This is not the case though with a doctorate degree which is an academic degree of the highest level and requires still further education and intensive academic study.
I think by now that most of us have heard of online learning programs that offer degree and post graduation courses. But online doctorate programs? I for one always assumed that doctorate degrees , being as it is the highest level of concrete education one can get, would always be an offline program demanding intensive study over a period of three, four or even five years. In fact, I am still to come across a single person who has secured an online doctorate education. But guess what? The University of Phoenix, the University in the United States of America with the highest number of registered online learners, has not only started offering online doctorates, but has also remarked that more and more users are signing up for the innovative program. Who would have thought it, a doctorate degree online.
With more and more people being employed immediately after their bachelors and masters degrees and the cost of living getting so high that not having a job is no longer a realistic option, online doctorate programs have become the medium of choice for not just busy professionals, but also students who are unwilling to enroll in full time programs. Which is why there seems to be a sudden spurt of interest in online doctorate programs. And like the University of Phoenix reveals, more people are signing up for online programs. But if you think that an online doctorate is any less strenuous than a similar offline program, perish the thought. An online doctorate is as rigorous and sometimes more rigorous than similar offline programs. Most students can complete their online doctorates in three years or more. But these sort of programs are not entirely online. They include a fair amount of residential workshops where the finer aspects of the online doctorate like presentations, discussions and projects need to be completed.
And in keeping with the academic standards that are expected of students in online doctorate programs, regular contact, through the internet enabled voice and video are an almost essential part of the course. So, while self study is a convenience that an online doctorate program offers, it also involves a fair share of online discussion. And if you were under the assumption that a thesis would not be a part of an online doctorate, perish the thought again! Not only is the thesis required, but it is essential in order to complete your course and be awarded the title. So get started on gathering the material for the dissertation!
Be that as it may, an online doctorate program is surely more convenient than a full time, offline course of study. While offering busy professionals the chance to continue with their day jobs while studying for an online doctorate, it gives them an element of convenience that they never before could access. And several other universities, some of them very reputed ones, are going the online way. So if you ever wanted to affix the title of Dr to your name and didn’t know how, getting a doctorate online might just be a convenient option!
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