Happy New Year!
Once again, I am pondering going back to school - to get a doctorate in education. Currently, I'm printing essential information from Capella University and comparing it with information I just printed from Walden University. If I want to stay with my current job, I will need to earn a doctorate via distance learning. One disadvantage will be cost. I know that online degrees are more expensive than traditional classroom degrees. I will definitely have to save my money so that I can afford to do this.
I've already researched the universities, checking to see if they are accredited by the Association of Colleges and Schools. They are both accredited by NCACS (North Central Association of Colleges and Schools). Both universities are accredited by NCAHLC, which is a division of NCACS. Attending an accredited school is important because my employer will not recognize and accept my academic credentials from an unaccredited institution.
Another element in looking for the right distance learning school is residency requirements. If I had it my way, I would choose a school that didn't require me to put in any residency time, but that time is needed to familiarize myself with my advisor, my classmates, and the college itself. Walden requires 32 units of residency (I'm not sure what that means: days, weeks, months?), and Capella requires 3 one-week stays at its university - one week per year for the first three years, I believe.
I guess it all comes down to making the decision of whether or not I want or can devote my time to earning a doctorate. I know the process is long and tedious. I know that a strong mind, mentally and intellectually, is needed for such a task. Am I ready? Am I capable? My students say I'm capable of handling the coursework.
Let me think about it some more. . .
Wordeler, January 11, 2006
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