Why do Ph.D.'s seem to dislike for-profit universities and especially online doctoral programs?

Scott Traylor
Director of Admissions at Bryant & Stratton College

Why do Ph.D.'s seem to dislike for-profit universities and especially online doctoral programs?

Steve Durkee
Market Strategist/Analyst/Executive Coach

For-profit education has opened the flood gates on the world of Academia. I do foresee in the near future a push back from multiple arenas on online PhDs for a variety of reasons. At this point I think there has to be a concerted effort on the part of for-profit to increase curriculum awareness and start a heavier amount of participation in the research community. Without finding that balance soon, the value of the degree will continue to drop. It is interesting to note the perception, the stigma behind online, (both for-profit, and non-profit) is that it is an easy way to get a degree. What this has lead to especially among non-profit institutions who have entered online education is a "prove the validity" approach where they increase amount of curriculum delivered to try to offset the stigma, and validate the program, often at the cost of the student’s success. There are some obvious downsides to that approach, as well as, the open entry approach. One thing is certain, if a balance is not achieved soon, people will eventually push back as their needs are continue to not be met. On a personal note, I have worked with colleagues on both side, and there is a definite difference. I think the only reason is the selectivity. Often the texts are the same, but the student metrics are different in for-profit, and the population typically necessitates that.