Looking for a "unicorn" doctorate program

[hlg38]

Sigh. I've searched the Internet (and these forums) up and down until I've gone cross-eyed. At this point, I think I'm suffering from information overload, and I haven't really found what I'm looking for. 

I am seeking a doctorate program (I don't care what it's in or what kind of "D" it is) for personal satisfaction reasons. I am not trying to do anything specific with the degree, though I do require that it's regionally accredited (and that the accreditation is not under warning, if so).

I'm looking for a program that matches the following criteria:

1. 100% online
   
2. Regionally accredited 
   
3. Rolling admissions
   
4. USA-based university, no colleges
   
5. Has a highly flexible transfer credit policy to lower the cost and time of the program
   
6. Extremely affordable, though, if they allow a lot of transfer credits, this can vary
   

I have the following degrees under my belt:

• M.Ed. Instructional Design and Technology - American College of Education
  
• M.Ed. Adult Education and Training - American College of Education
  
• MHRM: Organizational Performance - Colorado State University Global
  

I am seeking any option besides ACE. I realize this is the most inexpensive option. I would like to complete a doctorate program with a university, not a college. It's just important to me.

Does a program like this exist?! I find programs that come very close, but they only allow admission once a year. I'm looking to get started in January or February of 2025.

[newdegree]

University of the Cumberlands might be the right fit for you. They accept 18 transfer credits out of their 60, leaving you with 42 credits to complete. $415 per credit, and I believe classes are 7/8 weeks long each. They have an Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership, which can be completed online, but they have a USA-based University and campus. Textbooks are also free, I believe. The next terms are January 6 (spring term) and May 05 (summer term) for applications. They are regionally accredited. 

https://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/g...ership-edd
https://www.ucumberlands.edu/admission-a...on/tuition
https://catalog.ucumberlands.edu/preview...eturnto=23
https://www.ucumberlands.edu/admission-a...admissions
https://www.ucumberlands.edu/admission-aid/apply

[newdegree]

Have you also considered Liberty University? They offer different Education Doctoral Programs and allow 50% transfer credits. The cost is 595-650 per credit, depending on whether you attend full-time or part-time. If you are military or retired, they offer $300 per credit. They also provide a first responder discount and a Sophia partnership discount. The program is 54 credits, so if you transfer 50% in, you have to finish 27 credits. They have open admissions and a USA-based university and campus. They are regionally accredited. They offer many different doctoral programs as well. I believe the application is free to apply?

https://www.liberty.edu/online/education...struction/
https://www.liberty.edu/academics/doctoral/
https://www.liberty.edu/online/tuition-and-fees/

[hlg38]

Have you also considered Liberty University? They offer different Education Doctoral Programs and allow 50% transfer credits. The cost is 595-650 per credit, depending on whether you attend full-time or part-time. If you are military or retired, they offer $300 per credit. They also provide a first responder discount and a Sophia partnership discount. The program is 54 credits, so if you transfer 50% in, you have to finish 27 credits. They have open admissions and a USA-based university and campus. They are regionally accredited. They offer many different doctoral programs as well. I believe the application is free to apply?

https://www.liberty.edu/online/education...struction/
https://www.liberty.edu/academics/doctoral/
https://www.liberty.edu/online/tuition-and-fees/

Thank you, good recommendation. I am actually in talks with them now (as of this morning). The 650 per-credit price point is slightly steep in my view, but my hope is to transfer in a large amount of credits. I'll see where this goes.

[newdegree]

Have you also considered Liberty University? They offer different Education Doctoral Programs and allow 50% transfer credits. The cost is 595-650 per credit, depending on whether you attend full-time or part-time. If you are military or retired, they offer $300 per credit. They also provide a first responder discount and a Sophia partnership discount. The program is 54 credits, so if you transfer 50% in, you have to finish 27 credits. They have open admissions and a USA-based university and campus. They are regionally accredited. They offer many different doctoral programs as well. I believe the application is free to apply?

https://www.liberty.edu/online/education...struction/
https://www.liberty.edu/academics/doctoral/
https://www.liberty.edu/online/tuition-and-fees/

Thank you, good recommendation. I am actually in talks with them now (as of this morning). The 650 per-credit price point is slightly steep in my view, but my hope is to transfer in a large amount of credits. I'll see where this goes.

