In late July, the Chronicle of Higher Education published an article discussing the most recent findings of a study whose main focus is: "to measure American Ph.D.-completion rates." The Chronicle reported:
"In some fields--mainly engineering and the sciences--most people complete their Ph.D.'s after six or seven years of doctoral study. After that, the percentage of students who have completed their degrees begins to level off. However, in the social sciences and in the humanities, even into the eighth, ninth, and 10th years of study, the percentage of students who have completed their degrees slowly but doggedly continues to rise."
The study's most recent findings report a surprising trend. Ph.D.-completion rates are slightly higher at public institutions than private institutions. This goes against previous assumptions that completion rates would be higher for private institutions, as more grant money and aid is available to its doctoral students.
The Chronicle also reported that 80% of the study's participants stated that "financial support was the main factor that had enabled them to complete their doctoral programs." But, Ms. Chris M. Golde, who has spent many years reseraching Ph.D.-completion rates, commented that money "may help people complete, but that doesn't mean that [lack of money] is the reason people leave."
Want to get a sense of what it's like to earn your Ph.D. via distance education? Click the link to read an interview of a student who did just that. Marie earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Capella University.
http://www.elearners.com/guide-to-online-education/capella-university-online-phd-in-psychology-marie.asp
Learn more about the individual accredited online doctoral programs at eLearners.com:
http://www.elearners.com/online-degrees/doctorate/