Details on PhD International Development (University of S. Mississippi)

Hello All.


I am looking for detailed information, and any personal experiences on this particular Ph.D. degree program. Any leads and pointers on this program and its quality are highly appreciated. I am a working professional, but still seeking an online/hybrid Doctorate degree to broaden my learning and understanding about various aspects of different global regions , and I especially want to study the role of politics, economics and finance


Hybrid Program (2 three-day residencies are required each semester , one in beginning and one in the end)

EagleLearningOnline

Tuition is in-state (~400/hr , about 54 hours needed = $22000 approx.) , and the course outline is very interesting.

Tuition and Fees | The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast



42 hours of coursework 12 dissertation hours for total of 54 hours overall


REQUIRED CORE COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS
(12 HOURS)

IDV 710: International Development Theory
IDV 719: Research Design
IDV 721: International Development Statistics
IDV 729: Qualitative Methods

Research Team Required Courses (12 Hours in Major Emphasis Area; 9 hours in minor emphasis area for toal of 21 hours)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

IDV 713: Globalization
IDV 711: International Political Economy
IDV 722: International Development Statistics
IDV 730: International Development Finance
IDV 853: Comparative International Economic Development
IDV 875: The Political Economy of The Middle East and North Africa
IDV 880: The Political Economy of the Global Oil Market


POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT/SECURITY STUDIES

IDV 851: Comparative International Political Development
IDV 711: International Political Economy
IDV 712: International Law and Organization
IDV 871: Institutions in Development
IDV 872: Nation/State Building
IDV 873: The Political Economy of Global Climate Change
IDV 874: Ethnic Conflict and Civil War
IDV 890: International Security
IDV 795: U.S. National Security Policy
IDV 874: Ethnic Conflict and Civil War
IDV 891: Homeland Security
IDV 892: Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare

SOCIAL/CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

IDV 852: Comparative International Cultural Development
IDV 713: Globalization
IDV 725: Field Research I
IDV 730: International Development Finance
IDV 871: Institutions in Development
IDV 872: Nation/State Building
IDV 873: The Political Economy of Global Climate Change


ELECTIVE COURSES
(9 HOURS SELECTED)

IDV 692: Special Problems
IDV 699: Study Abroad
IDV 699 CC: Study Abroad (Course Component)
IDV 720: Research Design II: Academic Publication
IDV 726: Field Research II
IDV 740: Grantsmanship
IDV 791: Internship
IDV 796: Practicum
IDV 850: Current Issues
IDV 860: Colloquium

 

I see you took interest in the program. I didn't think you would judging by your username. That and Clemson University's online PhD in International Family and Community Studies were my top two choices (really my only two online choices) for doctoral programs until I came to the realization that I didn't want to take out anymore student loans. After finishing my master's, I also decided that I didn't want to continue to work full-time while attending school for another 3-5 years. So, I'm hoping to attend an on campus program for free and with a research/graduate/teaching assistantship.

The price for University of Southern Mississippi's program isn't bad though. If you're interested in psychology as you seemed to indicate in the other thread, Northcentral University has several concentrations for under $50k.

 

Can someone please comment if this program of Ph.D in International Development at University of Southern Mississippi is ACCREDITED ? And is it worth to spend money on this program , or should I rather consider the Distance Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University ?

 

What do you mean by accredited? Programmatic or institutional accreditation? University of Southern Mississippi is regionally accredited by SACS. I really don't mean to offend, but how do you expect to get through a PhD program if you can't look up a school's accreditation?

http://www.usm.edu/about/accreditation

 

Sorry if I couldn't put the questions correctly. My real query was about a concern, that if I do my PhD from this program, will the degree be considered 'valid' and 'accepted' by organizations such as the U.N, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank , IMF , etc. ? I don't see USM name anywhere in US News Rankings (I believe its a 2nd tier university , versus , Mississippi State which is a Tier 1 , US News Ranked University !

And secondly can you put some light on my other question "And is it worth to spend money on this program , or should I rather consider the Distance Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University ?"

 

Also, PhD-Bus|Eng, of the professional positions in global development from the UN, Gates Foundation, etc. in which you're interested, how many even require or indicate preference for a doctorate? It seems to me that most doors in that world that a doctorate in international development would open, a prestigious master's in business, public administration, international affairs, economics, etc., or international development, would probably also open.

