Online History PhD Programs

Distance education has become a viable option for busy professionals, stay-at-home parents or those with no easy access to higher education. A PhD in history can prepare you for a wide range of careers teaching, politics, writing and industry. Here are some things to keep in mind when considering an online history PhD program.

Considerations

Determine if getting a PhD online is for you. Keep in mind that online degrees add the complication of technology acting as an intermediary to all of your coursework. Though you'll be able to go through the program at home, you'll miss out on interacting with fellow students, and will not be able to use physical academic libraries, though you will have online access to library materials and even be able to order books from the library to be shipped to your home.
Combining on-campus and online learning is perhaps the best combination for distance education, and there are many more programs that offer this combination as opposed to online-only degrees. By taking some classes online and some on campus, you will be getting the flexibility of online learning combined with all the benefits of actually being on campus from time to time.

Features

Online distance education started over 20 years ago, but has become much more popular in the last decade, with hundreds of opportunities to pursue a degree online from top notch academic institutions. On-campus and online combination master's and PhD programs in history are offered by Lehigh University, Texas Tech University and the University of Maine, among others (see Resources below). There are currently no online-only history PhD programs available.

Misconceptions

Getting a degree online may take more time and effort than getting it the traditional way. You will need to be extremely organized and self-directed, as there will be no constant pressure from fellow students and professors to complete your work on time. Without the collegial atmosphere, you may have a harder time getting motivated to do your work, and if you have young children around, the distraction may derail all of the benefits associated with online learning.

Warning

Since there are so many opportunities available for online history PhD degrees, finding a legitimate, accredited program can be a challenge. To avoid scams, make sure to extensively research the program you're considering. The link provided below lists only legitimate and accredited programs, so start there and find the right history PhD program for your needs.

Potential

Sophisticated software that allows for intimate and extensive teacher-student interaction is getting better every day. Distance learning started out as correspondence courses over the mail, moved on to closed circuit TV instruction and has now evolved into elaborate online instruction that includes seminar-like settings, the ability to download assignments, easy availability of course materials and a quick way to get in touch with a professor for any questions or problems.

Resources

• A list of online history PhD programs