Getting my doctorate online (neuroscience)

[Dids]

diddy,

You missed my point totally.

Places like Phoenix and other for profit online learning insitutions are not the future.

Places like UW, UCLA, Penn State that all have very good online learning programs right now moving more towards post-graduate programs very much is the future.

[diddyeinstein]

Dids,

I see the difference between what I was discussing and your point. Someone above mentioned that a large percentage/benefit of traditional graduate education was the social networking aspect. Is the lack of this a drawback of such online programs, or have they devised a way to counteract this.

[Dids]

Diddy,

Every course we offer has a discussion component. Creating a community is something we're really been pushing for.

Like I said, few of our programs are totally online. Most will have students in a classroom setting for a least a few meetings.

[diddyeinstein]

I'm not sure if these programs have been around enough to accumulate data, but I would be interested to see how the job market treats traditional degrees vs. degrees with an online component from the same institution.

I think we have successfully hijacked this thread.

[J.A.Sucker]

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is it actually a fake phd? i was attending UT medical, and can no longer make it (health reasons). i already have about 8 years of lab work. i have the dean, and a few other doctors as a referrence. eventually getting a job wont be the problem, continuing my schooling will.

i've done lots of searching via google, i cant find anything on neuroscience.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is completely reasonable. The classwork is really the least important part of a PhD anyway. Some departments don't even require any classes (MIT Chemistry, for example, though most take about a year of classes). As long as you can pass any requisite exams and, most importantly, do cutting-edge research, you're golden.

Since you already have the research pretty much done, why don't you ask the folks who you did the research for about it? Surely, they're either connected to a university somewhere or have good friends who are. They can probably hook you up with some special program, especially if you end up paying some tuition on your own, which is not the norm for science PhD's.

[Dids]

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I'm not sure if these programs have been around enough to accumulate data, but I would be interested to see how the job market treats traditional degrees vs. degrees with an online component from the same institution.

I think we have successfully hijacked this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

Our programs are officially credited and approved by the UW. (a significant portion of my job is processing our course approvals). The degrees will look just like a regular UW degree. Unless some idiot titles it with "online" in there, nobody knows the difference.

[Xylocain]

Just as an FYI

A PhD is not a learning degree or whatever... a PhD program leads to a point where one can perform and advice leading independet reserach. Thinking that one can get there in the comfort of ones bedroom is wrong.

[Aloysius]

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A doctorate gotten solely through online courses would be one of the bigger pieces of [censored] I've ever heard of. Having such a degree would be almost fraudulent.

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Ya no [censored]. I would hate to think I am going to a doctor that took his classes while sitting in his underwear drinking a beer.

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I don't see how moving the learning from "the classroom" to home removes its legitimacy, unless understanding of the presented material depends on being surrounded by a couple dozen other hungover students. Theoretically, it shouldn't matter.

That said, I'm judgmental and prejudicial. OP isn't coming anywhere near my brain.

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gump pretty much hit the nail


Perhaps im lacking in creativity, but I really cant imagine someone getting a phd in this subject from home, and not laughing when they look at the degree. This is a lab degree.


My reaction (and I bet others' as well) would be different if it were like english, history, sociology, etc etc.

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I would think an online Phd in the humanities would be relatively worthless also.

From what I understand, success post Phd in the humanities is driven by relationships and prestige. Doesn't seem like the online Phd would offer anything that could help you get a teaching job. Doubtful that the dissertation coming out of an online phd would have much credibility in academia. So not really sure what one would get out it.

-Al

[J.A.Sucker]

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A doctorate gotten solely through online courses would be one of the bigger pieces of [censored] I've ever heard of. Having such a degree would be almost fraudulent.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya no [censored]. I would hate to think I am going to a doctor that took his classes while sitting in his underwear drinking a beer.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't see how moving the learning from "the classroom" to home removes its legitimacy, unless understanding of the presented material depends on being surrounded by a couple dozen other hungover students. Theoretically, it shouldn't matter.

That said, I'm judgmental and prejudicial. OP isn't coming anywhere near my brain.

[/ QUOTE ]


gump pretty much hit the nail


Perhaps im lacking in creativity, but I really cant imagine someone getting a phd in this subject from home, and not laughing when they look at the degree. This is a lab degree.


My reaction (and I bet others' as well) would be different if it were like english, history, sociology, etc etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would think an online Phd in the humanities would be relatively worthless also.

From what I understand, success post Phd in the humanities is driven by relationships and prestige. Doesn't seem like the online Phd would offer anything that could help you get a teaching job. So not really sure what one would get out it.

-Al

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If you read the OP's later post, he makes it sound like he got sick or something and can't finish off his class work in person. He's done 8 years of research. That's plenty, assuming he got anything done in that time.

Classes are a joke in Science PhD's, anyways.

[Aloysius]

Sucker - I was referring to humanities, figure you'd know a thing or two about a Science Phd. And does sound like OP is in the unusual position where he has enough research credibility, and a strong network, where he could make an online Phd work.

In broadstrokes, I could see more credibility conferred to an undergrad online program in the future, but I doubt that online Phds (any field) would have much success.

-Al