Picking a doctoral program
First off: To Ph.D. or Ed.D.? That is the question.
You’ve decided that you want to pursue a doctoral degree! Congratulations! That is amazing! But now, what’s next? How do you know how to choose a program? Here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way?
First off, in terms of the Ed.D. vs. the Ph.D.: I can't help you. I've been (hopefully) transparent with folx that I didn't intentionally choose the Ed.D. That's what was available to me at the time at UT San Antonio and what aligned with my goals at the time. In short, those 3 letters didn't mean that much to me. And about 2 years after I graduated, the Ed.D. program I graduated from became a Ph.D. program.
My fellow Ed.D. graduate (and El Pasoan!) Regina Garza-Mitchell asked me if I would have changed my degree to a Ph.D. if I had been given the chance. And honestly, I just don't know. I think it's my imposter syndrome that makes me think my journey might have been different if I had a Ph.D. But then again, I don't know what I would change. It was bumpy in the beginning, but I've had a damn good tenure-track process.
Ed.D. programs offer some more flexibility in terms of being able to work full-time, their delivery format (more online or weekends), and their duration (3-4 years vs. 4-5 years for a Ph.D.). If you are working at an institution that offers an Ed.D. program, you may be eligible for tuition remission benefits, which are hugely important.
Long story short: There are valid reasons to choose an Ed.D. program over a Ph.D.
DO:
Think about where you ultimately want to be post-graduation. In education fields, I suggest you think about where you want to be and work backwards. What degree, knowledge, and skills would you need to excel in that position? Do your research and figure out ways to tailor your program to your needs. And if you can’t tailor a program to those needs, accept that that’s not the program for you and continuing researching.
Personal anecdote: I specifically did my doctoral dissertation on a community college because at that point, I thought I wanted to be a community college president. It wouldn’t have made sense for me to have a doctoral degree without a demonstrated focus on that sector.
Know what skills you’re going to need to be successful—and plan ahead. For my friends and colleagues in the humanities and more traditional social sciences (especially history, American Studies, etc.), find out what (if any) language requirements you need for your field. Before I switched to education, I was learning French and practicing Spanish to prepare myself for doctoral level study in European history. I’ve seen students get pushed out of programs for not mastering their languages by their qualifying exams. It happens. Know what you need and dedicate yourself to mastering reading comprehension (at the very least) before you begin the program.
Participate in your field as a professional practitioner and/or researcher in any way you can. Ed.D. students absolutely have a space in research-intensive conferences, and in my opinion, Ph.D. students should learn how to speak to practitioners and administrators--not just other researchers. So show up to these regional and national conferences. Be a reviewer for proposals. Go to sessions and ask questions. Keep up with the literature. These are all activities you should engage in regardless of what three letters may ultimately follow your name.
Consider applying to multiple schools (If you're able to). I understand that multiple applications means multiple application fees, possibly paying for extra copies of GRE scores and transcripts to be sent off, more letters of recommendation to request, etc. It can be A LOT. If you have the ability to be a little more mobile and open to multiple schools, consider expanding your options. It can't hurt to have a choice.
Reach out to faculty at the places you are applying to, especially those that you hope to work with. I think this is a good litmus test of their responsiveness, how they treat students, and perhaps even what your future relationship could look like. I think it's absolutely worth it to have a frank conversation with them about the program (always ask about the admissions process!), funding opportunities (THIS IS PARAMOUNT! Ask for details!), their advising and mentoring style, institutional supports for doctoral students, and if you're relocating, about the geographic area.
Visit the school(s) you've been accepted to. A lot of schools have funding to fly out students who have been accepted to the doctoral program to enable them to meet people and see the school! If you have the ability to do this, DO IT. Allow yourself to be wooed by schools (I said what I said!)!
A big advantage of visiting the school is that it will also give you the chance to meet with current students--and you should absolutely find ways to candidly talk with students from the program. If you can't go physically visit, I strongly suggest that you either ask a faculty member or program coordinator to connect you with students who are willing to talk.
DON’T
Pick a place for one person, especially a faculty member. Faculty members are human—they may have reached capacity on advising loads or they may decide to leave an institution while you’re still a student. If you have the opportunity to do so, visit the place(s) you want to apply, talk to lots of people associated with the program (e.g., faculty, staff, current and/or former students) and find out about the culture of the program.
Paint yourself into a corner with a specific career path, especially if you’re not totally sure what you want your future to look like. When I started my Ed.D. journey, I specifically told my original advisor, "I don't want to be a faculty member. I'll climb the administration ladder." He was completely fine with that, but he also said, "I want you to have as many options when you graduate as you want. So I want you to shoot for graduating with 2 peer-review articles and 2 book reviews on your CV." I admit I thought he was bonkers. But, he also put it in my head that writing and research would be good for me, regardless of my path. When that path changed in Year 2 and when I was finally honest with myself that I wanted to at least try to go faculty, I was already putting that work in--there was no correction to my course.
