Online Phd Degree - Is It Right For You?
Going back to graduate school is an investment that takes time and commitment; make sure you're ready.
Graduate school is not for the faint of heart. Some people choose to attend right after their undergraduate years, others go after gaining the recommended work experience, and still others go while working a full-time job. For all of these situations, an online PhD degree could be something to consider as you weigh your choices with your lifestyle, finances and career goals. Below are some questions to ask yourself when considering returning to school for your online PhD degree.
Do you have the discipline to commit?
Be honest with yourself. An online PhD is earned in an entirely different way compared to a traditional ground school. You need to be able to juggle many things at once; assignments, discussions, lectures and readings, without the normal structure of a classroom. Since nearly all of it is online, barring the required clinicals or research in a lab, you need to keep tabs of dates and times, participate in a meaningful way in online discussions or chats, and schedule your own time around the clinicals and research.
If you have commitments to jobs or family, this can be a struggle if you are not 100 percent committed to the online PhD degree program and it can be easy to put aside and forgotten for family time and job needs. Motivation is just as important in the discipline equation. If you are not motivated enough, committed enough and don't have the discipline to commit to this kind of schooling environment, then a traditional ground school program might be your best fit.
Can you afford it?
Graduate students are given different financial aid options to offset the high cost of tuition. They either student teach an undergraduate class or are hired as research assistants in the university labs. Both of these options ensure that colleges can keep their expenses down and have a workforce that doesn't need to be paid as much as a more highly skilled teacher or researcher. Both online PhD degree programs and traditional programs offer grants and low-interest bearing loans to students. If they still can't afford the tuition, then many students turn to private loans.
Regardless of how the student reaches out for aid, they find that with the rigor of a PhD degree program, there is not much room for a regular job because of physical classroom commitments. In many cases an online PhD degree can be less expensive per credit than the traditional schooling method. Not only that, online PhD degree programs are flexible to the student needs; if they have to work to support family, they can take classes that are convenient to their work schedule.
Have you planned your career goals?
Take some time out to seriously plan out your career goals. Don't be general; be as specific as possible. Having these goals in mind will give you direction in a doctorate program. Since a lot of the PhD programs require you to do your own research and in order to graduate, you need to write a publishable dissertation, then it would serve your best interests to start day one with your career goal in mind.
The undergraduate years are designed for students to explore many different fields and interest areas; the graduate years are for narrowing in on a particular subject, question and sub-question. Anonline PhD degree program is one that caters to students who have a job or project already in mind. They don't want to stop gaining work experience in their field, but also want to up their education credentials to position themselves for a better job within their company or in another one entirely.
Getting your graduate degree is enough of a commitment in itself. Make sure you are ready to commit your time, finances and a lifestyle change if you decide to pursue one in a traditional setting or in an online PhD degree program. Seriously considering these questions can put you on the right track to the right degree program option. Don't be fooled by those that would say an online PhD degree is easier to obtain. It is just as rigorous, and more so considering that you may still be working full-time and with a family, as a traditional PhD program.
by: Emily Sismour
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