Job Discussion Forums

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

Is there a way to determine the quality of doctorate programs in the US? What are University of Phoenix and Walden University like?

movinaround · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 202

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

You could try here.

http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankgrad.htm

There are also books in the Reference section of any Borders or Barnes & Noble that rank and discuss graduate programs in the U.S.

But if you're also trying to find the fastest and cheapest (and perhaps online) Ph.D. programs, your search for "quality" might be a bit misplaced.

By the way, In the U.S., they are called doctoral programs. In what particular field are you interested in pursuing a Ph.D.?

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

I wonder if they are still offering "D.A." programs (instead of PhDs). It was an option (offered by SUNY) I rejected when I was considering going for the Doctorate.
It seemed to be a watered down PhD.

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

By the time you graduated, your U of Phoenix degree wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on. More and more companies are not acknowledgeing U of P as a legitimate educational institution. There are dozens of websites out there documenting how the U is totally business-oriented and totally un-education-oriented.

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

Even though I'm teaching way over in the Middle East, a rep from U of Phoenix (Jacob Harris) called me. From the sounds of it, I'll lay off. Walden I'm still investigating but it seems difficult to find informed or expericned opinions about educational doctoral programs. I tried the suggested websites.

I'm not looking for cheap and fast. I haven't really looked at price and I expect to take years and years to complete this program. Right now, I'm thinking of doing an EdD (at Exeter) which is said to be a "professional PhD". It's said to have the same weight as a PhD but with a different emphasis. Also, I'm sticking to the British or Australian doctoral programs (Exeter, Lancaster, Birmingham, Bristol, etc.) I thought these universities have a longer history of offering part-time distance learning (while you're working-type programs). US universities are new kids on the block in distance learning and EdD programs, I thought. Would a US or UK doctorate have the same marketability in the US academic job market?

Are there other email lists that I can subscribe to that discuss these Higher Education issues?

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

A couple of web sites with forums that discuss distance degrees:
http://www.degreeinfo.com/
http://forums.degreeboard.com/

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

I looked through the links but wonder how useful they are- at the Doctorate level, unless you go to a place like Penn, Harvard or Yale- or choose the other extreme, like U of P, does it make much of a difference?

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

To the OP: Once again, in what particular field do you want to obtain a Ph.D.? Or will any Ph.D. suffice for your purposes?

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

Literacy/Linguistics/General Education/Educational Leadership would be the prime areas.

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

Bumping this thread for the sake of a burning question- does it matter, from the point of view of a University hiring committee in the U.S., if I did my Ph.D. in Europe? I ask because it is my impression that the European system, where different Unis announce projects and then invite applicants- thereby guaranteeing fully funded Ph.D. programs for those who are accepted- is much better than the American system where students must apply first (and pay a fee of course) and then, if accepted, wait to find out if they will be funded or if they need to take out loans. Does anyone have insights on this?