Ten Best PhD Schools Online

Earning a PhD online is a viable option today for a couple of reasons.  The first is the improvement in online education technology that makes communication between student and professor a vital feature of any degree program.  Communication among students enrolled in the same program or cohort (class) is another feature of online education that contributes liveliness and creativity to the difficult work associated with graduate education.  The other factor that has made an online PhD worth considering is the steady growth in the quality of the faculty at most online institutions.  A PhD candidate in an online environment is going to get the expertise and support that is needed for the development of a dissertation topic and for the research and writing that follows.  Online PhD programs are gaining the respect and credibility that makes a graduate degree worthwhile.

1.      Capella University was established in 1991 to develop alternative methods of quality education delivery.  Today the school enrolls more that 38,000 online students at any given time, in all fifty states and over 50 nations.  The University offers 43 undergraduate and graduate programs in 136 specialized areas of study.  The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has accredited Capella’s graduate counseling degrees.  The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has accredited the advanced level education degrees preparing individuals for work in the K-12 education environment.  The School of Nursing programs are slated for accreditation review in April of 2011 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

• Business:  The PhD in Organization and Management is offered with the following areas of specialization: Human Resource Management, Information Technology Management, Leadership, and two additional choices.  There is a PhD in Accounting program, and a PhD in General Business.

• Technology:  The PhD in Information Technology has several areas of specialization:, PhD in IT for Information Assurance & Security, PhD in IT for General Information Technology, PhD in IT for Project Management, and the PhD in IT for IT Education.  There is also a PhD in Instructional Design for Online Learning.

• Psychology:  Capella has a large School of Psychology that offers several doctoral options: The PhD in General Counselor Education & Supervision, PhD in Training & Performance Improvement, PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and three additional areas.  The University also offers a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology.

• Health:  This division offers a PhD in Nursing Education, a PhD in Healthcare Administration, and a Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) in Leadership.  There are also Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Epidemiology, and in Health Policy & Leadership.

• Public Service: In this sector there is a PhD in Social & Community Services, PhD in Emergency Management, and a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) degree along with two more options.  There is also a PhD in Management of Non-Profit Agencies and a PhD in Criminal Justice.

• Education: For education management there are PhD degrees in the following areas: Curriculum & Instruction, Leadership for Higher Education, Professional Studies in Education, Postsecondary & Adult Education, and three additional options.  There is also a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Reading & Literacy.

2.      Walden University is a 100% online school that has been delivering distance learning programs since the 1970s.  The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges & Schools, the accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the region in which Walden is based.  Several of the graduate programs are accredited by subject-specific accrediting commissions. Today the University offers ten doctoral degrees, each of which has several areas of specialization.

• Education: The PhD in Education is available with specializations in Educational Technology, Early Childhood Education, Adult Education Leadership, Community College Leadership, and four additional options.  The Doctor of Education (EdD) program is also available.

• Health:  The PhD in Health Services is offered with specializations in Healthcare Administration, Community Health Education & Advocacy, Leadership, Public Health, and Public Health Policy.

• Human Services: This academic sector offers a PhD in Human Services with areas of concentration in Clinical Social Work, Counseling, Criminal Justice, Disaster Crisis, & Intervention, Family Studies & Intervention Strategies, and two additional choices.

• Management: The PhD in Management can be earned with specialization in one of the following: Accounting, Engineering Management, Finance, Information Systems Management, Information Systems Management, or four other business oriented choices.

• Psychology: The PhD in Psychology is offered with specializations in Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Health Psychology, and Organizational Psychology.

3.      University of Maryland University College is considered to be one of the eleven campuses of the Maryland University System.  It was established in 1947 and today is the largest provider of online education among the nation’s public universities.  All of the graduate programs are fully accredited by the appropriate academic specialty commissions and by associations approved by the U.S. Department of Education.  UMUC operates a campus in the Washington DC metro area and has over 90,000 students enrolled worldwide.

• Management: UMUC offers the Doctor of Management degree and the Doctor of Management in Community College Policy & Administration.

4.      University of Phoenix is the largest online education institution in the nation with over 400,000 students enrolled in the campuses and distance learning programs operated by the school.  UOP has taken some care in obtaining accreditation for both the undergraduate and graduate programs available.  Both doctoral programs offered through the School of Business are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).  The undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).  The University is also licensed in the states where it operates campuses and by numerous other commissions for education in academic areas.

• Business: The School of Business at UOP offers a PhD in Business Administration and a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership.

