Accelerated Doctoral Programs
Searching for Accelerated Doctoral Programs?
PhD degrees used to be programs that were not easily attainable by the masses. They require a lot of time and commitment that most working adults do not have. To help more adults achieve higher education, colleges have gotten creative with their learning methods by offering accelerated doctoral programs, both online and campus based.
Walden University – Accelerated Doctoral Programs
Walden University offers accelerated classes: 8 week online classes.
Walden University offers advanced degrees to working professionals like you. Choose from highly respected degree programs in counseling, education, nursing, management, psychology, public health, human services, public administration and technology.
- Doctor of Business Administration – DBA (10 fields)
- PhD in Management (14 fields)
- Doctor of Education – Ed.D. (6 fields)
- Education Specialist – Ed.S. (6 fields)
- PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (6 fields)
- PhD in Education (12 fields)
- PhD in Health Services (11 fields)
- PhD in Human Services (17 fields)
- PhD in Psychology (7 fields)
- PhD in Public Health (3 fields)
- PhD in Public Policy and Administration (27 fields)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
Read more or get a program guide from Walden University.
Capella University – Accelerated Doctoral Programs
Capella University offers accelerated classes: 10 week online classes.
As an accredited university, Capella University provides a high-caliber, educational experience that moves you forward toward achieving your dreams and fulfilling your aspirations.
Online Doctoral Programs are also available in a wide-range of fields including:
- PhD in Accounting
- PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision
- PhD in Criminal Justice
- PhD in Curriculum and Instruction
- PhD in Educational Psychology
- PhD in Emergency Management
- PhD in General Advanced Studies in Human Behavior
- PhD in Business
- PhD in Human Services
- PhD in Information Technology
- PhD in Organization and Management
- PhD in Psychology
- PhD in Health Care Administration
- PhD in Human Resource Management
- PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- PhD in Information Security
- PhD in Information Technology Management
- PhD in IT Education
- PhD in K-12 Studies in Education
- PhD in Leadership
- PhD in Leadership for Higher Education
- PhD in Leadership in Educational Administration
- PhD in Management Education
- PhD in Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PhD in Nursing Education
- PhD in Post-secondary and Adult Education
- PhD in Professional Studies in Education
- PhD in Project Management
- PhD in Public Safety Leadership
- PhD in Social and Community Services
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Health Administration
- Doctor of Public Administration
- Doctor of Public Health
- Doctor of Social Work
- Doctor of Education
Read more or get a program guide from Capella University.
What are Accelerated Doctoral Programs?
A PhD program typically contains two parts, coursework and dissertation.
These programs condense the classroom portion by offering shorter semesters. Most online schools do not adhere to a traditional academic calendar. Therefore, semesters are typically 6-8 weeks rather than the traditional 12-16 weeks. In addition, each semester starts just after the previous semester. This allows students to take even more classes per academic year.
With the condensed classes, students get to the dissertation portion of their program quicker. This, in turn, shortens the overall length of the program. Depending on the amount of time a student is able to devote to their dissertation, this portion of the program can be completed more quickly as well.
There are some prerequisites for these programs, however. Since they are fast paced and extremely challenging, a master’s degree in a related subject is usually a requirement. Students must also have the personal motivation to commit to the program.
Accelerated doctoral programs work well for those busy adults who have already had many years of experience in a particular field. It is important to remember that these programs are even more demanding than a traditional, campus based program.

