University of the People Doctoral Programs???

Has there been any talk of whether the University of the People will offer doctoral programs? They had a blog post where they discussed the difference between research and professional doctorates but of course aren't offering anything beyond the masters degree.

I don't see them doing PhD's but I could see an EdD and that would be in keeping with their accreditation.

I think for a lot of people earning a doctorate isn't necessarily geared to opening a tenure track job as much as fulfilling a goal, giving one an edge in industry, additional respect in a community college or when practicing therapy. A doctorate from the UofP could meet those requirements and not be cost prohibitive.

 

This school is accredited by DEAC. Thus, they could hypothetically get approval to offer professional doctorates (like the EdD). While DEAC is conducting a pilot centered on accrediting schools offering the PhD, they do not do so as a policy at this point. So, offering the PhD would not be possible at this time.

I've made the "pro" argument for working professionals to consider earning a professional doctorate through a DEAC-accredited school. (Not sure it helps at the community college level. I don't know if we've seen any evidence indicating that.)

 

I agree with you. It makes sense to earn a professional doctorate that is credible but not as expensive as a non-DEAC institution (at least in theory as there are some more expensive DEAC accredited programs).

When I mentioned community college I was thinking in terms of added credibility with the doctorate and doctorate title. It may not result in a bump in pay due to a Regional Accreditation requirement.

Many people want to earn a doctorate to enhance their skills, reach a goal, and have some added credibility. A DEAC accredited doctorate would work fine and achieve pretty much the same thing without the six-figure price tag of some of the for-profits people end up going through.

 

I have doubts that UoP could do a doctorate...

1) I have heard students grade each other. This might be an issue, and already IS an issue when dealing with those for whom English is not the native language from what I see on chatrooms.

2) The study is mostly "free" resources and PDFs, not traditional textbooks... limiting research avenues and potentially your citation worthy sources.

3) As many existing "volunteer" instructors do not hold a doctorate themselves, how can you get enough faculty to service the program?

 

I'd need a source for that before believing it. That would seem problematic at any level, not specifically at the doctorate.

They would have to obtain, and provide, an e-library of research resources. These are expensive and based on enrollment size. Given the tuition-free approach, this could be borne by the student or covered by a grant the school might obtain.

The other resources are not problematic per se.

The same way the got their current faculty, I would guess. I'm not sure why the doctoral level would be any different.

Also, because DEAC accredits schools mostly using the old "course in a box" self-study method (as opposed to live courses taught by instructors), these schools have smaller faculties. Based on experiences elsewhere, I could see a 30- or 40-1 ratio easily.

This is all speculation, of course, but I don't see how this school is fundamentally incapable of offering the doctorate, assuming it would be willing to make the necessary adjustments.

 

Only that in some cases you click the link provided and got a paywall for a newspaper or other media company.

As for the PDFs... for some folks it works, other people like actually having book in their hands.

ymmv

 

There are services where you pay an annual fee and get access to academic/journal articles. I imagine they could use one.

 

I do remember that UoPeople provides access to library databases; I need to double-check because I haven't registered for any courses for a long time.
To be honest, some of my classmates are really great fellows, and they have achieved significantly in their current careers and lives, but I still can hardly accept that every one of my classmates could be considered "peers." Anyway, it is merely a term the university wants to use, and I am happy to let it go.

Nonetheless, peer-review grading (its weight in the total score is limited) and using free available PDF textbooks (e.g., those provided through OpenStax) are the two remarkable traits that the university promotes. I personally can live with them and would not those are killing me. But I agree that for future doctoral programs, the university really should revisit the pedagogy they adopted, unless the president has decided to register a branch in Mexico or Andorra or someplace else.

 

In regards to your question as it applies to UoP I have no idea at this time.

However with the online MS I recently finished at a state University in Illinois, not a single class offered online textbooks within the LMS. All classes required students to purchase textbooks -either E-books for your laptops or traditional hardcovers.-

(Personally I PREFER having physical textbooks so that I can always refer back to them.)