Why do so many get their doctorate when it isnt needed?

Dr. Douglas would like to point out that finding a few anecdotes do not prove such an over-arching point. For-profit schools have been awarding doctoral degrees for more than two decades. You'd think people would have caught on to this scam by now. Or perhaps there's a better explanation?

 

Whoa, what a strawman argument we have here. Now it's a "Ph.D. alone"? Nice switch. Still wrong.

Mid-career professionals have been earning doctorates nontraditionally for four decades. Shhh....don't tell them it's a bad idea.

Got any facts?

 

One of the benefits of doing a doctorate is that it encourages critical thinking. The above is an example of a false dichotomy, an "either/or" proposition that assumes no values in between or elsewhere. But that's simply not the case here. No one is talking about guarantees. But many people benefit tremendously from earning the doctorate, either to advance in their careers or to begin new ones.

I don't recall anyone with a doctorate posting here (or on any of the other popular boards) saying they regretted it and wish they could have their money back. It's certainly not a common theme. You would think that would come up once in awhile.

Oh, and I found these: ''''''' You must have (must've?) misplaced them.

 

Yes but for less than 10 years for online doctorates. If it takes about 3-5 years to earn one so we only have about 7 years of people working with these degrees. Not enough to catch up any scam. The real estate scam lasted more a decade for people to catch up.

Online schools do not publish before and after salaries for PhD graduates, without this is not feasible to see the real effect of these degrees in people`s careers. This information could be collected but the fact that is not available tells you something.

 

I believed I posted this study already

CANADA: PhD offers little salary difference - University World News

Salaries are increased by 5K (Canada) average with a PhD. I would expect the online doctorate from a low tier school to be even lower.

I am yet to see a study that shows that an online doctorate has some positive return of investment. I have never seen a before and after salary being published by an online school.

 

There are doctoral students with low-status survival, supplementary, etc. jobs at the highest-status schools too, of course.

 

Also, say, looking at the three resumes RFV posted:

• most recent position listed started 2006; Northcentral Ph.D. granted 2009 (the only date given for it)
• most recent position listed started 2010; Northcentral Ph.D. program started 2010
• most recent position listed started 2008; Phoenix D.B.A. program started 2009

 

My assumption was that people doing online doctorates do so because they are employed full time and are not taking the typical survival job of a graduate student.

However, I must say that is not normal that someone with an MBA is working as an assembler (even for a UoP graduate) so it is possible that the doctoral candidate in question is attending full time as a doctoral student and doing the assembly job for cash to help with his studies. Nevertheless, I would think that someone that is doing a full time doctorate would chose a cheaper and better school but may be this guy just loves UoP.

I realize that we cannot take few resumes to generalize the value of the doctorates. However, this is the first thing I would do if I were to do one of these online doctorates. I would see of these programs worked for some people and they helped them before investing my time and energies on this. Not because it worked for some it means it can work for me, but at least I would know that they have some value.

 

I agree but the question of why do people get it is an individual choice. If NMTTD can not move on until they "fully understand" the reasons we will be here for a long time. Why do people have children? They cost money (like a PhD), may not always meet your expectation (like a PhD), take time to raise (like a PhD), can bring you great joy (like a PhD), can be stressful (like a PhD), can fulfill a life's dream (like a PhD), others will never see the need or value in having them/it (like a PhD), etc.

I do not have children and would never want them. I can not understand why people have them (see reasons above) but do not question why they do it. Honestly, I do not care because it does not really effect me. Move on!

 

I like cake.

 

you are right, the guy actually seems to be unemployed so may be the PhD is making him overqualified for any job at this point.

 

It might also be for the t-shirt..

 

or because people look better in these hoods:


than these hoods:


Though there are certain highly religious schools in the country where that would be disputed.

 

although ultimately, people get their doctorates for the sex. Because spending 50k on a sports car to accomplish the same thing is sadly ineffective.

 

Neither of your examples (above) have doctoral degrees.

 

Iv'e forgotten what we were talking about.

 

This was determined two pages back. Thank you for bringing us the spare TARDIS. I was wondering where that went to..

 

I have no idea what the point is but I love this!

 

This isn't true. Capella University was established almost 20 years ago. Walden University was established 42 years ago. Union began awarding the Ph.D. 40 years ago. Nova Southeastern awarded doctoral degrees by studying through Telenet/Tymnet 20 years ago. University of Sarasota was awarding doctoral degrees more than 30 years ago. Fielding more than 30 years ago. There are plenty more where those came from.

Doctoral degrees have been awarded by accredited U.S. universities via distance learning for decades. (At a few overseas schools, like U. of London, UNISA, and the British Open University, even much longer.) If you have research available to show that these operations are a scam, please share it. And I'm not asserting there is no data about salaries--nor that there is. But you're asserting there is not. How do you come by this conclusion?

 

Not so fast. First, this is just about Canada. Most posters on this board live in the U.S. Second, the article is about people who start out their careers with a master's vs. those who start with a Ph.D. But this thread is specifically about people who go back to get a Ph.D. during their careers. Huge difference. Starting salaries are not an indication of long-term career success, necessarily. A better figure would be the impact on earning a Ph.D. while relatively fully employed. (Meaning, employed at the height of one's current earnings potential.)

If it's true there's no data available, then you have to ask why people have been doing this for decades. Again, you'd think someone would spill the beans!