Distance education allows you to study on your own schedule, keep your job and avoid the need to move. Universities benefit from lower overhead cost per student. Once a professor records a lecture, that same lecture can be broadcast for each new class, and tests can be distributed, collected and graded electronically, saving time for the faculty.
While Ph.D. programs may be the last hold-outs of traditional on-campus education, there are a growing number of doctoral programs available through distance education. The most commonly offered programs are in education, psychology, public health and administration, business, and engineering.
A Ph.D. program usually takes three to six years beyond the master's degree. In some cases, a Ph.D. program takes seven to 10 years to complete and is begun after a student has received a bachelor's degree. The first two to three years are devoted to course work, at the end of which the student is awarded a master's degree and formally invited into the Ph.D. program.
Completing a Ph.D. via distance learning requires the same amount of time as a traditional program. Expect it to be akin to a full-time job for the duration of the program and for it to take more persistence and discipline than an on-campus student might need.
One fundamental component of most Ph.D. programs -- teaching -- is unavailable to distance education students. Since on-campus Ph.D. students often receive a teaching stipend, they gain a significant source of financial aid as well as valuable experience teaching undergraduate courses. Before you commit to a distance education program, consider your career plans and determine whether teaching experience is weighed heavily by employers in your field.
Traditional Ph.D. programs offer significant financial aid and often include a teaching stipend. Since this option is not available for distance education students, an online doctoral program is often significantly more expensive than its traditional counterpart. For example, at Northcentral University, which conducts all of its classes online, the program cost in 2009 was $32,000, while at the University of South Africa (alma mater of Nelson Mandela), fees were $2,200 per year.
While many websites advertise distance learning Ph.D. degrees, only accredited institutions can offer the credentials expected by employers and academic institutions. Because a Ph.D. program is intended to allow you to become a professor or researcher, the prestige of the university you attend has enormous impact upon your employment prospects. Avoid unaccredited institutions and choose your program carefully, with an eye toward how your fellow academics will view your credentials.