Some graduate schools devise unconventional degree programs that are unique unto themselves. For example; Colorado Technical University, in Colorado Springs, delivers doctoral degrees in what they term as an Executive Format: one on-line course each quarter, and a residential symposium twice each year. Students may choose to write and defend a traditional dissertation, or alternatively deliver four original research projects during the three-year program.
A Master of Philosophy degree is the equivalent of a PhD., with the exception of the dissertation. Within 10 years of graduation, the M.Phil. may satisfy the dissertation requirement "extra muros," literally "outside the walls," by publishing a substantial body of significant, original research in appropriate venues. The school's faculty must judge the work acceptable, and the candidate must also pass an examination. Examples of this may be found at New York's Columbia University and The New School.
Schools with a religious emphasis are generally accredited by regional or national agencies, and their theological programs through the Association of Theological Schools. In some cases, these schools offer programs with different requirements from their secular counterparts. One example is the Doctor of Strategic Leadership degree offered by Virginia's Regent University. An interdisciplinary degree combining theology with organizational theory, sociology, psychology and other disciplines, the D.S.L. requires a combination of published writing and public speaking in lieu of a dissertation.
Specialized disciplines may not require a dissertation to receive a doctoral degree. A Doctor of Nursing Practice or Doctor of Science in Nursing degree, for example, does not require a dissertation. A combination of course work, a prior master's degree and substantial quantities of clinical practice are the corresponding requirements. Doctoral programs in the arts or performing arts may also fall into this category, with the creation or execution of a notable work considered the equivalent of a dissertation.