Some of my good friends, who I dearly love and appreciate for their support and for reading my posts, corrected me, and they informed me that I had gotten ahead of myself. Rather than write about completing a doctorate, I should have focused on helping people to determine whether or not, they should get a doctorate in the first place. That is a very critical question for sure, and I want to make sure that I share my perspective on this topic in this post. One thing that stands out about this is the access to and the popularity of a doctoral degree has increased significantly over the last 30 years. However, the cost to complete a program has also gone up significantly. I don’t think that this should be a barrier to you completing this process, but this as well as other factors should be well thought out before proceeding. I will mention a few things here, but I have an entire slate of items to share in that realm so let’s get started.

Why should I get a doctorate?

There are many reasons to complete a doctoral program. Please allow me to share just a few.

1. Job advancement — At some point in your career, you may feel that you have gone as far as you can with your current degree. The completion of a doctoral degree will open more career possibilities in some cases. This one is typically one of the bigger reasons why people pursue terminal degree in the field.
2. Personal satisfaction — There are many who have created many personal and educational goals for their lives, and completing a doctorate is one of them. For some it may sound strange, but for some, it is a lifelong dream. There are those who have made promises to family members to complete the process, especially those who are from first generation families. Whatever the case, completing this degree is a passion, and it is something that is next to be ticked off their bucket list.
3. Passion for the field — Your discipline may be something of extreme passion for you. If you have a desire to advance that passion through research and work in this area, then a doctorate will provide you with the resources to delve deeper into complex topics related to the field. Also, the completion of this degree will prepare you to create new knowledge to advance the field, either theoretically or practically. The completion of the doctoral degree will benefit you by taking the steps to become an expert in your field and open so many doors of opportunity in the future.
4. Networking opportunities — Through the years, I have maintained a very healthy relationship with those who I went through graduate school with. We have shared our successes and failures, and in many cases, we have served as support for one another emotionally, provided references for jobs, and provided networks for employment through our connection. There is also the benefit of connecting as a faculty member with students in doctoral programs. I leveraged my time in the classroom with doctoral students not only in terms of mentoring and teaching them, but also, I took advantage of the opportunity to target talent. I hired many former students through the years based upon what I saw in them there.  Faculty are also always a great resource for continued mentoring and recommendation letters.

Now that we have discussed the reasons to go to complete a doctorate, let’s talk about questions that you should ask before you pursue a program.

1. When is a good time? I immediately started graduate school after the completion of my bachelor’s degree, and I completed my doctorate by the time I was 25 years old. I did that because I was fortunate enough to receive a graduate assistantship which paid for college (a very important factor that we will discuss shortly). (Thank you, Dr. William Ross Palmer for believing in me!!!) On the other hand, I had friends who worked and gained years of professional experience in the field before they decided to complete their doctorate. They felt like it would benefit them to do it this way so that they would have more practical knowledge as they pursued their doctorate. There’s no right or wrong way here. Talk to a variety of people to gather a variety of perspectives on the element of timing. These perspectives will provide you with information so that you are best prepared to decide about what is best for you.
2. What doctoral program should I pursue? I am always amazed to look at LinkedIn pages of friends and colleagues. I would say 75% of them have pursued degrees in directions that were quite a bit different than their undergraduate degree programs. They have found passions in life, outside of their undergraduate majors, and they have chosen to pursue doctoral (and masters) degrees that aligned with that passion. That is quite all right. Others have stayed the course, and their doctoral degrees align with their master’s and bachelor’s degrees. At the end of the day, you are investing a lot of time and money into this process, so it is important for you to have a clear plan for the selection, matriculation, and completion of this degree. Again, talking to people who have gone through the process is always helpful.
3. Will I be able to balance life’s priorities while completing a doctoral degree? This is a very difficult question, as you don’t really know what to expect until you get into the program. Life is strange. My wife started her master’s degree, and a string of very unusual events with our family (illness, kids’ sports, etc.) caused her to have to stretch the program out over a longer period than originally planned. Balancing work, family, and your academics can be challenging. Trying to find a time that is “best” is also a challenge. Raising kids, taking care of aging parents, major work projects, and so much more can certainly make it very difficult. You will need to evaluate your life and decide to move forward with many blind spots. Waiting for the right moment is fruitless because there is not the right time. Sometimes, you just must take the plunge. Talk to faculty in the program, as well as students to get a sense of the expectations for the program. Talk to your family and work supervisor to gauge their level of support and understanding regarding your pursuing a program.  Do your research and go with it.  Sometimes, you just have to put on your Nikes and Just Do It!
4. How do I select the right program/institution and faculty advisor? It is imperative that you do your research on various programs that offer the degree that you’re interested in and find out their graduation rates as well as time to degree to gain a sense of what they expect there. Find out which professors have been successful in graduating their students. You surely don’t want to be advised by someone who has a very low success rate when it comes to graduating their students. It would be an utter waste of money to complete the course work and not complete the culminating project (typically a dissertation). Talk to current students as well as graduates of the program. They can provide a significant amount of information that will guide your thinking. I can go on and on here, but also talk to those who are going through programs in general, and they can give you some sense of what factors they utilized in making decisions about their program.
5. Can I afford this doctoral program? That is a very critical question. The costs of higher education have increased significantly through the years. I believe that there is great value to higher levels of education, but you don’t have to break the bank to do it. First, you want a quality program that will give you what you need in the context of your goals, so do your research in that area. Second, do your research on programs in terms of graduate assistantships and fellowships. Those forms of financial support are sometimes far and in between for graduate students. Unlike undergraduate programs, you don’t have access to Pell Grant and other scholarship opportunities that are available for undergraduate students. Most students borrow money. It goes without saying, most programs are going to get you to your goals. It’s rare that programs are so significantly different that you must pay significantly more for one program over another. Sometimes people pay for convenience, which I understand. However, you also don’t want to come out with a ton of debt. Again, talk to program faculty, graduate schools, financial aid offices, and current and former students of the program to find out what options are available.

I probably have provided you with just enough information to get you started or confused. I hope that the latter is not the case. One thing that I mentioned over and over is the importance of doing your research. Be sure to do that. Talk to people who have been there, and certainly those who work there, so that you have ample information to make an informed decision. It is a significant undertaking, but it is also a very rewarding one. I encourage you to do it, and let me know if I can help. Best wishes as you take those next steps towards completing your terminal degree.