Professionals wont turn their back on online doctorates because it provides them one of the
only feasible ways to obtain a terminal degree. People with decades of
experience don’t often go back to get a doctorate because of the years of time
and investment that would pull them away from their business duties. Online doctoral
education can marry professional experience and theory in ways that would be difficult
for traditional schools to fulfill.
Online doctoral education has four
purposes (Radda &
Mandernach, 2013).:
1. Prepare the doctoral community to
develop knowledge and skills for the 21st century.
2. Capture the collective
intelligences and knowledge of individuals.
3. Deepen scholarship and practical
application of that scholarship.
4. To further the interests of
scholar-practitioners.
Online education has come a long way
over the past 20 years and research has shown that the modality is growing in
terms of benefits and effectiveness. One of the reasons why traditional
colleges are adopting the model is because of cost and reach. With online
education they can draw in additional learners that would previously been
unable to go back to school.
We should think about all the
experience out there hidden in the boardrooms and office. Many of these people
would offer valuable knowledge to both academic and fellow industry stakeholders.
Getting them into a doctoral program not only helps to grow their businesses
but also ensure that their knowledge can be applied by others.
One of the main purposes of higher
education is to grow and expand knowledge in a way that furthers the interest
of societal stakeholders. Sometimes theory is developed that is difficult to
implement for practical use in business. People with knowledge from industry
have a better shot at developing theory that has immediate application to
industry stakeholders that furthers economic growth.
Developing useful theory has a wider
benefit to the business community and society. As better theory is produced and
more quickly implemented into business practices the economic fundamentals of
society strengthen leading to higher levels of adaptation and development.
Seasoned business executives won’t turn their back on online education because
they understand that quality of learning and usefulness of solutions are more
important than the name of the school.