You might also look at our thread about graduate programs in nonprofit management.

 

Thank you for the reply. I already have a Masters' degree and would definitely like to go for a Ph.D , and I really can't leave my job since I have a family to feed and support.

Hence, the Hybrid USM program (which I discovered accidentally) is so far an excellent choice, if I can be assured that I can get into one of those international agencies and / or U.N affiliated groups. Please advice if you think there are other, better , part time / online , options available that hands out a "Ph.D" diploma.

 

Can't take that route since I have a family to feed and children to support. I already have a MS degree , and starting my MBA this summer. So I would definitely take the Ph.D route if anything ! Hence I am deciding for the USM program. Please suggest if you find any other better online (hybrid-part time) alternatives in at least some Tier 1 university.

 

I mentioned Clemson University and it's a tier 1 school; however, the degree would be around $40k for a non-resident. You might be able to save money by taking the required language courses at a community college, which can be done online. They allow lower-level, undergraduate credit for the foreign language requirement.

 

I don't see that they offer this degree as in the 'online' or 'hybrid' setting anymore. There are only Masters degree available via distance learning. Please confirm. Thanks. Distance Education Program Information : Clemson University

 

Most people would want to do a part time PhD for the reasons that you mentioned. Steve is recommending a full time residential PhD mainly because PhD programs are more than a "PhD Diploma". Residential PhDs require students to teach classes, attend and present at conferences, publish in recognized journals, etc that are normally things you miss when you do a part time PhD that normally require just the minimum because students are working full time, support a family, etc.

You have to question why do you need a PhD, is it because the job you want needs one? or is it because you just want to appear to have a PhD to look "better" in paper?. If you have a PhD but no publications, no research experience, etc it might just become another diploma in your resume that might just work for adjunct teaching positions and some administration positions that might prefer a PhD but won't really work if you are looking for research positions that will be looking at your research publications.

You also appear to be doing an MBA, so it looks like your time is limited but yet you want to pursue a PhD at a tier 1 University at the same time and raise a family. You might want to revise your schedule and goals as this seems to be too demanding in my opinion.

If you would want a tier 1 school in your resume and be able to do it part time/distance, I am only aware of schools in Australia and UK that satisfy this criteria. Be ready to spend at least 80K for a top tier PhD and spend a considerable amount of time to get one (at least 5 years part time).
There are multiple threads in this forum that discuss PhDs from top schools in the UK and Australia if you do a search.

 

Thanks for the reply. I was actually debating between getting a PhD from USM program (I believe its a 2nd tier university) , versus , Mississippi State which is a Tier 1 - a US News Ranked University.

Things are demanding and challenging , but they will get more with the passage of time , so I just want to start the process and tackle it along. I am not really concerned about research as the topic I will be focussing upon will be somewhat related to Economics and its application to either the Engineering , or to some International Development Program. Either way , I do not think that the research on such a topic will be that much 'demanding' , and , by the time I will enter into my research phase I am sure my MBA will all be finished.

So yes , please help me in deciding between USM or MSU.

 

Along with the UK and Australia, you might also look at South Africa.

 

I was talking about their International Family and Community Studies program; but, apparently, they are operating at full capacity and won't be enrolling students again until Fall 2014. Clemson is ranked #68 nationally. There are actually several online doctoral programs offered by tier 1 schools in the U.S.

International Family & Community Studies - Graduate School - Clemson University
Blended Distance Education Program : Clemson University

You have to decide what you really want to focus on. International development and engineering are two very different subjects.

 

I am so done with the engineering. Would like to work on a broader, national / international level , and so International Development and/or Economics sounds like a good fit. The only thing to worry about now is to find the universities that offer online/hybrid Ph.D programs in the International Development. Any advice ?

 

You might want to contact Virginia Tech. Their PhD in Planning Governance and Globalization has online courses, but I don't know what percentage of the program is offered online. Their admissions standards are really high.
http://www.mpia.vt.edu/index.php?page=faqpgg

 

It's been a few years since you posted the question, so maybe the information is irrelevant to you at this time but my experience with the USM program has been overwhelmingly negative.

 

Can you provide more details about your "overwhelmingly negative" experience? I want to learn why descend and prestigious colleges and universities have negative distance learning. For example, Columbia University's CVN has a bad reputation in supporting distance learning students. Sometimes, students don't get a response for a week.