Anderson University 2-Year PhD (And Other Options)

Rich may like the design of the WV program. I think it closely matches his preferred credit distribution he mentioned recently somewhere (18/18/18). This program has 17 hours of research methods, 16 hours of subject content, and 20 hours of research/dissertation. https://business.wvu.edu/academics/accounting-department/doctorate-of-business-administration

 

It is certainly tough coming from Duke trying to find a DBA/PhD. I'd prefer a higher tier university but none offer a distance doctorate.

 

I live in PA so I’d definitely benefit regionally from the Pitt program — the big limiting factor for me is the sheer cost of that program. If I were shopping in that range I’d also be strongly considering Penn State’s new DBA they just announced, as well as Drexel’s 2.5 year DBA. The costs are just so high, it’s tough to justify spending that much for a doctorate.

 

Scranton's DBA is also very flexible but costs over 100k. I worked at the U and lived in that area. I am still a PA resident.

 

I actually looked at the Scranton program — they were also on my shortlist when I was looking for MBA programs. Awesome school!

 

I don't see how you can finish Anderson's program in 2 years unless you are studying full-time without a job. It is required 48 credits or 16 courses.

 

My understanding is that the dissertation process is completed during the coursework to enable a 2-year completion. My Temple MBA was 48 credits and was a 20-month program and I was able to do it while working full time. Granted, a doctoral degree is a totally different level, but from a credit/timeframe standpoint at least, it seems doable. I guess the big question mark is, how many additional hours each week will it take for the dissertation process?

 

Have you explored Columbia International University's Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership? 48 credits. 27 months. $625/credit hour.

https://www.ciu.edu/online-degrees/doctoral/doctor-philosophy/organizational-leadership

 

Wow I actually didn’t have this one on my radar — super cool, and the school ranks very well regionally (#38/south). Haha another reason I love this forum — there are always folks who have information/suggestions I clearly missed during my Google searches.

@chrisjm18 — Sidebar: Did you complete a Liberty doctorate, and if so, what was your experience like?

 

Yes, I graduate in May 2021. I documented my journey here: https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/my-journey-to-becoming-a-liberty-ph-d-student.53234/

 

Wow — awesome to read about your journey at Liberty! Seems like it was a very rigorous program and you got it done on an awesome timeframe.

Now that you’ve completed a PhD after considering DBA/EdD options, do you have any thoughts or opinions on one vs. the other?

 

I am happy I went with the Ph.D. based on my current career (tenure-track faculty). However, it wasn't my initial goal to become a full-time professor, even while I was in the initial stage of the Ph.D. program. The choice between Ph.D., Ed.D., DBA, or any other "D" should be based on one's career goals. Even if your current goal isn't to work in academia full-time but there is a possibility you may want to consider it later, I suggest pursuing a Ph.D. to be safe. Many people with Ed.Ds. and DBAs secure full-time TT and NTT positions in education and business departments. It all depends on the university/college you want to teach. Also, if one just wants to achieve a doctorate for personal or professional (practice) purposes, an Ed.D. or DBA should be perfect. Finally, many people want to remain in the field while serving as an adjunct.

 

Solid advice, and appreciated. I have always had an interest in teaching at the college or university level after retiring, so it may be a good idea to go with the PhD.

Do you have any insight into “Leadership” as a major? It’s not a traditional PhD topic (unlike Business, Organization & Management, or Criminal Justice), so I’m not sure how it would be perceived by a hiring committee down the road. My dilemma is that I have strong dual interests in both public policy and business — I’m an elected official *and* an entrepreneur leading a [small but seven figure] company, so I’d love to teach subjects that fall within either sector (policy or business).

I feel like Leadership may be a way to bridge that gap and teach a subject that has equal importance in both sectors, but I recognize there’s the risk of not being taken super seriously with a non-traditional, non-AACSB accredited, and non-brick & mortar program.

Perhaps I’m reading too much into all of this — any thoughts or insights from those more seasoned would be most welcome.

 

I've posted quite a bit on the differences between a scholarly doctorate and a professional one, so I won't go down that path here. But I do want to point out that regardless of which type of degree you earn, doing it nontraditionally will not be an efficient path towards a career in academia. But as Chris is so talented at showing us, there are tons of exceptions to this rule. I would contend, as it applies to those exceptions, that it is a good idea to have a school wanting to hire you--pulling you through the process--instead of applying cold and hoping your degree and application will sway hiring committees. (You will be at a distinct disadvantage.) But....if a school already wants to hire you, the nature of your doctorate--scholarly or professional--won't matter much, nor will its source.

 

I do not know how leadership as a discipline will be perceived. I think it's closely related to business, and I see no reason you couldn't become a faculty teaching business courses. If you wish to teach public policy courses, I suggest pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy, especially if you don't have an MPP, MPA, or a similar degree. If you wish to teach business courses, a doctorate in business, leadership, organizational leadership, or any relates business discipline will suffice, especially if you have an MBA or equivalent business master's degree.

As for transitioning to academia, I haven't had anyone who was trying to help me get into the field. I submitted my application like anyone else and was considered. I am now in the process of moving to a different school. I have received over 30 interviews, including R2 schools, several campus visits, some of which I declined, and two offers, one being an R2. What Rich described has not been my experience. I earned my Ph.D., I published peer reviewed articles, I am actively doing research, and I have law enforcement and juvenile justice experience. I also lead the online criminal justice programs and have extensive online teaching experience. All things schools value.

 

This is helpful, thank you! It sounds like there are multiple paths into academia, but the common thread I’m seeing is that it takes hard work, active research, solid extra-curricular credentials — and as Rich indicated — networking. Very akin to most other industries. My takeaway thus far from hearing the wisdom of those who’ve gone before me, is that the degree, school and even major are less important than who you are and what you do with it. This I can live with!

Thank you for the feedback on the Leadership/Public Policy majors as well — certainly helpful.

 

A good test of this is offered by Howard Becker in Tricks of the Trade. He suggests seeing what people inside and outside the phenomenon are saying about it. I don't want to do the research on this subject--leadership--but I did an extensive treatment of my research subject at Leicester--the chief learning officer--using this model. In the case of leadership, I feel pretty safe in saying it is considered a discipline both inside and outside academia.

But how would be be received? Well, a good parallel would be a degree in Management. Is that distinct from one in Business? (I'd say "yes.") Would a degree in management be acceptable when the situation calls for one in business? (I think that's a solid "maybe.") Is Leadership a distinct discipline from Management? (Yes.) Would it suffice to meet a Business degree requirement? (Again, maybe.) And so it goes.

The lines between these are often blurry, even in practice. I'm doing some work for a rather large company, and several of my clients (dozens in total) are financial managers. Just as many come at it from an accounting background as do those with finance backgrounds. Yet, no one can really argue that finance and accounting are not different disciplines, scholastically and professionally.

 

Ok, "exceptions to the rule" are "exceptions" - not the norm. A doctorate in "Leadership" is like an undergrad in any "studies" discipline. Don't hold your breath for getting a tenure-track position.

 

This doesn't appear to be true. It took less than 30 seconds to determine that:
https://www.indeed.com/q-Organizational-Leadership-Faculty-Tenure-Track-jobs.html?vjk=f6f3f7f9dc037de6

 

Thank you, Chris. I've also put it into my bucket.