As a professional in the field of education, your process of learning may never come to a stop. If you are looking to take your career to another level, you may be looking to advance your credentials by earning another – higher level – degree in your field of expertise. This is not limited to a master’s degree, as there is a ton of scope in the field even after you are done with graduate school. The two main options in front of you at this juncture are a PhD in a field related to education or an EdD degree, but how are you supposed to make this decision?
Before choosing the right degree for yourself, you need to get a deeper understanding of the major differences between both the degrees – EdD vs PhD – and understand how they will shape your career trajectory. Here is a brief explainer that will help you in making a better decision about your future!
PhD Degree
A Doctor of Philosophy degree in the field of education will train you to become a more successful and perceptive scholar. This program is different from the EdD program in multiple ways – but we aren’t going to get into the EdD vs PhD debate just yet. A PhD in the field of education will be more research oriented, giving you the necessary tools to question the norm in terms of education and methods of learning. A PhD scholar will be required to turn in a dissertation and defend it in front of a panel. After the completion of this degree, most people turn to training other scholars as they try to improve the education system or develop a more well-rounded curriculum for children, young adults and adults.
Average Time It Takes to Complete
A PhD can take up a large chunk of the time that you spend on your education, often running between four years and eight years. While there are people who finish it in the four-year time frame, the average PhD takes approximately eight years to complete. As discussed before, you will be required to present a dissertation in order to earn the degree, which is very research oriented in nature. You will need about 90 credits to complete your degree.
Requirements to Enroll
If you are looking to apply for a PhD in the field of education, the requirements for enrollment may differ from program to program or institution to institution. In most cases, it would be important for you to hold a master’s degree and take further qualification exams. A solid academic record with a high GPA, letters of recommendation, records of the research work conducted and other such factors can influence the admission procedure.
Average Cost
On average, the cost of pursuing a PhD in the field of education – not including the living costs and other such expenditure – would be over $30,000. This number can differ from program to program. However, most institutions waive the cost of tuition for PhD scholars and also offer them stipends for the position of research assistants and other such academic openings. This means that you can be debt free by the end of the degree.
Average Salaries
It is difficult to come up with an average salary for people who have finished their PhD in the field of education as they choose to go into different parts of the profession, all of which pay differently. The median pay for postsecondary teachers in 2018 – according to data from US Department of Labor – stood at approximately $78,470 per year and the median pay for postsecondary education administrators was about $94,340 per year or $45.36 per hour.
EdD Degree
If you want to pursue a shorter degree, the Doctorate in Education (EdD) may be a better fit for you. It is more deeply focused on how knowledge from existing research is applied to improve the state of real world issues of the organization, leadership and so on. If you have aspirations in fields like academics, education administration and other similar positions, you may want to consider going in for an EdD degree. It takes up much lesser time than a PhD degree and can help you earn the same average salary as a PhD scholar. Keep reading for more features associated with EdD degrees.
Average Time It Takes to Complete
As compared to the four to eight years that it takes to complete a PhD, the duration of an EdD degree is much shorter. On average, you can finish your EdD degree in about two years with a basic requirement of about 60 credits. This is a practice-based course.
Requirements to Enroll
There are no set requirements for enrollment when you are looking at an EdD degree. For example, there are programs that automatically give you some credits if you have a master’s degree. There are many universities that offer this course through an online medium and the usual requirements are a good GPA and supporting documents.
Average Cost
The cost involved in earning an EdD degree differs from program to program but the average stands at about $20,000 or more for the entire program. As this program is usually pursued through an online platform, most candidates continue to work alongside and finance their education accordingly.
Average Salaries
There is no exact average salary for an EdD scholar but you can expect the same pay scale as a PhD scholar in most cases. As it is likely that you will be taking on positions of administration and management, you can expect to earn over $100,000 on average in many cases.
Wrap-Up
It is not possible to pick one degree and hold it as the best option for all people in the field of education. Something that works well for one person may not be beneficial for another person, so the decision that you make – in the EdD vs PhD debate – should be entirely dependent on your personal goals and aspirations. The information here might be able to help you make a more informed decision but it will not make the decision for you. Regardless of the degree you choose to apply for, you will come out as an expert in the field and have the chance to advance your career to the next level.