Hi there,
I'm new to this forums and this is my first post....
I want to pursue a PhD but am having a hard time finding out how to do it without quitting my job and studying full-time.
I have a BS degree in Aviation and am currently in Airline Pilot. I do have a considerable amount of time off...however, the time off is extremely irregular and unpredictable. This seems to be a big problem when I try to work out a part-time school schedule at a college, as I'm not able to reliably say I'll be on campus every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, etc. So I'm left with tons of free time that gets squandered away. I could be working towards something productive if I could only find out how to get started.
I found some online programs, like Walden University, but I'm not sure how this institution is viewed in academia (I want this PhD so that I can teach at a college when I'm either furloughed or retired from the airline).
Three questions I have are:
1) Is there a way that someone like myself could get a PhD part-time (perhaps online)
2) What is the attitude towards institutions such as Walden University and how practical would having a PhD from there be (I do understand that Walden is accredited, but just being accredited doesn't mean it's going to get you anywhere when you graduate).
3) Assuming that traditional "brick and mortar" schools have higher levels of credibility, are there ANY such schools that offer a PhD program online (or mostly online)? preferably a BS to PhD program (no Masters degree prerequisite)
Thanks so much everyone in advance!

Hi,

I've never heard of an online PhD so am probably totally unqualified to answer this question but the idea of it is certainly ringing alarm bells for me. Doing a PhD is such an isolating process as it is, having zero face to face contact with supervisors and others in your field seems like a very bad idea... I hope somebody comes along who can give you more advice but I had to give you my two pence worth.

Aviator,

I don't know anything about Walden, nor have I heard of a specifically online PhD program.

That said, in my experience a lot of PhDs can (and are) done remotely and according to the student's own schedule anyway. Because I'm part of a somewhat isolated research group, I never have classes or seminars and I decide my own hours almost entirely. I'm not actively taught at all so attending on specific days is a non-issue. Most PhDs are demanding but flexible, so I don't see that you'd need a specifically online one if you were part time anyway.

As keepcalm points out the PhD process does need interaction and support, so isolating yourself entirely and being unavailable to tutors/peers would probably harm your prospects. Some universities will also expect more attendance or physical involvement, you'd have to figure this out case by case. The real issue is your subject matter. I, for example, have to be in the lab full time at certain points in my research, others have to travel or be in close proximity to specific resources. If your work can be done via online resources and from your home then I see no reason why you couldn't just fit supervisory meetings and so on around your schedule.

As for skipping the masters, this is very much dependent on subject matter, relevant work experience, and the expectations of an individual department. I don't have one but you'd need to see what the standards are in your own area.

My PhD is very part-time and was done almost totally from home. Oh and going to archives in my own time to do historical research. So I set my own timetable. It doesn't matter if the days/hours vary from week to week.

As a PhD-er you don't have fixed classes that you need to attend, like a Masters student. Sometimes the university might put on formal training sessions, to teach PhD-relevant skills, like using EndNote, or Word effectively. But even those are often optional.

My department even has a few distance-learning students, living on other continents. They have to come to my institution occasionally, but most of their supervisor contact is conducted by email/post. In other respects they're just like the local part-timers though: typically at a distance, not seen on campus, and working from home, with contact/support from supervisors.

It does depend by subject of course. A lab-based science PhD would be difficult from home. But I'm humanities, so it's very easy.

I am doing a part-time PhD and I am working full-time in Greece as a special needs teacher. I meet with my supervisory team every thre months (now that I ahve finished my research maybe we'll be meeting avery 4-5 months) and we discuss my progress and my porgramme. My research was about my country, si I could fit it aroung my work.
It is difficult, but it manageable....

======= Date Modified 24 Feb 2010 19:50:53 =======
Thanks so much for the posts. I'm excited to think that I may have a flexible enough schedule to accommodate a PhD.
To give you a closer look at my long-term goals, I'm basically looking to teach someday, or perhaps work for a research group, consulting agency, or agency such as the NTSB in the field of Aviation. Specifically, I'm interested in research dealing with decision making, learning, safety, and cognitive theory as it relates to Aviation (i.e. how pilots make decisions, training development, etc). With that in mind, can anyone please give their opinion as to where to go from here.
Again, I'm not looking to do all of this in a short amount of time; these are long-term goals. However, I'd like to be as efficient and economical as possible. It seems to me that I would first need to get my masters degree somewhere, and then move on to a PhD...is this correct?

Does anyone know of some schools that have good programs in these areas of study, or of any schools that might have a Masters/PhD combination program (i.e., Bachelors to PhD transition)? I'd like to start formulating a plan of action as to where to go from here.

Thanks so much!!!

Hi Aviator

My first thought when I read your post was, as you are a pilot, are you not given so many days off for a reason? A PhD (even a part-time one) is somewhat all-consuming. I'm not meaning to slate your ability as a pilot nor your ability to manage your own time, but I would hate to be the subject of pilot error because my pilot had been slaving away on his days off and now had brain-ache, IYSWIM.

Ejc

The days off are mainly due to regulatory restrictions on how many hours commercial pilots can work. However, this doesn't mean that my days off must be free from duty or obligation. I happen to be single and have no children, so my days off are even that much more void of responsible activity (for now). I know other pilot's who have gotten their Masters Degree (slowly but surely) while flying. I'm just trying to find out how best to do it, and whether or not there are any programs that allow for acceptance into a PhD program right away, since I will eventually pursue one in the future.

On a side note, I did a little research into the credentials of the faculty members of the two most predominant aviation universities in the country, and what I found was that most of the faculty (over 90%) did not have PhD's. I'm thinking that I should probably try to find an affordable MBA to do online and go from there...what do you all think?

Thanks!

Hey Aviator, re the 90% of faculty without PhDs, you need to check how old they are, and their academic or working history. Many Proffs close to retirement do not have PhD qualifications due to life just being damn different way back when (my Dad got work as a journalist but has no degree, retired this year after a distinguished career, and one of the most respected Proffs in my department has masters level only, but he retires in December) Now days, depending of course on your area, even a PhD may not be enough and many go on to do Post-Doc work in order to secure a job teaching. Im obviously not trying to put you off (I myself want to teach, and keep going despite the doom and gloom) just trying to warn you not to hope for shortcuts, in my experience the do not work!
Having said that, I know that in Humanities you can go BA to MLitt (usually a 2 year course with thesis which is kinda like half way between an MA and PhD) which can often be turned into a PhD depending on the strength of the research, or you could do a Masters-by-research as opposed to a Taught Masters, which could also potentially be turned into a PhD. Worth considering.
My main advice, start getting in touch with potential supervisors, proffs working in your field of interest. If you are trying to go from distance you need to get a supervisor who is willing to work via email (some like to have weekly or fortnightly meetings even if there is little to say, others are happy with once a month or 3, so long as there is email contact), find out if your project is relevant and /or suitable for PhD study, calculate the costs, etc.
Be sure that you have the determination, and dont isolate yourself too much, try and find a Uni where you can be present albeit randomly, and one which will keep you involved in Conferences and other aspects of Uni life, essential if you are not ever present on campus!
Good Luck!
:-)

I have heard of a situation where someone did a PhD in history and only saw his 'supervisor' once in a blue moon. This obviously didn't go anywhere and I wonder if this person actually managed to finish it (in time).
Obviously anything laboratory related can't be done online

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