Colorado Technical University

Pursuing a Ph.D or Ed.D...?

I just finished with my Masters in Education in Instructional Leadership and Counselor Education with a 3.8 GPA (I have to throw that in there because this was my first time ever having above a 3.0 since junior year in high school) and I am very interested in pursuing a Doctoral degree. I'm torn between two programs; one is a Ph.D in Technical Communication and the other is in Instructional Technology. However, I only have 2 years of lengthy work experience through AmeriCorps, plus have done extra work outside of my job. For me, this degree isn't just about the title, but also the research that I want to endure in order to make a difference. Some of my future long-term goals include starting a non-profit helping at-risk youth prepare for college, teaching and coordinating a distance learning program at a university, and/or teaching other online programs to both youth and adult learners. I just wanted to know if I am on the right track and do I have what it takes? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. May I suggest that you compare the curricula of particular programs for each degree and that you try to arrange to speak on the phone with a professor or dean in the programs which most interest you so that you can listen to an inside view of what the programs offer and where their graduates have gone for their careers. If the programs are close enough to you, make an appointment to visit in person, rather than having a phone conference. You may find that a master of public administration degree should also be considered. It may be that hands-on work, rather than research, will be more helpful to you.
2. First of all I would like to congratz you on having a gpa of 3.8. You certainly improved since junior high. on to what it takes to have a PH.D (as for Ed.D I dunno anything about that). In order to get a PH.D you need 4 years of college majoring mostly on science ( eg: chemestry , biology, lab) and with a gpa of atleast 3.7 (minimum is 3.4 but 3.7 is the average admitted). during those 4 years of college you also need some medical volunteer work to show that you are famaliar with medics. Then you apply for medical school in which takes another 4-5 years to complete and then you have to do 2 years of internship and then you'll be a full ledged doctor.