Seeking Doctorate in National Security or Public Policy

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

Kansas State has an online PhD in security studies. It is 90 credits, but 30 credits can be transferred in depending on your master's degree. That leaves, 60, 30 of which are dissertation research. If you were to transfer in 30, it would still cost $34,470 out of pocket, but that looks to be cheaper than the Missouri State option.

https://online.k-state.edu/programs/secu...doctorate/

Excluding DPAs and criminal justice PhDs really cuts out inexpensive doctorates. For instance, University of Illinois Springfield has a DPA with a policy analysis and program evaluation concentration that's incredibly affordable and University of North Georgia has a PhD in criminal justice with an intelligence concentration (with classes like Terrorism, Intelligence, and Homeland Security and Global Crime and Justice) that could be attained for about $303 per credit, or $16,362, assuming none of your master's credits transferred.

https://www.uis.edu/spmp/doctor-public-administration
https://ung.edu/degrees/graduate/crimina...on-phd.php

Not trying to change your mind, but suggesting that DPAs and criminal justice doctorates might be flexible enough to meet your needs if you find the right ones.

Good luck finding a program that works for you.

I am very familiar with the UIS program... Unfortunately their focus is very much on local government and labor relations. It is over-run with former Chicago activists and special interest lobbyists. They provide little to no work in my desired fields.

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

BTW, would a different Doctorate work for you instead of National Security or Public Policy? The reason is, again, without your details, we don't know what can and can't transfer over.  One of the institutions you mentioned, Liberty allows up to 50% transfer, but the subjects taught at the doctoral level is going to be hard to find 'cheap' elsewhere... Hmm, something to think about.

Quoting my earlier post - In regards to Liberty and the 50% transfers, if you get a Level 8 UK Diploma, would that actually drop the class load up to 50%? I would email them and see what they say, the classes in the UK diploma should match, and I don't know what classes would actually transfer properly, it's something worth investigating as it can drop that degree down to under $20K or less.

I have attempted researching level 8 diplomas to see if it would be possible to do one and transfer it over. Please correct me if I am wrong, but from what I am seeing they appear to be 2-3 years in length. If I can transfer one to a university such as Liberty I might be saving money, but it seems that I would be significantly extending the duration of my studies.

Also, I am open to completing something such as a "DBA" but have never worked in "business" before but am horrible at math and have never had anything such as marketing, statistics, or probability during my studies this far. (save for one "intro" course to healthcare marketing during undergrad) How much of a handicap would that be?

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One other consideration... not sure if I mentioned this before or not. Given my current profession, I work rotating 24 hours shifts and average 72 hours each week. Because of this, I would require ASYNCHRONOUS programs (something like a short 1 week residency I can manage)... However any synchronous program, like the DPA at UIS would not be something I could consider.

[bjcheung77]

I don't think there is any handy cap at all, the Level 8 diploma is anywhere from 6-9 months if you can 'fast track' everything. You have 'admin' experience and previous studies, it shouldn't be too much, if any of a handy cap. I think you're fine as the Level 8 UK diploma is self-study... Here's an example, in my post #2: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...-Questions

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

In attempting to research a suitable program, I am having a hard time determining which ones are asynchronous. As I mentioned before, I am a firefighter and paramedic and due to my shifts cannot always be online at the same time on the same day week after week... So a fully asynchronous program is what I need. (Short in-person visits of a week or less to campus are fine).

So far I am looking at :
Liberty (open to DPA, PhD in Public Administration or PhD in Public Policy-National Security)
Valdosta (DPA)
Jacksonville State (DSc in Emergency Management)
Missouri State (DSc in Defense & Strategic Studies)
or Middle Georgia (PhD in Public Safety)

I am also completely open to a general PhD in management or leadership provided it is of a comparable price and most importantly... asynchronous.

Determining this is a lot harder than I thought.

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I am also currently looking into UK level 8 certificates to cut down on cost Mr Cheung... Do you know of any offered in public affairs or public policy?

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

Thought I would update on this.

