Distance Learning PhD Programs
Searching for Distance Learning PhD Programs?
Want to earn your doctorate but don’t have the lifestyle that allows going back to school full-time?
A distance learning PhD is a good solution. An online degree from an accredited program allows you the flexibility to continue earning an income to support your family while still pursuing your doctorate.
Walden University – Distance Learning PhD Programs
Walden University offers accelerated classes: 8 week online classes.
Walden University’s doctoral programs have a unique blend of theory, research, and practical application to help you make an immediate and significant change in your life and in the lives of others.
Online Doctoral Programs:
- Business Administration – DBA (10 fields of specialization)
- Management (14 concentrations)
- Education – offers both PhD and Ed.D. (multiple fields of specialization available)
- Counselor Education (6 fields of specialization)
- Health Services (11 fields of specialization)
- Human Services (17 fields of specialization)
- Psychology (7 fields of specialization)
- Public Health (3 fields of specialization)
- Public Policy (27 fields of specialization)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
As a doctoral student, you will work closely with faculty in areas of study that are most meaningful to you. Faculty members serve as mentors and partners, offering both guidance and a fresh perspective on your research.
Read more or get a program guide from Walden University.
Capella University – Distance Learning PhD Programs
Capella University offers accelerated classes: 10 week online classes.
Many higher education faculty positions require a doctoral degree which can prepare you for leadership, research, teaching, or consulting positions in a variety of fields. Capella’s online doctoral programs offer advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in a wide-range of fields.
Online Doctorate Degrees:
Most of the doctoral programs listed below have multiple areas of specialization available.
- Accounting
- Business
- Business Intelligence
- Counselor Education
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Educational Psychology
- Emergency Management
- Health Administration
- Human Behavior
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Organization and Management
- Psychology
- Health Care Administration
- Human Resource Management
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- Information Security
- Information Technology Management
- Information Technology Project Management
- Leadership
- Nonprofit Management
- Nursing Education
- Project Management
- Public Administration
- Public Health
- Public Safety Leadership
- Social and Community Services
- Social Work
- Supply Chain Management
- Training and Performance Improvement
Read more or get a program guide from Capella University.
If you pursue a distance learning PhD and succeed, you will join an elite group of Americans who can call themselves “doctor.” Just one in 100 people have earned a doctorate.
That’s because earning a doctorate — whether in a traditional school environment or by a distance learning PhD — takes an average of five years of commitment.
But that time will pay off. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates people with doctorate degrees earn a salary that is about $37,000 a year more than their peers with bachelors degrees.
Because earning a distance learning PhD is a big commitment, make sure to do your research before you choose an institution to complete your studies.
So-called “diploma mills” have made some wary of pursuing an online doctorate, but there are quality programs available for those pursuing a distance learning PhD.
Search for accredited programs and check with the U.S. Department of Education to make sure your program will be a choice respected by potential employers.
Those who pursue a doctorate most often do so in fields including psychology, education engineering, public health and business. People with doctorates often end up teaching or mentoring the next generation of students studying in their chosen fields.
If you feel like you can’t go back to school full-time because of family and financial responsibilities, but have a desire to pursue the highest of academic degrees, then a distance learning PhD might be the answer for you.

