Online Education Doctorates

The Ed.D. in the United Kingdom is different from a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education because it allows the study of a wider selection of subjects related to education in the first part and concentrates on a single topic only at the end of the study. In the U.K. or Australia, a Ph.D. education of four years would entail the submission of a thesis of 100,000 words. The whole four-year period is spent on researching a certain topic and writing a thesis about it. However, a four-year doctorate in education (Ed.D.) would allow a research on several topics in the first two years requiring students to pass a report of 6,000 words for each chosen subject. The last two years would be used on making a thesis of only 50,000 words.

In the U.S., while the Ed.D. may be of the same structure as that of the Ph.D., their focus is different. The Ph.D. is concentrated on research while the Ed.D. may be based on research or profession. The year 1921 saw the awarding of the first doctorate in education degree at the Harvard University. It was during that time when the Ph.D. was introduced in the U.K. England offered its first Ed.D. degree in 1992 at the University of Bristols followed by 29 British universities six years after.

If you are person who desires to be involved in the process of learning and educating people or if you already hold a bachelor’s degree in education but would still want to attain a higher level of learning and land a higher academic position, then consider getting a doctorate in education. Statistics from the National Center for Education in the U.S. shows an increase in the number of adults getting a bachelor’s degree in the last 25 years. In addition to this, the total number of public and private elementary and secondary schools has also gone up since the early 1980s. This only implies that there are more employment opportunities for those interested in education management. And in order to get into this academic profession such as becoming a principal, school administrator, department head of a university or chief academic officer, advance education is normally needed.

Graduates must understand that getting a PhD in education is not limited to being employed in a higher teaching or school administration position that will enable them to manage the policies and operations of a school, college or university. A doctorate degree also helps students comprehend the education settings and processes that improve the effectiveness of teachers and the learning of students. Apart from teaching, graduates can pursue consulting or counseling. There are various specializations that can be undertaken such as elementary and secondary education, adult education, higher education or special education, advanced classroom instruction, online learning, leadership in educational administration, professional studies in education as well as training and performance improvement. Coursework includes development of humans and society as well as learning methodologies.