UoP Ed.D. in Ed. Tech

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by vateacher, Feb 7, 2010.

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  1. vateacher

    vateacher New Member

    Hello everyone,

    I have lurked here for a while but this is is my first post. I am considering applying to the University of Phoenix Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership with a concentration in educational technology: http://www.phoenix.edu/content/altcloud/en/programs/degree-programs/education/doctoral/edd-et/v001.html

    I am currently a teacher and would like to be a technology specialist at the school or district level. I wouldn't mind teaching some college classes on the side, but I have no interest in being a full-time professor.
    Pursuing a doctorate is also a personal goal, one I would like to start now before I have any children. I have considered many programs and this one looks like the best fit for me.

    I know there are many threads about UoP on this forum, but I haven't seen any that deal specifically with this program. Is anyone here a student or teacher in it? Specifically, I am wondering about the academic rigor as well as the dissertation process.

    Thanks in advance for any replies.
     
  2. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    One of the biggest issues I have with UoP is the price tag. There are a few other options out there that are cheaper. If you really want to spend that much money, I would recommend Nova - better school, better reputation.
     
  3. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

  4. vateacher

    vateacher New Member

    Randell -

    I'm considering Nova but I'm not thrilled about the residencies in Florida. The UoP program has residencies in Arlington, VA that I can drive to.

    I see you're getting your PhD from Northcentral. They have an EdD in Educational Technology that sounds like it might be good for me, but the 100% online format makes me a little nervous. How has it worked for you with no residencies? Do they make up for the lack of face-to-face contact with superior online or telephone communication?
     
  5. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I have no problem with the 100% part - I prefer it. Nova also has remote locations - have you looked at the online option?
     
  6. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

  7. racechick8293

    racechick8293 New Member

    I'm just finishing up my EdD at Nova (waiting for my final dissertation grade to post), in Instructional Technology & Distance Education, and would recommend the program.

    Many of the professors are well-known in the field, and adjuncts and dissertation chairs are as well. The coursework is rigorous, but doable. IMHO, its reputation is better than UoP, as Nova has a well-established program, and also a strong B&M presence in Florida. Thus far, I've found that a number of professionals hold EdD degrees from Nova, and the degree seems to be well respected. I've not yet had anyone seem to think poorly of the fact that I've completed the program at Nova.

    My concerns with the program are in the area of the timeline. First, the three year timeline that prospective students are told is the norm is not a true estimate, unless you are not working and are highly motivated to finish. I started in Summer 05, and am just now wrapping up. About half of those I started with are still working on their dissertations, although this seems to be the time at which many are finishing up. Also, the time needed for revisions/rework related to IRB/APA format should be addressed in the timeline, as that time for each of these phases can easily equate to 2-3 months for each stage.

    If you have any specific questions regarding Nova's program, please feel free to PM me.
     
  8. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Doesn't UoP require three residencies in Phoenix? Or have they dropped that requirement for your proposed program?

    On another note, I highly recommend a program with residencies; they're some of the most valuable experiences you'll get during your program.
     
  9. tmartca

    tmartca New Member

    I’ll second Rich on residencies. You can turn it into a mini vacation if you plan and prepare just right.

    I know you are not "thrilled" with residencies in Florida, but I'm going to throw this out just in case others search out his thread.

    Another option is one at the University of Florida (http://www.distancelearning.ufl.edu/program.aspx?p=86).

    I don't know about the one at Nova, but they state that there are only two weekend residencies for the program.
     
  10. vateacher

    vateacher New Member

    Thanks to everyone who has replied.

    Rich, the 3 UoP residencies would actually be completed at their campus in Arlington, about 3 hrs from Newport News, VA where I live. This makes it an attractive option to me.

    I've requested some info from Northcentral, and I'm going to attend to one of the upcoming info sessions that Nova will be having near my home. I'll let you all know what I end up deciding to do.
     
  11. racechick8293

    racechick8293 New Member

    I was able to do the Nova residency requirement in one trip to Florida- both the orientation and summer conference were held within a two week time span, and so we turned it into a family vacation.
     
  12. I also recommend U of Florida. I seriously considered that school for myself. With that option, you will have a degree from a B&M school, even if you do it online. I'm pretty sure that there is no distinction between their online degree and their on-campus degree on any diploma or documentation. We all know that an online degree is just as good as, maybe better than, any B&M degree, but there are many in academia that do not concur. With a degree from U of Florida, you would have the option of teaching at a B&M school, if you ever chose to do so in the future.
     
  13. I also would like to say that there is nothing wrong with UOP. I have a good buddy who is a PhD and teaches education/credential classes there. He has nothing but good things to say about the academic rigor and the general quality of UOP as a school.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2010
  14. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    I know these aren't distance programs, but have you considered William and Mary or ODU? Both have doctoral degrees, and would probably have more local credibility than a DL school. If you are looking for DL programs, I wouldn't be surprised if ODU opens more up soon. They've got a PhD in English via distance, and a couple of programs in educational administration. W&M doesn't have any at the moment, but my wife, who is in the W&M alumni association, told me that one of the W&M bigwigs mentioned that the school of ed was looking into distance programs.

    If you have to do distance, why not consider Walden.
    http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18220.htm
    (I'm a Walden alum, so I have to plug them every chance I get.) I've taken classes at UoP, and now I'm teaching classes there, and despite that, I have to say I like the Walden class format much better. Of course, that's just my personal opinion. Those were masters classes, not PhD classes, so it could be totally different.

    -Matt
     
  15. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    In fact, Old Dominion University does have a distance program for this, specifically a PhD in Instructional Design and Technology:

    http://dl.odu.edu/database.php?todo=program&id=374

    I'd definitely choose this before Phoenix, Nova, Northcentral, or Walden.

    -=Steve=-
     
  16. vateacher

    vateacher New Member

    Thanks for calling my attention to the ODU program. I got my master's degree from ODU and I knew they had this PhD concentration, but I didn't realize it could be taken at a distance. I really need most or all of the classes to be online, so this might be a good option.
     
  17. major56

    major56 Active Member

    A few more online options:

    Southern Baptist Theological Seminary offers the Ph.D. in Higher Education
    http://www.sbts.edu/phd/concentrations/higher-education/
    University of Nebraska offers the Ph.D. in Educational Studies w/specialization in Educational Leadership http://www.onlinephds.net/details/university-of-nebraska/ph.d./ed.d.-in-educational-studies.html
    Union Institute and University offer the Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies w/concentrations in:
    • Leadership Studies: Ethical and Creative Leadership
    • Policy Studies: Policy Leadership and Social Issues
    • Humanities and Society
    http://www.onlinephds.net/details/union-institute-and-university/ph.d.-in-interdisciplinary-studies.html
    Andrews University offers the Ph.D. in Leadership
    http://www.andrews.edu/sed/lead_ed_admin/leadership/programs/index.html
    Regent University offers the Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership
    http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/academics/phd/home.shtml
    Indiana State University offers the Ph.D. in Technology Management
    http://www.indstate.edu/distance/technology-phd.html
    Texas Tech University offers the Ph.D. in Technical Communication and Rhetoric
    http://www.depts.ttu.edu/distancelearning/doctoral/technical-communication.php
     

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