Online PhD

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jul 26, 2011

Moved to the post-grad forum (vs. the GN forum) to encourage responses.

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Jul 27, 2011

I have been searching for online BSN to PhD programs. I have a Master of Arts in Adult and Community education and decided not to pursue a second masters. Have you checked out University of Alabama Birmingham? I was strongly considering the school, but changed my mind. I did not find a faculty member with research interests similar to mine. I looked at University of Arizona. I searched the list of faculty and found one whose research fits my interests; vulnerable populations particularly the deaf community. The price tag is steep since I am out of state. There are schools that offer the free tuition. I have not looked into the different schools offering that, but I am considering contacting U of A to discuss a tuition discount of some sort or perhaps some sort of scholarship.

ann945n, RN · Jul 27, 2011

I havent looked at U of Alabama but will thanks for the tip! I looked at U of A too but I found little tuition help there and steep prices. Hope you have better luck than I!

UVA Grad Nursing · Jul 27, 2011

In order to get a full scholarship for a PhD program, you will likely need to either be Graduate Teaching Assistant or a Graduate Research Assistant. It is more difficult to do either of these roles in online programs.

In most cases, there is more graduate scholarship money available for more traditional 'brick and mortar' PhD programs where there are undergraduate students in residence to teach and faculty with funded research projects that can support you as a R.A.

Moogie · Jul 27, 2011

I did my master's in nursing education online at a state university not too far from where I currently live. I enjoyed the flexibility and not having to commute, but I decided against doing an online PhD. My biggest concern was that I felt disconnected from other classmates and the faculty. I had the luxury of being able to go to campus to see my advisor (and she was wonderful!) but I still felt like I was out there all alone much of the time. That feeling of disconnect was enough to make me think twice about whether I wanted to do a PhD on campus or online---and I decided to do a campus-based program. Your experience might be different and maybe being on campus won't be as important to you as it is to me. I just felt that not feeling connected with the university, my classmates, or the faculty was the biggest downside of doing a program online.

If you do end up doing an online PhD, make sure that you choose a school that has a good reputation and experience with online delivery at the PhD level. Some schools that are just venturing into online education and/or doctoral education might have a few growing pains that could make your experience more stressful than necessary. Talk to students who currently attend a program that you might be considering. Ask about how things like class discussions or group work are handled. Ask about the experience level of the faculty and the institution with both online education and doctoral education.

Something else to consider is how many PhD students are fully funded. A school that is well-established will be more likely to offer funding to doctoral students. Some newer programs simply can't offer the kind of funding that larger, more established programs can offer. It is possible to work as a GTA or GRA online but a well-established school may have opportunities that go beyond these.

Good luck with your decision!