Just dreaming folks. Based on what I see for Excelsior models for BA-BS and MA-MS, they could very easily develop an approach for a generalized Ph.D. or other Doctorate, with a custom specialization for each candidate to choose. 1. Graduate courses (30 to 45 credit hours) beyond the first masters, taken at other accredited schools applied to program for Ph.D. core. 2. Dissertation submitted to review committee selected by student, made up of Excelsior faculty or willing faculty of other universities. WHY NOT???? I would be very interested in a program like that, but priced along the current Excelsior model. Orgaknight M.P.A. FSU M.S.W. FSU B.S. FSU A.A. SFCC
Excelsior (or Regents) explored this option several years ago according to a posting by Steve Levicoff. I have a copy of this posting somehwere but can not find it at the moment.
Excesior College is just what it claims to be: A college (barely) Thus they cannot offer a PhD unless they were to become labeled as a "University." Under NEASC rules, I belive that would be quite difficult. I think Excelsior is wonderful as far as the exams are conscrned (I took 3 as an undergraduate to complete my degree) and the MA in nursing is good, but other than that there really isn't much to the program. I recommend EC to military members who have an enormous hodgepodge of credits over the years that simply want a degree ASAP so they can hurry up and move onto their Masters. Speaking of which, the MA program EC offers is pretty good, but the MLS is simply ridiculous. I cannot fahom why someone would want to spentd the time and money for a graduate degree in liberal arts. But then to each their own. Good luck to ECD whatever it wants to do.
You are both correct. BC and Dartmouth do in fact offer doctoral programs, despite being labeled as a college. I must have been given some sort of erroneous information. Last year, I worked for UMUC, which was going under re-accedidation by MSA. During their visit to campus, I asked them about school requirements to offer degree programs, such as masters degrees and doctoral degrees. The representative told me that for a scholl to be authorized to offer doctoral programs, they must be a university. Either MSA has different rules than NEASC (something worth investigating), or I was given wrong information. Either way, I am sorry to say something erroneous.
I don't believe Excelsior qualifies (in New York) as a university and, therefore, cannot offer the Ph.D. Having graduated from an interdisciplinary doctoral program, I don't think the Ph.D. as described at the beginning of this thread would fly. One's doctoral program should be a cogent set of courses leading to one's area of research. The program is supposed to make one an expert in one's field, as well as make one a specialist in one's chosen area of research. Even in an interdisciplinary program, there has to be a series of courses that cover the field of study. Not only do I not support an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to doctoral courses, I don't even support it at the master's level. As Bear has pointed out, that degree is designed to "master" one's field. Difficult to do when warehousing credits from a variety of disciplines under one umbrella. Union's interdisciplinary approach isn't a hodge-podge. Learners have to take an interdisciplinary approach, normally blending two or more disciplines in approaching their research projects. (Mine included administration, human resources, and higher education.) But Union learners design degree programs that mirror what one would expect when concentrating in their respective fields. It is the approach that is interdisciplinary. Plus, learners often take many residencies outside their disciplines, in the form of seminars and peer days. These often lead to exposure to different learning strategies and concepts. Finally, doctoral coursework should not only make one an expert in one's field of study, it should also lead one to the research topic. Hard to do if one is taking a disconnected series of courses.
No problem Bink, I was just busting your chops. To be fair, I'm sure that Boston College would now be Boston University, had that outfit on Commonwealth Avenue not claimed the name first. Sometimes we forget that the regionals operate independently, and no doubt have different standards about some things.
In addition to MSA requirements, the New York State Board of Regents exercise considerable control over degree offerings in that state. The Regents are particularly wary of the proliferation of doctoral programs, and, if fact, required several RA graduate schools to shut down their doctoral programs a few years ago. Consequently, I think the likelyhood of an Excelsior doctoral program is not great.
