Any thoughts re: online Ed.D programs?

[Psycherd12]

Hey everyone--

I'll be entering the workforce soon in the field of Medical Education with a newly minted master's degree. Pursuing a doctorate is something I plan on doing, and my alma mater UW-La Crosse will be opening up an online Ed.D program beginning fall of 2017. I haven't heard much about online Ed.D programs besides that they're made for working professionals (which would make it convenient for me!) and am wondering what people here think about them!

[ZeChocMoose]

The problem I see is that EdDs don't have the greatest reputation in the academy nor do online degrees.  So if you are going to pursue an online EdD - you are going to be fighting the perception that your degree is not rigorous by at least some people in the academy.  Since it is a new program too - you won't be able to see the track record of how the program's graduates are doing.

What do you want to do with the degree?  In you want to stay in admin - have you considered low residency doctoral programs? Usually, they are mainly face-to-face where you generally spend 1-2 Saturdays a month at the school and complete some coursework online in the off weeks.  Since these programs are not new - you would get a chance to talk with current students and alumni on how helpful they thought the program is/was.

Edited March 2, 2016 by ZeChocMoose

[Psycherd12]

On 3/2/2016 at 2:34 PM, ZeChocMoose said:

The problem I see is that EdDs don't have the greatest reputation in the academy nor do online degrees.  So if you are going to pursue an online EdD - you are going to be fighting the perception that your degree is not rigorous by at least some people in the academy.  Since it is a new program too - you won't be able to see the track record of how the program's graduates are doing.

What do you want to do with the degree?  In you want to stay in admin - have you considered low residency doctoral programs? Usually, they are mainly face-to-face where you generally spend 1-2 Saturdays a month at the school and complete some coursework online in the off weeks.  Since these programs are not new - you would get a chance to talk with current students and alumni on how helpful they thought the program is/was.

Thanks for your reply! You're always super helpful so I really appreciate it I do want to stay in admin, yes. Ideally I would love to become (Assistant) Dean of Student Affairs or something along those lines. Maybe even in Admissions. I have awhile to think about it, though, as I just accepted my first full-time position. Yay! I could also see myself going into Ed Policy since I like statistics & politics so much.