Colorado Technical University

Online Doctoral Degrees?

Are there any universities in the UK that offer On-line study option for a doctoral degree. Does anybody have any recommendations? I am particularly interested to hear from anyone who has had experience of completing one of these programmes and their views on it, how it impacted on their lives etc. Thanks AL A - do you or anyone you know have experience of completing this type of program? Thank you Helen F for the accounty of your own personal experiences. Very valuable indeed. I have completed a Masters Degree entirely online and this is what prompted me to ask this question.

Public Comments

1. the university of salford offer PhD in management on online www.salford.ac.uk
2. Most PhDs don't have a taught aspect at all. They are almost entirely personal research, with some training days and presentations thrown in. Essentially you can work where you like, (subject to the discretion of the supervisor) but will probably be expected to travel to the univeristy for supervision meetings - although these can be carried out on the phone to a certain extent, and with email and instant messenger its certainly easier to do this than it would have been a few years ago. Alot of academic departments have phd students who are working remotely (and even abroad) However working on your own away from the academic department is pretty isolating, and you tend to need all the support you can get (specifically at the end of your phd when you are trying to write up and not motivated or demoralised). Also having other people around you every day who are researdhing a similar subject can be a huge advanatge as you can bounce ideas off them, get advice, and if you go a bit wrong its more likely someone will notice it sooner rather than later. If you need to labs, working remotely could be tricky. And if you need specific specialist computer programs, which can be expensive, you may not be able to have these installed on your own computer. But the department may be prepared to provide you with a computer that they would let you use at home. Its best to find some academics who are researching the area you interested in, who may be able to act as a supervisor, and contact them to discuss options.