$15000 Doctorate NA

[KSoul]

Narrowed down my two options for a doctorate to the University of Saint Mary, EdD in Leadership and VUL DHA. Cost and time to complete are similar, with St Mary being 6k more and an additional year. It reads less, similar to how I had it in my decision process. After being approved for both, I decided to go with VUL and will be part of the May cohort.

A lot of time ahead to change my mind, but it all feels like it is coming together nicely.

The Saint Mary's program looks pretty decent. Not nearly as long as many other EdDs I've reviewed. I'm adding this to my short list for next year. I definitely need RA. I know everyone doesn't need an RA program. And for those who don't and just want a doctorate, the VUL DHA seems like the way to go. I still can't imagine cramming a doctorate into a year. Seems like you'd never sleep or have a break. i'm actually enjoying taking a weekend off from my studies this weekend. Not something I've been able to do since I went back to school in February 2020. Kind of amazing how much freedom I have at WGU. Not something I expected, but I'm enjoying it! 

Have you started your cohort at VUL?

Not checking the thread as much, so thank you for your patience. Yes, I started in May; I am halfway through one course and just awaiting the final grade on another. My third class has been loaded and will be starting shortly. The program has plenty of busy work; however, I can still go on weekend adventures; this is important as I did not move to Europe to hang in the house writing papers when there is so much to see and do out here. I've had some moments (mostly early) when I felt that I took on a little more than expected, and then after receiving positive feedback and high marks on case studies and essays, all settled down. I knew there was enough within me to get through the program, so leaning into the challenge and being grateful for the opportunity is my mindset.

Now, I am more on a daily high thinking that comes 2024; I will have earned a doctorate. It's a satisfying academic headspace to be in.

Since the Professors and courses have been discussed in reasonable detail ( the first 3), I will not be adding information to the forum other than to confirm the details on the thread are correct. I am currently enrolled in three courses:

Change Management/Dr. Gupta -. Gupta is a fair grader and provides entertaining weekly Zoom sessions. Compared to my previous self-paced courses, the 16-week course takes a bit to get used to. On the positive side, the workload is very manageable, and the only drawback is the time it takes to receive feedback and grades. I am on track for an A.

Organizational Communication/Dr. Hammond - This class is straightforward and aligns well with traditional business degree topics. Dr. Hammond may be a bit elusive in his guidance, but overall, you pick up on the subtle clues he provides for assignments. My final grades came in yesterday, and I finished with an A.

Leadership & Professional Issues/Dr. Wodicka - This course has just started, and the one upside is that you can work ahead. I have taken on the challenge and completed a few weeks' assignments. Until told otherwise, I will try to finish this 8-week course in less time than scheduled. Unlike Gupta & Hammond, Dr. Wodicka requires discussion posts to be 300+ words each (two a week). The other courses had no length requirement, but less than 300 words were acceptable. Luckily, each discussion post has 2-3 questions, allowing for more than enough to write about. 

I am pleased with the program and appreciate the network forming in the private groups for the program. There is a mix of students scoring high marks and feeling confident, while others are just getting by and celebrating their survival skills. Some students are considering dropping out daily, and others are not performing well. Unfortunately, I fear that several of them may be asked to leave unless something changes dramatically.

Traveling all of August should make the program adventurous–having multiple finals,  case studies, discussion posts, and Zooms while traveling should make my flight back to Germany in September a good time to sleep. Hopefully, it will also be a time of celebration from earning two more A grades.