doctor of arts @ Trevecca Nazarene Univ.

What about the title?

Bill,

Do you think the D.A. is popular enough to prevent such awkward questions as: "What is that?" "What does D.A. stand for?"

Here's why I ask ...

The University of Baltimore recently created a D.A.C. (Doctor of Arts in Communications Design), which is not a DL program. When I told a friend about it, only mentioning the DAC, his first question was: "What in the world is that?"

This is probably a minor issue but he went on to say that having a PhD wouldn't generate those kinds of questions. As such, one wouldn't have to spend time explaining the degree.

Any thoughts?

Roscoe

 

Re: What about the title?

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I don't see that as a problem. One in education at a college who might hire you surely would know. A 'lay person' who inquires of you is as a mouse caught in the trap, for you can then justifiably detain him for hours explaining the rigors of your completed program. There are ODs and JDs and DREs and DMins and DMisses and Thds and DDs and PsyDs and STDs and DCs ad infinitum! I wouldn't worry.

One of the best school psychologists --most in my experience are birdbrains when it comes to the kid in the classroom-- was Ross Q who has a PsyD from Geo Fox. With much pleasure we referred to him as DR because of his expertise not because he had the degree! I still think the man or woman "makes" the degree; I believe that neither the degree nor what it's called, "makes" the man or the woman. As far as I know, no one asked him why he had not pursued the PhD. As my friend Arnold S. said in Terminator 2 ( which gives you an idea of my movie maturation ), "No Problemo!"

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I saw the ad in Christianity Yesterday for the Trevecca Nazarene DA program. Good for them! TNU's GAAP accreditation (not to mention the rigor of the program--thanks Bill) may help rescue the DA from its undeserved near-oblivion. As a strong partisan of the DA degree format/intent, more power to them. Hope it starts to catch on elsewhere--and that a REAL sem or university someday offers the DA via DL.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: More info on the D.A.

Bill:

I couldn't agree with you more. Whereas the Ph.D. should be a research qualification... it is more the teaching qualification... a quick review of the job advertisements in The Chronicle of Higher Education seeking a terminal degree are referring to the PhD in a vast majority of the circumstances... and very few Ph.D's require the teaching preparation... A majority of Ph.D. programs seems to prefer to convey the teaching expertise via (what I call) the "monkey see, monkey do" procedure... you watched us deliver your education to you via lecture and you are now a Ph.D. therefore you are now qualified to lecture to others...

My most enlightening course in my entire collegiate experience was College Teaching Methods at CSU Sacramento! These types of classes should be required for all doctoral students with any intent to teach!

More colleges should offer the D.A. ... and do it right... develop subject matter expertise and teaching competence... Imagine the possibilities!

BruceP

 

I really love the concept of a DA. It could focus on the "teaching" of a particular subject. A number of colleges have been involved in the argument of whether they should be teaching institutions or research institutions. Interestingly research gets more prestige, yet teaching is the real purpose of most universities. It really seems that 4-year institutions that don't offer docs would be a great place for DA's to teach. Instead of a focus on research, service, publication and finally teaching, the institutions could have their focus as teaching.

In my own profession, rehabilitation counseling, there are actually four seperate doctorates that are accepted in universities for teaching positions. All seem equally accepted and the most common of the docs is actually one that is offered at only one institution. SOuthern Ilinois univeristy produces the most rehab professors and the degree they offer is a Rh.D. (Doctor of Rehabilitation). Boston University offers the Sc.D.. There are only 17 institutions that offer docs in rehab. The other programs offer either the Ph.D. or the Ed.D.. I would personally love to see all of them switch to the Rh.D. and give the profession its own identity, but it will never happen.

 

Sorry to bring what I think is bad news, Michael, but as I posted on some other thread (where?), the TNU DA seems to have disappeared. I would like nothing better than to be wrong on this.

 

Are there more DA Theology programs around?

 

I think it valuable to compare the prerequisites and curriculum of was to be the Trevecca DA with the TTS DA. TTS has "unparalled excellence"??? What a joke!