What does it mean to "fit" a doctorate to your goals and interests?

I've been reading through some postings and I do not understand how or why this is done.

I'm sorry I did not save and post a particular message, but the idea seems to be that somehow if you want or need a doctorate and are unable to find what you need, i.e., must be obtainable through distance learning, then find a way to structure your degree proposal to "fit" into a degree that is available through distance learning.

Wow, sorry for the long run-on sentence.

How is this possible? How can it be done?
Is there a methodology somewhere I can read to help me accomplish this?

Thank you for sharing any and all particulars. I appreciate your help.

cdw

 

In the U.S., doctoral programs are designed around the 'taught' model. That is, the degree consists of a coursework component and a dissertation.

In other countries, some or all doctorates are awarded by the 'thesis-only' model, where one's doctorate is awarded based on the thesis only--usually a much bigger thesis than required by the taught doctorate. In these countries, the PhD is typically a thesis-only degree, while professional and other academic doctorates (like the DBA, EdD, or my own DSocSci) follow the taught model.

That said, in either case, one can influence considerably the final content of one's learning based on how the dissertation/thesis is designed and carried out. So even if the degree itself isn't exactly what you want, the research you conduct and publish will be what matters.

I have a PhD with a concentration in higher education. But my thesis--on issues related to accreditation--was really about nontraditional higher education. That thesis is what defines me in this field.

I have a Doctor of Social Science, specializing in human resource development (HRD). But it is my research on the Chief Learning Officer--where I developed a grounded theory on the phenomenon of the CLO--that defines me. It--along with my first doctorate--will be the basis for my work going forward. (I hope; somebody got a job out there?)

Now, I was fortunate that my PhD program was highly malleable. And my DSocSci, while necessarily based in sociology, was focused on my profession of HRD. My research topic further refined this focus. It is the research for these two degrees that really defines me.

Now, let's say you wanted a degree in leadership, but found yourself facing a situation where the only doctorate available to you--for whatever reasons--was a DBA. Business administration is not leadership, nor is leadership all there is to business administration. But you could go through the business curriculum in the taught portion of your degree, then do research in your thesis/dissertation relating to some aspect of leadership. That would be shaping the degree around your interests/career.

What would you do with such a thing? You would list is as a DBA on your resume, but you would list the area you specialized in, whether or not it is officially designated on your transcript or degree. You don't say you 'majored' in leadership. Instead, you 'emphasized' it or 'specialized' in it, or 'focused' on it. You tell the reader you took a DBA and you did research in leadership. Just don't mislead the reader (like listing your DBA as a PhD--it isn't one).

Colloquially, you say you did your doctoral research on leadership. Done.

 

Rich, thank you for some ideas to get me thinking!

cdw