You are at the point where you are contemplating returning to school for your doctorate degree. Perhaps you have your eye on a promotion at work or maybe you are interested in moving into a slightly different career direction. A PhD is the credential you need to make it happen. The only thing standing in your way is that the school that offers the degree you want is too far away, and you can’t imagine leaving your job and moving to another city or state to pursue a doctorate degree. The good news is that you don’t have to give up your dream of getting that doctoral degree. In fact, you can keep your job and maintain life as you know it by getting your doctoral degree online. Consider the following perks of earning your doctoral degree online:
- Keep your job while you study
- Study anywhere you have internet access
- Complete your studies at a faster pace
- Earn a doctorate from a highly-regarded university
Keep your job while you study
When you earn your PhD through an online doctoral program, you can keep your job while you study for your degree. There are online doctorate degrees in just about any field you can imagine. There are some programs that might require a few days on campus each year for seminars or related activities, but the majority of your work can be done from your home or office. As long as you can manage your time and keep up with your coursework, working should not be an issue.
Study anywhere you have internet access
Online doctoral programs allow you to complete your work from anywhere you have an internet connection. Depending on the school, much of your study and research will be done independently. You may need to check in weekly with an instructor and peers for discussion groups and group projects, but mostly, you will work on your own and turn assignments through a learning management system which functions as the online classroom. The amount of flexibility in your program depends on whether your program is primarily asynchronous or synchronous.
In an asynchronous program, lectures are recorded for access at your convenience. Assignments are accessible through the learning management system and you can log in anytime to respond to discussion boards. If your program is primarily synchronous, you will be expected to be online, engaging with your professors and peers at specific times. Some programs offer a combination of synchronous and asynchronous courses.
Complete your studies at a faster pace
In many campus-based doctoral programs, you start and finish your studies with a cohort, meaning you enter and progress through a program with the same group of peers. Your group will have the same course schedule and you will spend a lot of time studying and engaging in other academic activities with your cohort. Online doctoral programs allow you the flexibility to complete courses independently, which can be faster, and that saves both time and money.
Earn a doctorate from a highly-regarded university
Online PhD programs have come a long way over the years. You can get a doctorate degree from a highly-regarded university. Employers no longer look at online degrees with doubt. In fact, some employers offer tuition reimbursement and educational leave for employees pursuing online doctorate degrees.
