| As we all know, you can get anything online, even a | | | | education. While most doctorate degree's do not |
| PhD or a doctorate degree as some of us like to call it. | | | | require extensive teaching by lecturers and |
| You can get an education online from kindergarten to | | | | supervisors, the conventional approach does require |
| your PhD without ever seeing the inside of a | | | | contact and guided meetings with one's supervisor and |
| classroom or lecture hall. With the demand to keep | | | | assessor. An automated program just doesn't seem |
| adapting education to a working professionals lifestyle, | | | | particularly competent in this regard. |
| there is more demand from the professional | | | | Online doctorate degrees are made attractive by the |
| community to be able to get post-graduate degrees | | | | promise of getting qualified and then being in a position |
| online. This has led to an increase in online colleges and | | | | where you can become a consultant and earn good |
| also the creation of online programs by existing | | | | money. But the aim of any doctorate degree is |
| universities and colleges. This raises several issues | | | | recognition of further study to the point of expertise |
| which should be considered by prospective online | | | | thus making you a teaching authority. It goes hand in |
| students. | | | | hand that an expert should teach; can a degree |
| The quality of education comes into question and | | | | obtained online really be an authority for the education |
| whether the absence of assigned lectures and tutorials | | | | of others? |
| in the flesh can be substituted by automated course | | | | It seems that the safest PhD's to be obtained online |
| notes and tutorials. This is where accreditation of online | | | | are those in relation to Business Administration, |
| colleges comes into play. It is advisable that any | | | | Education, Humanities and Human Resources. Other |
| qualification obtained online should be from an | | | | than these, the best way to get your PhD would be to |
| accredited online college. This means that a | | | | do it the old school way. |
| prospective doctorate student must research the | | | | That being said, this does not detract from the |
| online college before they sign up or start any courses. | | | | increasing awareness that technology and the Internet |
| An accredited online college assures you that you're | | | | have made just about everything, including education, |
| getting a quality education and it assures your | | | | available online. It's sad that there aren't more |
| prospective employers (or in case of PhD's, donors | | | | restrictions on what's available online; the fact that we |
| and academics) that you are properly qualified. | | | | can entrust our learning to an automated machine is |
| Another issue that comes to mind is whether an online | | | | scary because it not only takes away the human |
| degree can really be substituted for a | | | | element of teaching but it also leaves no room for |
| home-grown-in-the-lecture-hall degree. It goes without | | | | human error. There really is no substitute for learning in |
| saying that there's nothing like the real thing and it | | | | a class room or a lecture room. |
| seems especially important when considering one's | | | | |