How Many Years in Advance Can One Use a Degree Title?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by RAM PhD, Oct 9, 2014.

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  1. RAM PhD

    RAM PhD Member

    How many years in advance can one legitimately use a degree title?

    I've seen resume's, CV's and sig lines that list for example:

    John Doe
    BA, UCLA (1999)
    MBA, College of William/Mary (2009)
    PhD, Capella University (Beginning Date, Sept 2016; Plan to Graduate June 2020)

    Is there a given protocol in this matter of using projected or planned degree programs?
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Personally, I think if one is actually in progress with a program, it's okay to list it with an expected completion date even if that date isn't all that close. It's kind of dodgy to list a program one hasn't even started, though.
     
  3. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    Matt Brent
    BA, CNU 2004
    MS, Walden 2008
    MA, WNMU 2011
    PhD, UC 2017
    Emperor of the World, 2020

    Sounds about right! :hail::hail::hail:
     
  4. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    I'm with Steve - ok to list a planned graduation date if enrolled, but not so much if you haven't started...

    Shawn
     
  5. Boethius

    Boethius Member

    I have seen "Expected Date: 20xx", but not "In progress." I've seen a few here on this forum. I guess it is common to use "In Progess?"
     
  6. airtorn

    airtorn Moderator

    I see putting it in a signature line on this particular forum as a motivational tool and much different than using it on a resume.

    Personally, I wouldn't use a degree in progress until all requirements are complete and I am just waiting for the formal graduation.
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That's true. Also, it invites questions from others who are considering the same program and want an inside view.
     
  8. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I don't list my PhD program on here the way I list it on my resume or CV. I do, however, put the projected completion date. Since I don't have a master's in criminal justice, I think it's important to have my doctoral education listed for academic jobs. All of my graduate criminal justice credits are from my doctoral program. If I were to apply to juvenile probation officer positions in Texas, I would need a year of graduate study in criminal justice or a related field like psychology or counseling because I don't have the casework or corrections experience. Again, that's where listing my partially completed PhD would come in.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2014
  9. Boethius

    Boethius Member

    Great points! Thanks for the distinctions. It makes perfect sense.
     
  10. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    I have no idea how common it is, but before I finished my BA, I separated my Education section into completed and in progress subsections. I wanted to make sure it was absolutely clear that I had not yet finished the degree, lest some swamped HR worker gloss over it and made a mistake that would come back to bite me.
     
  11. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Agreed.

    2015, Boston Marathon Winner (anticipated date)
    2016, Olympic Gold Medalist, Marathon, (anticipated date)
     
  12. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I've had a few people message me on both forums about my PhD program. Obviously, this is information some people are interested in. Texas State University's PhD in Criminal Justice program is only a few years old, so a lot of people don't know about it.
     
  13. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    In a casual forum like this where anonymous pseudo-names are used, it's fine. That is different from a formal resume or letterhead.
     
  14. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I don't put PhD in my email signatures or after my name. Putting a degree in progress with an expected completion date is perfectly acceptable. It is often advised to start applying for jobs several months before you complete your degree. The federal government lets you apply for jobs 9 months before completing your degree. I already gave two examples where putting a degree in progress can make a difference between getting a job and not getting a job. If a juvenile probation officer job requires one year of graduate study in a related field, I'm going to put that I completed one year of graduate study in criminal justice in my PhD program. Why would I not do that? No one has given an explanation for why a degree in progress should not be listed.
     
  15. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    At the doctoral level (not undergraduate or masters), listing ABD is different than listing PhD. The attrition rate for completion of research doctorates is around 50 percent or more, depending on the institution. At what point is it acceptable to list: "PhD - graduation expected in X years"?
     
  16. Boethius

    Boethius Member

    But ABD is not a degree. In this case I would write something like "Doctoral studies in..." on my résumé or CV. The majority of jobs don't require a PhD except academia. I wouldn't even indicate my PhD if the job required only a Master's. It could be a liability.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2014
  17. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Completion rates for associate's degrees are also low. I'm not ABD, and I wouldn't be using my master's to get a job as a juvenile probation officer or criminal justice professor at a community college. The credits from my PhD program are the ones that are applicable to those positions. So, again, would should I not list it when it is the only reason why I would qualify for those jobs?
     
  18. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    For job qualification, simply state what is completed. If one year of graduate work is required, then put "one year of graduate work completed" on the application. It's usually broken down by college credits i.e. 30 credits required or whatever - so that measurement could also be used.
     
  19. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Here is a genuine signature line in an email that I just received five minutes ago (the name is changed for privacy):

    John Doe, MBA, ABD
    Doctoral Candidate in PhD
     
  20. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    No, it's not always broken down by credit hours. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen an application that broke down graduate education by credit hours. Some applications have said "some graduate school," but I don't have some graduate school. I have a master's degree plus doctoral credits. Just to give an example, there wasn't a drop-down menu for a community college application I filled out. I had to list every college I attended, the degree I was pursuing, and the number of credits I completed. Naturally, I had to list that I was in a PhD program. The same thing goes for federal government jobs when you build a resume on USAJobs.gov. You have to put in the degree level when you build your resume. One of the GS levels only requires 3 years of graduate study. Most master's programs are 2 years, so most people will have the third year from a doctoral program.

    On my resume or CV, they're going to want to see the school I attended, the program I attended, and how much I completed if it's part of the qualification for the job. I don't see the problem with listing that I've been in a Criminal Justice PhD program since 2013 instead of just saying "one year of graduate study in criminal justice" or "17 graduate credit hours in criminal justice." During the interview, if I can't work certain hours, I'm going to have to explain that I'm in school anyway.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 11, 2014

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