If they accept at least 24 credits, the total would be around 20k, which is not bad, but the program can be completed fast. Contact both schools and see which option works best.

[bjcheung77]

Please also inform us which ones you have applied to and already looked into, otherwise, just like the previous replies, we would be recommending you similar degrees from institutions that have already been recommended in the graduate section. There are a few doctoral programs from 20-25K, you may be interested in the Emporia or UCA PhD programs in that price range...

[vpum15]

Sigh. I've searched the Internet (and these forums) up and down until I've gone cross-eyed. At this point, I think I'm suffering from information overload, and I haven't really found what I'm looking for. 

I am seeking a doctorate program (I don't care what it's in or what kind of "D" it is) for personal satisfaction reasons. I am not trying to do anything specific with the degree, though I do require that it's regionally accredited (and that the accreditation is not under warning, if so).

I'm looking for a program that matches the following criteria:

1. 100% online
   
2. Regionally accredited 
   
3. Rolling admissions
   
4. USA-based university, no colleges
   
5. Has a highly flexible transfer credit policy to lower the cost and time of the program
   
6. Extremely affordable, though, if they allow a lot of transfer credits, this can vary
   

I have the following degrees under my belt:

• M.Ed. Instructional Design and Technology - American College of Education
  
• M.Ed. Adult Education and Training - American College of Education
  
• MHRM: Organizational Performance - Colorado State University Global
  

I am seeking any option besides ACE. I realize this is the most inexpensive option. I would like to complete a doctorate program with a university, not a college. It's just important to me.

Does a program like this exist?! I find programs that come very close, but they only allow admission once a year. I'm looking to get started in January or February of 2025.

Hi, there. Based on your background, I'd like to suggest Samford University's Doctor of Education in Educational and Organizational Leadership. As long as you have 30 graduate hours beyond a master's degree (and it appears you do), you will have only 36 hours to take over three years. Samford has many excellent programs that are fully accredited. You may find a different doctorate through them that interests you more. The Ed.D. would cost you appx $37,000. They are responsive to inquiries, though I believe they may be shutting down for the holidays for a couple of weeks. After you have submitted all your documents, you will be invited to a group interview via Zoom where the dean and a couple of others ask questions for each interviewee and you will likely find that you have a lot of common interests with the others. It’s easygoing and meant to introduce you to the program and will give them an idea of what you're excited to work on while in the program. I believe the earliest you can be admitted is the summer of 2025 as their deadline for Spring admission has passed. You will be in a cohort but everything is online.
https://www.samford.edu/education/edd-ed...leadership

[hlg38]

Sigh. I've searched the Internet (and these forums) up and down until I've gone cross-eyed. At this point, I think I'm suffering from information overload, and I haven't really found what I'm looking for. 

I am seeking a doctorate program (I don't care what it's in or what kind of "D" it is) for personal satisfaction reasons. I am not trying to do anything specific with the degree, though I do require that it's regionally accredited (and that the accreditation is not under warning, if so).

I'm looking for a program that matches the following criteria:

1. 100% online
   
2. Regionally accredited 
   
3. Rolling admissions
   
4. USA-based university, no colleges
   
5. Has a highly flexible transfer credit policy to lower the cost and time of the program
   
6. Extremely affordable, though, if they allow a lot of transfer credits, this can vary
   

I have the following degrees under my belt:

• M.Ed. Instructional Design and Technology - American College of Education
  
• M.Ed. Adult Education and Training - American College of Education
  
• MHRM: Organizational Performance - Colorado State University Global
  

I am seeking any option besides ACE. I realize this is the most inexpensive option. I would like to complete a doctorate program with a university, not a college. It's just important to me.

