Overview of Joint PhD Programs
Prospective graduate students searching for programs may wish to consider pursuing a joint Ph.D. program. Joint Ph.D. programs include those in which more than one degree is awarded, such as a master's and Ph.D. joint program. Joint Ph.D.s also include programs in which more than one university or more than one department within a university work together to provide the degree. Many programs across the country and around the world award joint Ph.D. degrees in a wide variety of disciplines. An examination of three kinds of programs at well-known colleges provides an overview to joint Ph.D. programs.
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Definition
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A joint degree program does one of three things. First, it can provide a student with the opportunity to pursue several degrees simultaneously. With joint Ph.D. programs, this usually means a master's degree: a Master of Arts, a Master of Philosophy, a Master of Science, even the lesser-known Master of Research. Usually, pursuing two degrees at once will require that a student take on more classes than a Ph.D. would normally require.
Second, a joint Ph.D. program can allow a student to take classes at two different universities and eventually get a degree from both institutions. Finally, a joint Ph.D. may refer to a program of study in which a student studies subjects within two different departments at the same university, culminating in a single degree.
Considerations
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When choosing a joint Ph.D. program, students should decide which factors will best serve their education. For the first kind of joint degree, in which a student gets a master's and a Ph.D., students should consider the kind of work required. A master's degree is usually classroom-based, while a Ph.D. is usually research-based. Therefore, a combination of the two can provide a useful view of the student's field. However, the completion of a joint master's/Ph.D. may require a longer-than-average period to complete the requirements and receive the degrees than a simple Ph.D. program.
Similarly, a student looking to complete a joint Ph.D. at two separate universities might consider factors like travel expenses or any extra time required to meet two sets of requirements. Students who want to complete a combined degree between two departments at the same school will want to verify that they are not sacrificing depth of knowledge for breadth.
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Joint Master's and Ph.D.
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An example of a joint master's and Ph.D. program can be found at Columbia University. Located in New York City, one of the artistic capitals of the world, Columbia University's prestigious department of art history allows students to pursue not two but three degrees simultaneously. Students enrolled in this Ph.D. program will actually complete a sequence of degrees, from the M.A. to the M.Phil. to the Ph.D. Students benefit not only from Columbia's location in the heart of New York City and its close proximity to many museums and cultural centers, but also from its wide choice of specialties. Accepted students have the choice to study ancient art, African art, East Asian art, architectural history and theory, Native American art, pre-Columbian art and archaeology, South Asian art and archaeology or the history of Western art, with six possible subfields.
Joint Ph.D. Between Schools
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An example of a joint Ph.D. degree from multiple schools is the program at Ghent University, in Belgium, which offers joint doctorates in numerous subjects with at least 10 different universities all over the world. A student involved in a joint degree between two or more schools typically has a faculty advisor at each school, participates in study or research at all schools and defends his Ph.D. at one of the schools. In most cases, the student will be required to register and pay fees at all schools involved as well. The joint Ph.D. between multiples schools can be beneficial for students who wish to gain a broader or more global perspective in their field, particularly for those interested in working with more than one expert or at more than one research institution.
Joint Ph.D. Between Departments
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An example of a joint Ph.D. program within one university's departments is Yale University's renowned Film Studies program, which offers a combined doctorate with several other departments, including African American Studies, American Studies, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Literatures, French, German, History of Art, Italian, and Slavic Languages and Literature. This kind of interdisciplinary approach can allow students to situate their main field of study in a larger context.
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References
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