EdD or Phd? / Now vs Later? (Higher Ed Administration)

[Cheeseman]

 

TL,DR: Should I wait to gain more work experience before starting a doctorate? Would I be too inexperienced or ambitious to be going straight into a PhD from my masters? Or should I really just focus on getting a full-time position first?

So I am in my second year of my MS in Higher Ed and Student Affairs program. I always like to have my extended plan so here are a couple of questions. Should I be waiting until I have more experience in student affairs before applying to these programs? My long term goal is to possibly teach at an institution, have higher level administration position, or a mixture of the two. I have had a handful of assistantships and internships in the field, and have taught elementary ed for a couple of years (26 if that helps with context).

Side note: I guess it could also depends on the program as well. Per my conversation with Northeastern EdD admissions advisor, I would not even be eligible since I do not have 3 years of full-time experience. But then American U mentioned that their cohorts represent a wide array people.  

Should I just relax and get some experience now? Or keep my educational momentum?

Thanks in advance for your advice. I am just feeling antsy prepping for next year.

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 10/11/2020 at 7:30 PM, Cheeseman said:

 

TL,DR: Should I wait to gain more work experience before starting a doctorate? Would I be too inexperienced or ambitious to be going straight into a PhD from my masters? Or should I really just focus on getting a full-time position first?

So I am in my second year of my MS in Higher Ed and Student Affairs program. I always like to have my extended plan so here are a couple of questions. Should I be waiting until I have more experience in student affairs before applying to these programs? My long term goal is to possibly teach at an institution, have higher level administration position, or a mixture of the two. I have had a handful of assistantships and internships in the field, and have taught elementary ed for a couple of years (26 if that helps with context).

Side note: I guess it could also depends on the program as well. Per my conversation with Northeastern EdD admissions advisor, I would not even be eligible since I do not have 3 years of full-time experience. But then American U mentioned that their cohorts represent a wide array people.  

Should I just relax and get some experience now? Or keep my educational momentum?

Thanks in advance for your advice. I am just feeling antsy prepping for next year.

Well... PhD and EdD cater towards 2 different communities. PhD targets those focused on research interests (including those straight from undergrad). EdD generally targets those who are professionals seeking to get a doctorate level degree. It is not that one is better than the other, but more like they look for different people. If you enjoy research, go for PhD NOW (don't waste time or career potential). If you don't know you want a doctorate, then work a bit and then you can always swing back to EdD or PhD. 

That being said, EdD's are generally viewed as second class doctorates by many PhDs and Higher Education. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by GradSchoolGrad