Doctoral Degrees

If you’re considering doctoral studies, you likely need new skills and a higher-level credential to build toward the career you want. In this way, a doctorate is a key to opening the door to new career opportunities. Here are some ways that a doctorate can give you more options:

• Building Professional Credibility – Nothing shows that you’ve made an effort to gain the highest level of expertise in your discipline, like earning your doctorate. If you want to explore the most advanced levels of study and research in our field, then a doctorate can help you get the training you need. 
• University Teaching – If you want to teach your discipline to professionals entering the field, a doctorate can help you pursue university teaching, which can be a rewarding career in its own right. You can also supplement your income and gain financial flexibility well into retirement by teaching college courses. 
• Higher Earning Potential – While there’s no substitution for experience in your field, having the highest level of education shows that you can apply your knowledge in a specific, measurable way. With this earned credential, you can look forward to higher pay potential in nearly every field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that compared to professionals who have master’s degrees, graduates of doctoral programs may earn as much as 20% higher salaries.* If you want to avoid hitting a pay ceiling tied to your level of education, then a doctorate can be the best path forward.

Many options open up with a terminal doctorate, but the value to you is highly dependent on your career goals. If you need help deciding what the best doctorate for you is, contact our admissions office for assistance.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Learn more, earn more: Education leads to higher wages, lower unemployment (viewed online September 22, 2020). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

Program lengths and formats vary depending on the discipline and field of the doctorate; however, most residential doctorate programs are designed to take 3 to 5 years, including the dissertation. This time frame can vary significantly depending on additional research, practicum, and professional experience requirements. If you want to learn more about the needs and length of the doctorate you’re considering, contact our admissions office for assistance.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs are usually the highest level of doctorate in a given discipline; however, there may be other doctorate types that compare. For employment or teaching requirements, all doctorate types are usually considered equivalent unless the job or teaching role needs a specific doctorate type. 

For example, an employer may need an applicant to have earned a Ph.D. in Nursing specifically. While there are many potential alternatives, such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice, the employer may not consider any other credential to meet their needs. If you need help deciding which doctorate will best fit your career goals, contact our admissions office for assistance.

A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is a research-focused doctoral degree that provides the highest level of academic study and scholarship in a specific discipline. As a generic term, a PhD is not exclusive to philosophy and instead represents the terminal degree type for nearly every field.

These programs are usually considered “terminal,” meaning that there are no degrees considered to be at a higher level. While graduate programs often include a thesis project that uniquely applies current research, PhDs usually include an in-depth dissertation that focuses on creating original research and contributing new knowledge to the field. If you aren’t sure what doctorate may be the right choice for you, contact our admissions office for assistance.