Gone are the days when in order to earn a J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., or other doctorate degree you had to live near a college campus. Now, not only can you pursue a highly specialized advanced degree from the comfort of your own home, you can also do it while continuing to work a full-time job.

Distance learning has expanded educational possibilities for millions of people, and because of the high demand for courses, even more fully accredited colleges and universities are getting in the game. Indeed, these days you have more choices than ever when considering how and where to pursue online graduate education; at least 38% of universities that offer traditional doctorate degrees offer online programs as well, according to the report Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005.

People have many reasons for returning to school to earn a doctorate degree, including the prestige aspect of doctorate degrees and the achievement of personal goals, but there are documented financial incentives as well. According to figures released by the United States Census Bureau, those with bachelor’s degrees earn an average of $2.1 million over their lifetimes while those with research doctorate degrees earn $3.4 million, and those with professional doctorate degrees, particularly in medicine or law, earn about $4.4 million.

If you’re ready to learn more about online doctorate programs, read on.
 

What types of online doctorate programs are available?

There are two basic types of online doctorate programs:
 

(1) Professional Doctorate Degrees
 

Professional doctorate degrees qualify holders to pursue very specialized professions, for example:
 

• D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic)
• D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
• D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine)
• D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine)
• D.P.M. (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine)
• D.P.T. (Doctor of Physical Therapy)
• D.V.M. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)
• J.D. (Juris Doctor or Doctor of Law)
• M.D. (Doctor of Medicine)
• O.D. (Doctor of Optometry)
• Pharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy)
• Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology)
   

All of these degree programs may not be available online right now, but programs are continuously being added to university schedules.

Upon earning a professional doctorate degree, the holder must then become licensed to practice within that field; licensure is obtained through organizations separate and apart from the universities attended. Work or clinical experience may be required for licensure as well.

Professional doctorate degrees are sometimes called “first professional degrees” or “first professional doctorate degrees” because they are the first (and may be the last) degrees in their field. Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree before entering a professional doctoral degree program.
 

Professional doctorate degree programs generally take between three and four years of full-time study to complete, although those pursuing doctoral degrees online may even be able to shorten that time as schedules and courses are highly individualized. Conversely, if you need to take more time, that option is likely open to you as well.

The granting of a professional doctorate degree does not usually depend upon the completion of a thesis or dissertation, although heavily researched papers may be required.

(2) Research Doctorate Degrees

Research doctorate degrees are pursued by those who wish to achieve the highest level of education and become experts in their field. The most common type of research doctorate degree is the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), available in a wide range of subjects. In actuality, though, there are many research doctorate degrees available:
 
 

• D.A. (Doctor of Arts)
• D.Arch. (Doctor of Architecture)
• D.B.A. (Doctor of Business Administration)
• D.C.J. (Doctor of Criminal Justice)
   
• D.C.S. (Doctor of Computer Science)
• Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
• D.Eng (Doctor of Engineering)
• D.I.T. (Doctor of Information Technology)
• D.P.A. (Doctor of Public Administration)
• D.Sc.V.M. (Doctor of Science in Veterinary Medicine)
• Dr.P.H. (Doctor of Public Health)
• S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science)

Some of these disciplines may not currently offer online degrees, and do be sure to check residency requirements for those that are available.

Completing a research doctorate degree can take between three and 10 years (the average is five years), with most of that time spent gathering and analyzing research. The granting of a research doctorate degree usually requires the production of publishable research, often presented together in a thesis or dissertation, which then must be defended in front of a panel.

Applicants may be required to have both a bachelor’s and master’s degree before beginning a doctorate level program, although some programs offer the opportunity to earn a master’s and doctorate degree through the same program.

What are the advantages of online doctorate programs?

Online doctorate programs offer several advantages over their traditional university counterparts, including:

• You can keep working full-time and earning a full-time income.
• You can work on a doctorate degree on your own schedule and at your own pace.
• You have the opportunity to earn a doctorate degree even if you don’t live near the school you wish to attend.
• You can save money on tuition, fees, books, and transportation costs.
• You can have fast, easy interactions with professors, advisors, and peers over email. 

How do I choose the right online doctorate program for me?

When choosing between online doctorate programs, you should pay special attention to the accreditation and faculty of the institution (check with the U.S. Department of Education if you have any doubts), whether there is any residential time required, and also whether you will have to meet further requirements to work in your chosen profession.