Other than that, I have no idea.
Look at the faculty of the humanities department. 3 out of 4 of them have a degree in humanities. With a degree in humanities, you can pretty much teach anything that would be in the humanities department: art, literature, philosophy, religion, etc. The rule is usually a degree in a related field OR 18 credit hours in the field. Even if you really needed 18 credit hours in philosophy in order to teach philosophy, one should be able to plan that within a humanities program. Faulkner University - Humanities Faculty For some reason, I can't find this online PhD in Humanities. I do see that they have an online PhD in Great Books. It's a strange title, but I'm assuming one might be qualified to teach literature courses with this degree. Faulkner University - Doctor of Philosophy One of my professors gave me the advice to get a PhD in anything. He told me that, with my master's degree in security studies, I would still be able to teach the subject without a PhD in national security because I already had more than 18 graduate credit hours. I still think it helps to have a doctorate in a closely related field.
You might want to take a look at Salve Regina's low residency PhD in Humanities. Salve Regina University - Graduate Programs - Humanities (Ph.D.)
Union Institute & University Union Institute & University | Distance Learning - Online Degrees - Colleges and Universities offers a short residency PhD in Humanities & Culture.
I'm wondering if the PhD at Faulkner would be good for getting a professorship at a Great Books school.
Even if it is, that's an awfully tiny market. The oldest, largest, and best-known "Great Books" school is St. John's College, with campuses in Annapolis MD and Santa Fe NM. Total enrollment = about 850. If that doesn't sound very large, consider that other "Great Books" schools include Shimer College (about 150 students), Thomas Aquinas College (about 350), College of Saint Mary Magdalen (about 75), Gutenberg College (about 50), or Wyoming Catholic College (about 150). There are probably fewer than 2,000 students nationwide enrolled in "Great Books" programs. That's about equivalent to one medium-sized high school.
And to be complete, let's consider Harrison Middleton University, a DETC school frequently discussed on degreeinfo. HMU has been offering online bachelor's programs in the "Great Books" since 2003. Through the end of 2012, HMU had enrolled a total of 39 students in their bachelor's programs, but 18 of those subsequently cancelled or withdrew. So over that 10-year period, they only issued 6 bachelor's degrees, with 15 students still enrolled. Studying the "Great Books" may be an intellectually worthwhile pursuit. But in practice, very few US college students opt for it. So the number of hiring opportunities for "Great Books" professors must be extremely limited.
Salve Regina University Took a quick look at Salve Regina's program. With on-campus visits of five days per session times five sessions per year (that's 25 sick/vacation days/time off from work per year, assuming weekdays), it's certainly NOT a low-residency program as the school claims. The program's interesting, though...
