An online doctorate egree that you can't tell that it was earned online

Well, I asked recruiters about the Indian PHD degree and they said they would not be accepted in Saudi. I can't afford to take work off to go earn a PHD. Suggestions?

 

It is impossible unless you attend distance learning Doctorate, which school is closer to where you live. Otherwise, your prospective employers would know it is distance learning by comparison of your employment location and school you attend. Check out University of Leicester's Ph.D in Management ($28,000.00).

 

That is not exactly true. I can earn a doctorate degree from Australia in Cambodia. I can earn a masters from Wisconsin in the Philippines. Here is a little secret. Where ever there is a military base there is a or more than one college on that base. You do not need to be in the military to go to that college. Plus, you get one third break on tuition. They offer schools free classrooms in order to do this. In my graduating class we only had one military person in the accounting program. They needed the 9 other civilians to keep the school on campus.

 

What was their objection to your plan? Why was that degree unacceptable?

 

They said it would not be accepted, because the degree was earned online.

 

So, based on your title to this thread, you're asking us to help you lie to your employers?

 

I assume that this is for teaching purposes. Yes, many employers in the middle east do not accept PhDs earned by distance.
It would be kind of hard to convince them that was not distance unless you claim that you lived there. I know several Australian schools have doctorates that can be completed on campus or in external mode so the degree is the same regardless of the mode of delivery. However, employers still might not buy it if they see that you lived in another country while earning a degree at another country.

This stupid policy might not last long, it is kind of the same idea that many middle eastern schools will not hire people that are not citizens of usa, canada, uk or australia. Many just come to Canada for 4 years to earn a passport and then they go to the golf because now they hold a recognized passport but they are the same people but with a different brand.

You mentioned that you are in accounting, my suggestion is to get one of the recognized accounting designations such as CPA, ACCA, ACMA, etc. As accounting professors are in demand, there is no need to get a PhD in accounting as the certification carries a lot more value for many faculties An accounting designation with an MBA is more than enough to get a lecturer position at most places.

The distance doctorate is tricky, as these degrees become available, we will see more people with this type of credentials so they might not be the main differentiator anymore. I can see this happening already, employers now expect people with AACSB accredited degrees, publications on top journals, etc before they hire you. It is kind of hard to publish if you work and do a PhD at the same time, so it won't matter much that you have a PhD as many employers would expect also publications in recognized journals.

The bottom line of the issue is that you either work your way to academia in a teaching position (e.g. Lecturer) with professional credentials and experience or are willing to spend 5 years full time at a credible institution that trains you to publish at recognized journals and get a bullet proof PhD.

 

Yes, this is true! Unless your employer has the policy likes the Department of Veteran Affairs' on distance education. Whether your program is distance learning or not is identified by the school. For example, I am attending Nova Southeastern University for my Doctorate; the degree is distance with 2 weekend residencies per semester. The school treats this program is as on campus; so, the the VA also treating it as on campus. However, my future employers has the policy no distance learning Ph.D; they will know that my program is distance learning. Also, the military base situation.... I earned my Bachelor while serving active duty in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps still considered my program was distance learning, when I applied for the Officer Candidate program. They required me to write a statement regarding to my Bachelor degree.

 

Interesting that the Marines would make such a distinction regarding your bachelor's degree. When I applied to the Air Force's Officer Training School, they did not.

What kind of statement did you have to write? What were you asked to explain?

Regarding NSU, why would anyone automatically assume your doctorate was done online?

 

They asked me to write two pages to explain, why earned my degree? How I earned it and what the purpose of choosing non-traditional method. As for my degree at NSU, the location where I work and live and the school itself.

 

I was always under the assumption that all branches of the military were pro distance learning, especially since so many people are stationed in places that are not served by traditional schools. But I've been wrong once or twice before.

 

Once an individual gets to the dissertation phase, it is not unusual (and perhaps even normal) for "on-campus" Ph.D. students to live far away from their schools.

 

That is why British and Australian part time doctorates can be seen as distance programs. These programs are dissertation only so besides the few meetings here and there, there is no need to attend the campus. British and Australian schools are full of faculty that earned their doctorates part time in external mode so to me it makes no sense that someone would reject someone only because the degree was earned off campus.

 

I don't lie, I just don't volunteer information. Also, I should clarify that it is Saudi employers, not foreign employers that frown on distance education. Which I find extremely funny considering how many times Saudi students don't show up for class and teachers still pass them. Also with some so called legitimate overseas universities, I have seen where the assistant dean has changed grades with full knowledge and support of the dean. I am intent on doing the doctoral work as well as sitting for the CPA. I just want to take the road of least resistance.