Best Schools for Online PhD Education
Online doctorate programs can be a challenge because of the research and thesis requirements typically associated with them. The most comprehensive doctorate programs are found with a few of the career colleges that have worked hard to develop the technology for advanced degrees and the accreditation for their programs. They are listed here along with the top traditional universities that have graduate programs online. While a number of highly respected traditional schools offer Master Degree distance learning programs, those that have been sufficiently proactive in online education to develop PhD options are relatively few. We have listed the best of them here.
1. University of Texas has a group of academic choices available online that offer extensive graduate level options. The online nursing program at the UT virtual school TeleCampus has developed two Masters programs for advanced practice nurses that each has several areas of specialization. The online PhD in Nursing is research oriented, like many PhD programs, but is designed so that successful graduates can improve nursing practices based on research results.
2. University of Maryland University College provides its outreach efforts and online education programs through the University College. The UMUC has an excellent distance learning graduate program that includes accounting & finance, information technology, business and education as well as other academic disciplines. The school offers doctorates in Management and in Community College Policy and Management.
3. Capella University has an impressive range of online PhD programs in several areas of study. The Capella School of Education offers ten PhD programs including a Nursing Education specialization. There are other doctorate options in the business field, in information technology and in psychology. The School of Public Service Leadership offers a PhD in Health Care Administration and six other degrees.
4. University of Massachusetts has one of the best online education programs offered by a traditional university system with its distance learning academy UMassOnline. There are twenty three graduate degrees at the Masters level and several of them are a series of degrees for in advanced practice nursing. Recently the degree option for Nurse Practitioner has been changed to a doctorate, which this system offers as an online option. There is also a doctorate in Public Health Nursing available through UMassOnline.
5. Walden University offers online PhD Degrees in Education, Psychology, Health Services and Human Services, and Management. There is also a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision that is an excellent choice for someone in the counseling field who wants to manage in a clinical setting. Specializations include Forensic Mental Health Counseling, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and Trauma & Crisis. Walden also offers a PhD in Public Administration and a PhD in Public Health.
6. Boston University has opted in to the distance learning format with several carefully thought out graduate programs. There are twenty or more graduate degrees and specializations in the fields of Computer Information Systems, Business, Criminal Justice, and Music. One of the more unusual online doctorate programs is the BU online doctorate in Music Education. There are also online doctorates available in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.
7. University of Phoenix has PhD programs in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Higher Education Leadership. There are also online doctoral programs in Educational Leadership, Nursing, Organizational Leadership and in Business. The UOP School of Advanced Studies provides online doctoral programs through a scholar/mentor online program and by working with all students to design a program for completion of the required residency.
8. Liberty University has extended well beyond its core of religious teaching to include a full array of graduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences. Graduate programs through the online campus are available in accounting, education, and nursing. The University offers an online PhD in Counseling and two doctorate options in Education.
9. Argosy University has several online doctorate programs for academic areas where completion of a PhD or doctorate can mean a substantial boost up the career ladder. The College of Education offers three doctorate programs: in Educational Leadership, in Teaching and Learning, and in Community College Executive Leadership. The College of Business offers a doctorate program that includes options for an accounting doctorate or a marketing doctorate.
10. Northcentral University offers a PhD in Business Administration with many areas of concentration that include Advanced Accounting and Electronic Commerce. The School of Behavioral and Health Sciences has PhD options in Psychology and in Marriage & Family Therapy. In the field of Education there are ten specializations at the doctorate level.