You’ve decided that you want to pursue a doctoral degree! Congratulations! That is amazing! But now, what’s next? How do you know how to choose a program? Here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way?
First off, in terms of the Ed.D. vs. the Ph.D.: I can't help you. I've been (hopefully) transparent with folx that I didn't intentionally choose the Ed.D. That's what was available to me at the time at UT San Antonio and what aligned with my goals at the time. In short, those 3 letters didn't mean that much to me. And about 2 years after I graduated, the Ed.D. program I graduated from became a Ph.D. program.
My fellow Ed.D. graduate (and El Pasoan!) Regina Garza-Mitchell asked me if I would have changed my degree to a Ph.D. if I had been given the chance. And honestly, I just don't know. I think it's my imposter syndrome that makes me think my journey might have been different if I had a Ph.D. But then again, I don't know what I would change. It was bumpy in the beginning, but I've had a damn good tenure-track process.
Ed.D. programs offer some more flexibility in terms of being able to work full-time, their delivery format (more online or weekends), and their duration (3-4 years vs. 4-5 years for a Ph.D.). If you are working at an institution that offers an Ed.D. program, you may be eligible for tuition remission benefits, which are hugely important.
Long story short: There are valid reasons to choose an Ed.D. program over a Ph.D.
DO:
Think about where you ultimately want to be post-graduation. In education fields, I suggest you think about where you want to be and work backwards. What degree, knowledge, and skills would you need to excel in that position? Do your research and figure out ways to tailor your program to your needs. And if you can’t tailor a program to those needs, accept that that’s not the program for you and continuing researching.
Personal anecdote: I specifically did my doctoral dissertation on a community college because at that point, I thought I wanted to be a community college president. It wouldn’t have made sense for me to have a doctoral degree without a demonstrated focus on that sector.
Know what skills you’re going to need to be successful—and plan ahead. For my friends and colleagues in the humanities and more traditional social sciences (especially history, American Studies, etc.), find out what (if any) language requirements you need for your field. Before I switched to education, I was learning French and practicing Spanish to prepare myself for doctoral level study in European history. I’ve seen students get pushed out of programs for not mastering their languages by their qualifying exams. It happens. Know what you need and dedicate yourself to mastering reading comprehension (at the very least) before you begin the program.
Participate in your field as a professional practitioner and/or researcher in any way you can. Ed.D. students absolutely have a space in research-intensive conferences, and in my opinion, Ph.D. students should learn how to speak to practitioners and administrators--not just other researchers. So show up to these regional and national conferences. Be a reviewer for proposals. Go to sessions and ask questions. Keep up with the literature. These are all activities you should engage in regardless of what three letters may ultimately follow your name.
Consider applying to multiple schools (If you're able to). I understand that multiple applications means multiple application fees, possibly paying for extra copies of GRE scores and transcripts to be sent off, more letters of recommendation to request, etc. It can be A LOT. If you have the ability to be a little more mobile and open to multiple schools, consider expanding your options. It can't hurt to have a choice.
Reach out to faculty at the places you are applying to, especially those that you hope to work with. I think this is a good litmus test of their responsiveness, how they treat students, and perhaps even what your future relationship could look like. I think it's absolutely worth it to have a frank conversation with them about the program (always ask about the admissions process!), funding opportunities (THIS IS PARAMOUNT! Ask for details!), their advising and mentoring style, institutional supports for doctoral students, and if you're relocating, about the geographic area.
Visit the school(s) you've been accepted to. A lot of schools have funding to fly out students who have been accepted to the doctoral program to enable them to meet people and see the school! If you have the ability to do this, DO IT. Allow yourself to be wooed by schools (I said what I said!)!
A big advantage of visiting the school is that it will also give you the chance to meet with current students--and you should absolutely find ways to candidly talk with students from the program. If you can't go physically visit, I strongly suggest that you either ask a faculty member or program coordinator to connect you with students who are willing to talk.
DON’T
Pick a place for one person, especially a faculty member. Faculty members are human—they may have reached capacity on advising loads or they may decide to leave an institution while you’re still a student. If you have the opportunity to do so, visit the place(s) you want to apply, talk to lots of people associated with the program (e.g., faculty, staff, current and/or former students) and find out about the culture of the program.
Paint yourself into a corner with a specific career path, especially if you’re not totally sure what you want your future to look like. When I started my Ed.D. journey, I specifically told my original advisor, "I don't want to be a faculty member. I'll climb the administration ladder." He was completely fine with that, but he also said, "I want you to have as many options when you graduate as you want. So I want you to shoot for graduating with 2 peer-review articles and 2 book reviews on your CV." I admit I thought he was bonkers. But, he also put it in my head that writing and research would be good for me, regardless of my path. When that path changed in Year 2 and when I was finally honest with myself that I wanted to at least try to go faculty, I was already putting that work in--there was no correction to my course.