Capella University's Ph.D's/Doctorates?

What happens to Capella University's online Doctorate programs? It seems it is no longer a research university, but rather a professional Doctorate university. There are many Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees that are no longer offered. I am wondering if low enrollments and un-profit?
URL: https://www.capella.edu/

 

I'm surprised more schools of this ilk haven't moved in this direction. The vast majority of their graduates do not go into academia or into research careers. They're advancing the careers they're already in. A professional doctorate is much more suited for this purpose.

Other reasons might be continuing litigation over claims the school misleads PhD students regarding how long it takes to graduate. They may also have faced pressure from their accreditro or state agencies. I haven't found any public information about it.

 

Designation as a research institution is determined by how much the institution invests in research, not by whether it offers a PhD. Capella has never been a research institution.

 

Quite so.

Also, professional doctorates are "research" degrees.

 

I think they lost the research university designation from year to year.

URL: https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institution/capella-university/

Historical Classifications
2021
Doctoral/Professional Universities
|
2018
Doctoral/Professional Universities
|
2015
Doctoral Universities: Moderate Research Activity
|
2010
DRU: Doctoral/Research Universities
|
2005
DRU: Doctoral/Research Universities
|
2000
Other specialized institutions
|
1994
Did not exist/report
|
1987
Did not exist/report
|
1976
Did not exist/report
|
1973
Did not exist/report

 

I see. Thanks. Prior to 2018, institutions that produced more than 20 research/scholarship doctorate graduates (or whatever the minimum was at the time) were placed in the lowest doctoral universities category. In 2018, Carnegie corrected this problem by creating the Doctoral/Professional Universities category for institutions with low research activity.

For 2025, Capella is categorized as Special Focus: Nursing. That's odd.

Carnegie uses the IPEDS definition for research/scholarship doctorates. If it's an academic doctorate, it counts as a research/scholarship doctorate. Basically, any doctoral type that doesn't lead to a license to practice or advance a holder in a licensed occupation is a research/scholarship doctorate: EdD, PhD, DBA, DMA, DSc, DA, DM, etc.

"Only research doctorates are included in the SED, with the vast majority being doctors of philosophy (PhD). The survey recognized 18 types of research doctorates in 2011, including doctors of education (EdD) and doctors of science (DSc). Professional doctorates (e.g., MD, JD, PsyD) are not included in the SED."

https://nces.ed.gov/statprog/handbook/sed.asp

So, Rich is correct. This was the IPEDS definition of a research/scholarship doctorate in 2009, when NCES realized that not all non-scholarship doctorates are first professional degrees.

"Doctor's degree - research/scholarship: A Ph.D. or other doctor's degree that requires
advanced work beyond the master's level, including the preparation and defense of a
dissertation based on original research, or the planning and execution of an original
project demonstrating substantial artistic or scholarly achievement. Some examples of
this type of degree may include Ed.D., D.M.A., D.B.A., D.Sc., D.A., or D.M, and others,
as designated by the awarding institution."


https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/0094_0201_1906_407-SPASOC-3A2_2009_05_14-BACKUP-Explanation-of-NCES-Requirements.pdf

In conclusion, Capella getting rid of PhD programs has no impact on its designation since its professional doctorates are not seen as professional doctorates by NCES and Carnegie. They're still scholarship doctorates.

 

They still have Ph.D. programs for Psychology and Behavior Analysis, the rest of their doctoral programs seem to have the appropriate designation (Ed.D. for Education, D.B.A. for Business, D.S.W. for Social Work, etc.) for their fields.

The overwhelming majority of doctoral recipients from DL schools aren't going to become "publish or perish" professors for major universities, so I don't really see an issue with Capella "abandoning" the Ph.D. designation.