Does a program like this exist?! I find programs that come very close, but they only allow admission once a year. I'm looking to get started in January or February of 2025.

Hi, there. Based on your background, I'd like to suggest Samford University's Doctor of Education in Educational and Organizational Leadership. As long as you have 30 graduate hours beyond a master's degree (and it appears you do), you will have only 36 hours to take over three years. Samford has many excellent programs that are fully accredited. You may find a different doctorate through them that interests you more. The Ed.D. would cost you appx $37,000. They are responsive to inquiries, though I believe they may be shutting down for the holidays for a couple of weeks. After you have submitted all your documents, you will be invited to a group interview via Zoom where the dean and a couple of others ask questions for each interviewee and you will likely find that you have a lot of common interests with the others. It’s easygoing and meant to introduce you to the program and will give them an idea of what you're excited to work on while in the program. I believe the earliest you can be admitted is the summer of 2025 as their deadline for Spring admission has passed. You will be in a cohort but everything is online.
https://www.samford.edu/education/edd-ed...leadership

This is an excellent recommendation! Thank you!

[newdegree]

Sigh. I've searched the Internet (and these forums) up and down until I've gone cross-eyed. At this point, I think I'm suffering from information overload, and I haven't really found what I'm looking for. 

I am seeking a doctorate program (I don't care what it's in or what kind of "D" it is) for personal satisfaction reasons. I am not trying to do anything specific with the degree, though I do require that it's regionally accredited (and that the accreditation is not under warning, if so).

I'm looking for a program that matches the following criteria:

1. 100% online
   
2. Regionally accredited 
   
3. Rolling admissions
   
4. USA-based university, no colleges
   
5. Has a highly flexible transfer credit policy to lower the cost and time of the program
   
6. Extremely affordable, though, if they allow a lot of transfer credits, this can vary
   

I have the following degrees under my belt:

• M.Ed. Instructional Design and Technology - American College of Education
  
• M.Ed. Adult Education and Training - American College of Education
  
• MHRM: Organizational Performance - Colorado State University Global
  

I am seeking any option besides ACE. I realize this is the most inexpensive option. I would like to complete a doctorate program with a university, not a college. It's just important to me.

Does a program like this exist?! I find programs that come very close, but they only allow admission once a year. I'm looking to get started in January or February of 2025.

Hi, there. Based on your background, I'd like to suggest Samford University's Doctor of Education in Educational and Organizational Leadership. As long as you have 30 graduate hours beyond a master's degree (and it appears you do), you will have only 36 hours to take over three years. Samford has many excellent programs that are fully accredited. You may find a different doctorate through them that interests you more. The Ed.D. would cost you appx $37,000. They are responsive to inquiries, though I believe they may be shutting down for the holidays for a couple of weeks. After you have submitted all your documents, you will be invited to a group interview via Zoom where the dean and a couple of others ask questions for each interviewee and you will likely find that you have a lot of common interests with the others. It’s easygoing and meant to introduce you to the program and will give them an idea of what you're excited to work on while in the program. I believe the earliest you can be admitted is the summer of 2025 as their deadline for Spring admission has passed. You will be in a cohort but everything is online.
https://www.samford.edu/education/edd-ed...leadership

This is an excellent recommendation! Thank you!

Another recommendation is the Penn State University Doctor of Education program. This program costs $1,027 per credit and only requires 37 credits (of the 37 , 12 are elective credits) with no dissertation, but you must complete a 6-credit capstone. The only downside is they want you to attend a 5-day summer summit on campus for one credit. If you can get past that, this program is excellent from a well-recognized university. They may accept transfer credits?

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-...on#courses

[bjcheung77]

Just wondering... What's the budget? These all add over to $35K?