• Education: There are several specialization options for the Doctor of Education (EdD).  The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership is the general degree, which can be completed with specialization in Curriculum & Instruction, or in Educational Technology.  There is also a PhD in Higher Education Administration available.

• Health:  The PhD in Nursing along with a Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) degree for a senior leadership career in public or private healthcare.

• Psychology: The PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology is an excellent academic or business career choice.

• Technology: The Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership is available with specialization in Information Systems and Technology

5.      Argosy University operates campuses in thirteen states and an online university with undergraduate and graduate programs.  There is a wide range of master’s degree options and a somewhat more limited number of doctoral options available online, with additional choices found on some or all of the regional campuses.  Argosy is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.  The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA).

• Business: The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with concentrations in Accounting, Global Business Sustainability, Management, Marketing, and International Business.

• Education: The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership, the EdD in Organizational Leadership, and the EdD in Teaching & Learning.

• Psychology: the Doctor of Education in Counseling Psychology, and the Doctor of Education in Pastoral Community Counseling. Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology

6.      Colorado Technical University has campuses in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo, CO; Sioux Falls, SD; and Kansas City, MO.  Virtually all of their doctoral programs are available online as well as on campus.  The University has been in operation since 1965 and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.  The programs for engineering, health sciences and education have been accredited by program-specific commissions for accreditation and the school has received additional accreditation for its campus based programs from the states of Colorado and Missouri.

• Management: The Doctor of Management degree offers the following areas of specialization: Environmental & Social Sustainability, Emerging Media, Global Leadership, Homeland Security, and Organizational Development & Change.

• Computer Science: The Doctor of Computer Science (DCS) degree is available with a general curriculum and with the following specializations: DCS in Digital Systems Security, DCS in Emerging Media, and DCS in Enterprise Information Systems.

7.      Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 in Phoenix, AZ where it has been a small respected regional institution that has become a leader in online education.  The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.  The College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the College of Business has been accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACPSP).  In addition the State of Arizona and the Arizona Department of Education has recognized the Grand Canyon Department of Education programs.

• Business: The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with emphasis in Management.

• Education: The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Leadership with the following areas of specialization: Organizational Development, Higher Education Leadership, Education & Effective Schools, Behavioral Health, and Instructional Leadership.

• Psychology: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology for Cognition & Instruction, and the PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology.

8.      Northcentral University is an online institution founded originally as a distance learning school in 1978, and brought online in 1996 by a group of faculty and administrators from the original school.  It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.  The School of Business has been accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACPSP).  Both organizations are recognizes by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Business: The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is available in eighteen areas of specialization, some of which spill into other academic disciplines.  Among the assortment of areas of concentration are Public Administration, Management of Engineering & Technology, Electronic Commerce, Criminal Justice, and Healthcare Administration.

• Education: The Doctor of Education (EdD) and the PhD in Education are both available with the same twelve specialization options.  Included in those options are doctorates in education in the fields of Higher Education Leadership, Early Childhood Education, Curriculum & Teaching, Educational Leadership, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

• Behavioral Sciences: The PhD in Psychology is offered with specialization in Health Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Gender Diversity. The PhD in Marriage & Family Therapy has five areas of specialization including Couples Therapy, and Therapy with Military Families.

9.      University of the Rockies was originally established as the Colorado School of Professional Psychology.  In 2007 the school was acquired by new ownership and the name was changed, while the school was split into two divisions; the School of Psychology and the School of Organizational Leadership.  The mix of degrees includes campus based programs and online offerings in each field.  This university has regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has been granted Category I status by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

• Psychology: The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree is a core program for this school and is offered with fourteen options for specialization.  Among those choices are the PsyD in Business Psychology, PsyD in Criminology & Justice Studies, PsyD in Educational Leadership, PsyD in Health & Wellness Psychology, and the PsyD in Career Management & Counseling.

• Organizational Leadership: The PsyD in Organizational Leadership, PsyD in Organizational Diversity, and the PsyD in Organizational Consulting.

10.  Liberty University has a campus in Lynchburg, VA that has 12,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs.  There are an additional 40,000 students enrolled in online classes and degree programs.  Liberty is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).  The School of Nursing also has full accreditation, from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).  Liberty University also operates a fully accredited law school.

• Counseling: The PhD in Counseling for Professional (Clinical) Counseling, and the PhD in Counseling for Pastoral Care & Counseling.

• Education: The Doctor of Education (EdD).

• Theology: The Doctor of Ministry, and the PhD in Theology & Apologetics.