How to tell the Difference Between PhD Universities
For many people, obtaining their PhD is more than the dream of a lifetime. Unfortunately, even though these people study and work hard to earn their degrees, the university that they studied at often causes the degree to be worthless. Today, there are many so called “PhD universities” that claim you can earn your degree online, or that you can do it in one year. Unfortunately, if you want a degree that is academically recognized, and viable in the job market, you will need to know how to sort these bargain basement degree mills out from legitimate PhD universities.
One key question to ask when looking at literature from Phd universities is if they are able to take federally funded student loans. If the university in question says you must pay up front, chances are you have a degree mill on your hands, and are about to be scammed. Along with accepting federal funds, legitimate PhD universities also often list scholarships from businesses and other foundations. At the graduate level, there are often a sizeable number of these grants available to help pay for your tuition.
Among other things, fraudulent PhD universities often cannot prove some of the most fundamental aspects of an academically sound PhD curriculum. In many cases, their course catalogs will look just like what you may see in undergraduate course descriptions. As an example, one thing you will want to know is what research grants are currently being worked with in your area of study. Typically, legitimate PhD universities will cite endowments from any number of private and government sources, as well as the current research topics. On the other hand, fraudulent PhD universities have no such sponsors, and therefore, cannot provide this information.
In a legitimate PhD university, you may also have the opportunity to meet with the professors, and find out if they are looking for new teaching assistants. When it comes right down to it, you earn a PhD by assisting with making a contribution to the body of knowledge you have studied in. The currently acceptable way to do this is to work with a researcher to help them either prove or disprove their hypothesis.
After you have worked on a project, you will have the opportunity to defend your work, both in verbal written form. Verbal challenge is a vital part of the dissertation process. Legitimate PhD universities usually have a board of experts in the field that will examine every area of your project, and question each aspect of your reasoning and methodology. Needless to say, the dissertation process can be every bit as grueling as the actual course of study.
Finally, many fraudulent PhD universities end the education process once the degree is printed. On the other hand, legitimate PhD universities will offer graduates a number of opportunities. These include post doctorate fellowships, as well as positions as adjunct professors. That said, with a sound PhD degree under your belt, you are also likely to quickly find higher pay in any number of consumer industries.
Anyone that has obtained a legitimate PhD can tell you that the earmarkings of fraudulent PhD universities are fairly easy to spot with just a few simple questions. For the most part, fraudulent PhD universities simply cannot offer you the rigorous challenges and opportunities that make PhD’s so highly sought after. Not only do fraudulent PhD universities rob students of a tremendous learning experience, they deny them the job advancement opportunities, and chances to obtain scholarships associated with legitimate PhD universities.
