Hi, I'm a reporter with The Chronicle of Higher Education's Career Network (see http://chronicle.com/jobs) and I'm working on an article about the potential challenges (if there are any) of landing an academic job (in higher education) with a Ph.D. from a distance-education program. Is it widely assumed within academe that distance-education-degree programs are professional-training programs and that to land an academic job one must come out of a traditional (non-distance-ed.) program? Or is a Ph.D. from a distance-education program accepted/taken seriously within the academy? If you're a doctoral graduate of a distance-education program who is in an academic job, on the academic job market, or has been on the market recently, I'd like to hear about your experiences. I'd also like to hear from dropouts of doctoral distance-ed. programs (or those who may have considered attending such programs but chose not to). I'm hoping to conduct interviews over the next two weeks. Thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Gabriela Montell Assistant Editor The Chronicle of Higher Education Career Network e-mail: [email protected]
Hi there, I'm presently enrolled in the distance education DBA in IT program from the University of Southern Queensland and working as a college professor in Canada. So far, I haven't been questioned about the DL origin of my degree and my present employer has recognized the credits that I have finished so far for a pay increase in my salary without question. I also teach at the university level as an adjunct faculty member and I have never been put down because my DBA from USQ either. So far, few people would know that the DBA is distance since the University is accredited and BM.
I'm finishing my Ph.D. with Union Institute and University. The school apparently has no process for assisting its graduates with employment of any kind, including in academia. I'm not sure how one would go about it, except for answering ads and using whatever one's personal connections would bring.
Gabriela - I saw your post, and I'd like to relay my story. I finished an MBA in 1982 at Vanderbilt University and went in the corporate world as an IT manager. Along the way I discovered that I really liked to teach. I did a series of adjunct appointments at areas schools. Full-time teaching wasn't viable because I lacked a terminal degree. In 1992 I began work on a DBA at Nova Southeastern. Their DBA program really isn't an "on-line PhD", but rather a short residency program augmented with email and web components. Over the next 4.5 years I spent something like 76 days in residency (weekends and week long programs). In August of 1996 I graduated. About a year later I left my corporate job with EDS and began teaching full-time for Lawrence Technological University. After four years with LTU, I moved to Kettering University in 2001. My the Nova Southeastern DBA was absolutely critical to my career switch. Without it I would still be in the corporate world. Both LTU and Kettering valued my industry experience, but required an earned doctorate from a regionally accredited school. They also valued my teaching ability and the scholarly work that I have done over the years. I realized when I started at NSU that the degree I was earning had some built in limitations. AACSB schools (the top of the business school "pecking" order) weren't likely going to hire me for a tenure track position. However, there are hundreds of small and medium sized schools that did value the credentials I had. Also, my adjunct and professional experience were absolutely critical - without a track record as a teacher and practitiioner I wouldn't have the "package" to do what I do. Have there been times that I've been "looked down on" because of where I went to school? Yes. But am I happier as a full-time faculty member? I sure am. Regards - Andy