Looked very hard at Middle Georgia's DSc in Public Safety. However, when I was half way through the application process it turned out "public safety" in their lexicon was another term for criminal justice.

As I do not have a law enforcement background or career focus, and as they will not substitute their criminal justice courses for other options, that degree is no longer in consideration.

I am still waiting to hear back from Liberty but thus far, their admissions office has been horrible to communicate with.

Jacksonville has yet to get back to me as well.

In the meantime I am completing a post-grad cert with Missouri State and will be starting a level 8 in business through one of Mr Cheung's links this fall to gain some doctoral level classes.

All that said, if anyone knows of a level 8 diploma in a non-business field such as public affairs, public policy, general leadership etc cetera that would be preferred.

[sanantone]

You can call or email Liberty admissions. During business hours, there's always someone there to respond. They have more of a call center than a traditional admissions office. Don't expect to get personal communications from the program. You just apply, they review your application materials, and you're ready to enroll in courses within a week or two. At Liberty Online, you're a number, but at least they're relatively cheap.

I only see three required criminal justice courses in Middle Georgia's program. The rest of the core is public administration and research methods. The concentration options are emergency management or security analytics (basically information systems and white collar investigations). For the global diversity course, you can take international affairs instead of the criminal justice option.

[nKAEKjagk]

You can call or email Liberty admissions. During business hours, there's always someone there to respond. They have more of a call center than a traditional admissions office. Don't expect to get personal communications from the program. You just apply, they review your application materials, and you're ready to enroll in courses within a week or two. At Liberty Online, you're a number, but at least they're relatively cheap.

I only see three required criminal justice courses in Middle Georgia's program. The rest of the core is public administration and research methods. The concentration options are emergency management or security analytics (basically information systems and white collar investigations). For the global diversity course, you can take international affairs instead of the criminal justice option.

Yes, Liberty price is reasonable for most of the PhD level and you can take as many classes for $595 per unit with no restriction, the only downfall is that once you get to the dissertation phase, your dream of education journey will come to an end. The dept of SoGovt will find all the excuses to motivate you and you will continue taking the same class over, over, over... for the next 3 years with no end in sight until you get tired and realize that you are just a CA$$$H-COW to them for the next 6 years or so, you will wish that you never heard of a school name Liberty University. PS: Their slogan Training Champions for Christ since 1971. What's a JOKE!!!

[sanantone]

You can call or email Liberty admissions. During business hours, there's always someone there to respond. They have more of a call center than a traditional admissions office. Don't expect to get personal communications from the program. You just apply, they review your application materials, and you're ready to enroll in courses within a week or two. At Liberty Online, you're a number, but at least they're relatively cheap.

I only see three required criminal justice courses in Middle Georgia's program. The rest of the core is public administration and research methods. The concentration options are emergency management or security analytics (basically information systems and white collar investigations). For the global diversity course, you can take international affairs instead of the criminal justice option.

Yes, Liberty price is reasonable for most of the PhD level and you can take as many classes for $595 per unit with no restriction, the only downfall is that once you get to the dissertation phase, your dream of education journey will come to an end. The dept of SoGovt will find all the excuses to motivate you and you will continue taking the same class over, over, over... for the next 3 years with no end in sight until you get tired and realize that you are just a CA$$$H-COW to them for the next 6 years or so, you will wish that you never heard of a school name Liberty University. PS: Their slogan Training Champions for Christ since 1971. What's a JOKE!!!

There was someone who finished the PhD in Criminal Justice in three years, I believe. Maybe things differ depending on who the program chair is. My main problem with Liberty is that its leadership is corrupt.

[Tireman4]

I can only speak for the history department. I started August 2019 and defended January 2024. I entered the dissertation phase August 2022. I did not transfer in any hours for they were too old, so I had to take all 72 hours of the program. All the professors were quite supportive. My chair was adamant that I finish so I could publish. I know of one person who changed chairs and topic during the dissertation phase and his is to defend August 2024. I can only speak for the history department. YMMV ( Your Milage May Vary)

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

Does anyone here have experience with the Jacksonville or Valdosta programs?

Are they asynchronous

Can anyone recommend for or against?