PhD horror stories- Thoughts?

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 16, 2019

Defending a dissertation is a normal part of any PhD program. Completing and successfully defending a dissertation is the "capstone" of just about all PhD programs in every discipline.

A dissertation is guided by a committee of experts -- usually a combination of faculty members and 1 or 2 "outside" experts. The key to having a positive experience with the dissertation is to be sure those committee members are true experts in what you are studying and nice people to work with. That is why I would be hesitant about any totally online PhD program. I would hesitate to put my dissertation experience into the hands of faculty members I did not know well.

When I got my PhD years ago at a brick and mortar school ... I knew the faculty that I chose to invite to sit on my dissertation committee. I had taken classes with them, served on school committees with them, etc. I also knew a lot of upperclassmen whose experiences I could observe, seeing who had good committee members and who didn't. Upperclassmen would tell us underclassmen which faculty members had good reputations and which did not, etc. That is why I would hesitate to entrust such a big, important educational experience to faculty members I did not know well -- and who did not come recommended by previous students.

Finally, when choosing a school for your PhD, it is important to choose one where you will find researchers whose research interests are similar to your own. That is incredibly important. So, whatever you decide to do ... don't go somewhere that doesn't have that.

Good luck to you.

lyndsay1985 · Sep 16, 2019

Thank you! I am looking for guidance regarding PhD programs, what to expect, how to feel about it because it is a commitment and life change. I am paving the way as I do not know of anyone who has achieved their PhD.

Perhaps, I did not understand the meaning behind the term "defending dissertation." From my understanding I am hearing stories of students who were not able to complete their dissertation in a timely fashion and then therefore were kicked out of the Phd program, with no degree, and paying thousands...?? I was not sure if a PhD program spouting that one could be completely finished within 4 years is a plausible idea? from hearing those horror stories?? or if they were not getting the approval from the review board in the necessary timeline? or if that was something i needed to worry about at all?

I can definitely understand wanting to be in a brick and mortar building and having that rapport with committee members/panel and gaining feedback from previous year students - that makes perfect logical sense and something I shall strongly consider. Whats difficult about that is I am currently living in a remote area and that would consist of a move, etc. but I will research further. Thank you again!

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Sep 17, 2019

I think that's what would scare me about getting a PhD from the for profit institutions. They're just typically not upfront with who is on their faculty line up and what their expertise are. I am assuming they have PhD Nursing faculty who are "borrowed" from other institutions or other healthcare industries who are working for them on the side while having a full time job somewhere else. That said, you can still get an online option for a PhD in places that also have an established brick and mortar program...I have colleagues who are enrolled in them.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 17, 2019

On 9/16/2019 at 1:50 PM, lyndsay1985 said:
I was not sure if a PhD program spouting that one could be completely finished within 4 years is a plausible idea? from hearing those horror stories?? or if they were not getting the approval from the review board in the necessary timeline? or if that was something i needed to worry about at all?

4 years is possible, but fast. Some people don't run into any snags and do it that quickly, but many other people take longer as life gets in the way. I took 5.5 years going full-time going to a brick and mortar program I moved half-way across the country to attend. I would have finished sooner, but I had some health problems that slowed me down along the way.

As far as the horror stories go ... yes, they can be real. You need to take them seriously. But you can avoid the worst of them by choosing a very well-established, reputable school with full time faculty who are experienced researchers. You should look at the faculty before choosing a school and be sure that their research interests match well with yours -- and that they have a good record of publication, grant funding, etc. You also need to be sure that you will get plenty of time to interact with the doctoral faculty before you form your dissertation committee so that you can be sure to choose faculty members with whom you will get along well and who you can trust to treat you fairly, etc. Having plenty of opportunity to interact with upperclassmen is also a big advantage as they can help you navigate through the coursework and also through the early stages of the dissertation process.

That's how you avoid having a disaster happen in your dissertation experience. You make wise, informed choices from the very beginning. You choose a program that will give you the opportunities to form relationships with upperclassmen and the faculty from the very beginning so that you don't end up with the wrong type of people (faculty) on your dissertation committee.

saheckler, PhD, RN · Sep 18, 2019

There are tons of brick and mortar schools that offer PhD programs online, and you would only have to travel to campus once or twice a year for a week or two, or something like that, depending on the program. I would recommend looking into those! Then you can pick a school based on common interests with faculty and your degree will come from a more well known and well regarded institution and the school will likely have more established support for students. I would be worried about Capella’s reputation — depending on what you want to do after graduation, it’s possible that Capella may not have a strong enough reputation to open the doors you want, and it would be so sad to spend all that time and money and effort only to find out that the reputation of the institution is holding you back (if you hope to enter academia at a major research institution, they are unlikely to view Capella as the same caliber as Vanderbilt for example, and that could hold you back). It might end up costing you less at an online program through a brick and mortar school too; a lot of schools offer free tuition and fees and a stipend to their students for 2-4 years, especially if you’re full time.

I believe the following schools have online options, and likely with some funding for you! Look at online programs at Ohio State, University of Iowa, Indiana University-Purdue (I believe the universities offer it in partnership), University of Utah, University of Kansas, University of Arizona, Vanderbilt, University of Colorado Denver, Villanova, Washington State, and many more. I would highly recommend picking a not for profit university with a solid reputation as well as a school that will provide funding for you. A PhD is really intense and you want to be sure you will be supported through it, both financially and by great faculty who are a good fit, so that you can really throw yourself into the program and get everything you can out of it.

Best of luck to you!

lyndsay1985 · Sep 18, 2019

Thank You! everyone for the really great advice! I WILL be doing a lot more investigating/researching into these programs!! this has been wonderful help!

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Sep 20, 2019

The program I just finished was/is a brick and mortar where almost everything is online. We were required to come to campus once a year for the first 3 Fall semesters for 3-5 days. Proposal defense could be over Skype. Actual defense had to be in person. It's a public university so while it wasn't cheap (roughly $12,000/year tuition & fees), it was much more reasonable than any private for profit.

I actually went BSN to PhD and was told it was possible to get done in 4 full years (attending 3 semesters a year). I managed to get out in 5 full years, almost on the nose. My first orientation was the last week of August 2014 and my defense was the last week of August 2019. I might could have finished 2 semesters earlier but there were health issues in my family but you know what? I've not met a single person who didn't encounter a major hurdle, personally, professionally, health-wise, or all of the above. . .

I honestly didn't know a couple of my committee members well at all but I had a stellar chair who personally recommended them and they were all top-notch.

What is the defense? Well, the dissertation is a long-winded written version of the research you will do in your last stage. I don't know if others do it differently but my defense consisted of somehow condensing that 38,000 word monster of a dissertation into a 25 slide/35 minute powerpoint presentation where I narrated the relevant parts of my research and findings. Then your committee (who has had your written dissertation in their possession for a few weeks), will question you, and you will "defend" your methods, analysis, and findings. If you have a good chair, you will be ready or he/she will not allow you to attempt the defense. My dissertation stage lasted about 4 semesters, with one of those semesters being when I kind of had to back away a few weeks due to family circumstances.