Pros and cons of online Ph.D. programs
Getting a doctorate degree is a huge decision, one that you may face sooner or later in your career path. This can be an extremely difficult decision to make. The actual degree itself is a tough nut to crack and the dropout rate is at a massive 43%.
So how do you make the odds work for you? If you’re considering a Ph.D. program to begin with, you’re probably well aware of how taxing it can be with the level of time commitment required.
This is where an online Ph.D. program comes in. Now, with the wide range of options offered by many online universities and schools, getting a Ph.D. is simpler than ever before. However, each option has its ups and down, so here are a few pros and cons of acquiring an online Ph.D. degree.
Pros
- Greater independence and resourcefulness
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that when you take up a commitment such as an online Ph.D., you’re signing up for a lot of self-work. You’ll need sheer willpower to help you get through the hurdles that will come your way. Although you will have most of your materials at hand, you will need to find your own ways around problems for the most part. - An online Ph.D. is cost effective
This is a huge marker for why people opt for online courses in the first place. Online Ph.D. degrees especially tend to be a lot more affordable when compared to full-time PhDs that follow a classroom-based setup. This goes for more than tuition cost. If you have to move, you will incur travel, rent, food, and a host of other costs that all add up to a huge bill.
Cons
- Lack of one-on-one assistance with professors
A Ph.D., by definition, is a degree that needs a lot of guidance and progress through mutual support from your professors and guides. You’ll also be missing out on some huge opportunities to meet the trailblazers of the very field you’re trying to master and gain valuable experiential tidbits from them. - Few doctorates can be completed online
You probably already saw this coming. The very option of having an online version to the Ph.D. you’re looking for depends greatly on the kind of field you aim to specialize in. Certain subjects simply cannot have online Ph.D. programs due to the nature of the subjects themselves. They might require special lab hours, while other courses will have difficulty getting accredited.
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