Thanks to the internet you can now earn an online PhD with the same status and respect as those who earn a traditional doctoral degree.

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What is a PhD?
The abbreviation, Ph.D, stands for "Doctor of Philosophy" and is probably the most common academic doctoral degree. Additional doctoral degrees include the juris doctorate, a law degree, the D.A. or doctor of arts degree which typically has an emphasis on teaching, and a DD or doctor of divinity obtained by the clergy.

Doctoral degrees were once for an elite few
Obtaining a doctoral degree is costly, time consuming, and challenging. The time and the research involved prevents most from seeking this advanced degree while the high cost (often triple the cost of an undergraduate degree) and the fact that TAP and PELL grants are not available for graduate study has kept the list of doctorate candidates to a wealthy minority. While some institutions attempted to make the study available via correspondence, such distance degrees were regarded as the degree you could buy and were often scoffed at. In some cases, the correspondence programs were indeed of poorer quality, lacking any real way of proving that a “graduate” was as well educated as the degree ought to imply.

"Distance" learning, a step in the right direction
A closed circuit TV system in which one professor taught multiple classes simultaneously and on different campuses was the first step in true distance education. In some cases, colleges purchased time on a specific public television channel, and students simply had to turn on the set at class time. The systems were a little crude and were subject to blackouts during storms, but the requirements on the part of the students were as rigorous as the usual campus course. If fact, the students actually had to attend class; they just had a variety of campuses to choose from.

The distance learning practice saved money as professors were paid for teaching one class even though the student head count might be three times the usual classroom. Of course, more students means less time per student, so contact with professors for help or advice was often minimal. Although the practice isn't widely used for doctoral study, some colleges with multiple campuses still use the distance learning TV system for some of their core classes.

The development of "internet" classes
The internet has largely replaced the old distance learning format.  Students can now sign on at their own convenience and in their own homes to take courses that would have been unavailable just a few years ago. Each student has a login which is automatically recorded so a professor can keep a record of your fulfillment of attendance requirements. However, you can do so according to your own schedule and can even interact with other students as well as make use of the campus and electronics libraries.

Online degrees began with certificate programs and were—like the correspondence degrees—initially scoffed at. However, the high cost of education brought with it a persistence that has worked in favor of online degrees. Today’s programs include all degrees; in fact, the pendulum has swung widely, and in some degree fields, the internet courses are specifically graduate degrees.  In the last few years, doctoral degrees, especially in business and criminal justice fields, have become widely available through internet study.

Internet doctoral programs offer flexibility but may have some campus requirements
Doctoral degrees nearly always require an element of real life application whether it be problem solving, leadership, development of a new theory, or research. It is possible to earn your master's degree entirely online, but you may still be required to put in a residency for your doctoral degree. This could mean that you spend a semester or more in actual classes or that you report directly to a dissertation director for the final phase of your degree. Research the program and the school before enrolling to familiarize yourself with all the requirements.

A doctoral degree can take up to four years or more of study, in addition to your Bachelor’s degree. Working online, however, you may be able to shorten the study time to only two or three years. Following the course work, you will take comprehensive exams (as long as 6 hours of oral and written exams) and will then be given a committee to work with as you write your dissertation—a book length document exploring some element of your discipline.  Once the course work is completed, you usually will have several years to complete a dissertation, although the college may give you a maximum allowable time for completion. Also, you must pay to be enrolled even while you work on your dissertation, so you will want to complete it as quickly as possible.

Doctoral programs online
Doctoral degree programs naturally developed after the earliest online students completed their undergraduate studies and wanted the advanced degrees. Consequently, the online universities also have the most online doctoral programs. Over time, these institutions have become as widely respected as any traditional campus.

These include:

Capella University offering doctoral degrees in Organization & Management, Education, Human Services, Psychology, and a PsyD in Psychology;

Walden University offering doctoral degrees in Applied Management and Decision Sciences, Public Policy and Administration, Education, Psychology, Public Health, Health Services, Human Services, and Education;

and The University of Phoenix offering the Doctor of Business Administration; Doctor of Management; Doctor of Education; and Doctor of Health Administration.

Other Doctoral Degree Options
However, these well known universities are not your only options. Doctoral degrees are also available through Columbia Southern University and Indiana State University, just to name a couple.

If your career choice is not business, health, psychology, or law related, you may simply have to search a little further. For example, Boston University Online offers a Doctor of Musical Arts in Musical Education, Touro University International has a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership, and several universities offer doctoral degrees in Health Care Administration.

Finally, many colleges that do not advertise an entire online doctoral program will allow doctoral degree students to take certain courses online. Thus, if you have to maintain a job while studying, you may be able to take certain classes on campus, but take advantage of internet courses for others.

Check the accreditation of the doctoral program before making a commitment
Many online universities offer advance degrees, but before enrolling in one, you need to check with the Department of Education for the state or with the U.S. Department of Education, and make sure it is an accredited program. Also, if your career is one that requires licensure, make sure the degree program is recognized by the bureau that will be awarding your license. Popular fields for online doctoral study are law, psychology, education, public health, and business. Over time, you can expect to see the appearance of additional programs.

Regardless of the school you choose, you want to take a little time to verify their accreditation. Accreditation assures a certain level of quality in the program and is established by non-governmental private organizations that evaluate every aspect of the school. The accreditors themselves are also reviewed for quality by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United Stated Department of Education (USDE). Accreditation is important to you because the CHEA states that in the United States, you must be enrolled in an accredited program in order to be eligible for grants and loans. This applies to online education as well. Also, if you ever want to transfer credits from one school to another, only accredited education credits will transfer. Finally, in today's competitive job market, employers often look for proof that job applicants have a degree from an accredited academic program. Without it, you may get the job, but may not be eligible for promotions in the future.

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