Fast Track Doctoral Degree

Searching for a Fast Track PhD Degree?

You’ve come to the right place…

Several of our editors are in the process of completing their master’s degrees and I’m also personally researching Fast Track Doctoral Programs as I’m about 6 months away from completing my Master’s degree in Education.

If you are like me, you have no interest in spending four more years in a PhD program when you can complete the same course of study with just two (or three years) of additional study online.

Accelerated Online Doctoral Degrees

Although distance learning programs allow students more flexibility and room to complete their degree at their own convenience, there are individuals who need to obtain their doctoral degree in the shortest amount of time possible.

Currently, the top two accredited universities offering online doctoral degree programs are Walden University and Capella University. Both universities are regionally accredited, the highest level of accreditation possible. Both universities offer shorter than average semesters, Walden University classes last 8 weeks, Capella University classes last 10 weeks.

Walden University – Accelerated 8-Week Online Classes

Walden University offers accelerated classes: 8 week online classes.

The Walden University campus is located in Minnesota. Currently, Walden offers over a dozen online doctoral programs with over 100 specializations/concentrations available, giving you the opportunity to tailor your doctorate degree to suit your professional goals and interests.

• Doctor of Business Administration – DBA (10 concentrations)
• PhD in Management (14 concentrations)
• Doctor of Education – Ed.D. (6 concentrations)
• Education Specialist – Ed.S. (6 concentrations)
• PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (6 concentrations)
• PhD in Education (12 concentrations)
• PhD in Health Services (11 concentrations)
• PhD in Human Services (17 concentrations)
• PhD in Psychology (7 concentrations)
• PhD in Public Health (3 concentrations)
• PhD in Public Policy and Administration (27 concentrations)
• Doctor of Nursing Practice

Read more or get a free program guide from Walden University.

Capella University – 10-Week Online Classes

Capella University offers accelerated classes: 10 week online classes.

Many higher education faculty positions require a PhD, which can also prepare you for leadership, research, or consulting positions in a variety of fields. For students of business, the Doctor of Business Administration is also available. Career paths for people with DBAs include business leadership, consulting, and teaching positions.

Online Doctoral Programs are also available in a wide-range of fields including:

• PhD – Accounting
• PhD – Counselor Education and Supervision
• PhD – Criminal Justice
• PhD – Curriculum and Instruction
• PhD – Educational Psychology
• PhD – Emergency Management
• PhD – General Advanced Studies in Human Behavior
• PhD – Business
• PhD – Human Services
• PhD – Information Technology
• PhD – Organization and Management
• PhD – Psychology
• PhD – Health Care Administration
• PhD – Human Resource Management
• PhD – Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• PhD – Information Security
• PhD – Information Technology Management
• PhD – Information Technology Project Management
• PhD – Instructional Design for Online Learning
• PhD – IT Education
• PhD – K-12 Studies in Education
• PhD – Leadership
• PhD – Leadership for Higher Education
• PhD – Leadership in Educational Administration
• PhD – Management Education
• PhD – Nonprofit Management and Leadership
• PhD – Nursing Education
• PhD – Post-secondary and Adult Education
• PhD – Professional Studies in Education
• PhD – Project Management
• PhD – Public Safety Leadership
• PhD – Social and Community Services
• PhD – Special Education Leadership
• PhD – Training and Performance Improvement
• DBA – Business Intelligence
• DBA – Global Operations and Supply Chain Management
• DBA – Strategy and Innovation
• DHA – General Health Administration
• DHA – Health Care Leadership
• DHA – Health Policy and Advocacy
• DPA – General Public Administration
• DrPH – Epidemiology
• DrPH – Health Advocacy and Leadership
• DSW – General Social Work
• EdD – Educational Leadership and Management
• EdD – Reading and Literacy
• EdS – Curriculum and Instruction
• EdS – Leadership in Educational Administration

Read more or get a free program guide from Capella University.

About PhD Programs

A PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy, an advanced degree that used to require somewhere between four to eight years of academic coursework beyond what is needed to attain a Bachelor’s degree (that was before online study and fast track programs came into being). Earning a PhD does not necessarily mean a candidate studies philosophy – in fact, many candidates study science or engineering or any of the wide variety of liberal arts fields.

First of all, a PhD program will not accept anyone who has not yet earned a Bachelor’s degree, but assuming you already have one then the next step is typically to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and score well. In some cases a GRE score is not needed if a candidate has a high enough GPA from undergraduate studies, and some schools offering fast track PhD programs completely waive the GRE requirement.

Let’s go ahead and assume you have met all the requirements to get into the PhD program of your choice and have been accepted. Now what? Generally speaking a PhD candidate can expect to spend anywhere from one to three years studying advanced coursework in their chosen subject, requiring a clearly defined major and a specific course of study. Time spent on coursework tends to be significantly less if one has already earned a Master’s degree, eliminating the need to take some courses. And, with the added bonus of fast track programs offered by many universities via online study, you can earn your PhD degree at an accelerated pace.

While schools traditionally follow the same guidelines for PhD candidates, the requirements for admittance into the program can vary from school to school, so it’s a good idea to compare several universities prior to applying. This will ensure you find the university that best matches your goals and interests.

You can easily compare PhD Programs using the degree search tool below. This will make it easy for you to request free information from any schools that interest you, ensuring that you make a well-informed decision.