I've been looking at a program that awards the Doctor of Arts as the terminal degree (not typical for my field- sciences). What are the positives/negatives of DA degree programs?
One of the misconceptions I see commonly is that one degree is necessarily better or worse than the other,
in general. It makes more sense to look at what the degree is designed to offer within specific criteria (your needs, the training associated with the degree, the training provided by the specific program, and so on).
In general, a PhD is a much better choice for the sciences, even if you don't want to do much research.
Are these degrees generally viewed as lower than the PhD? Are there problems of recognition? I am looking at eventually pursuing mainly teaching positions. Would a DA help me in this?
Typically, the PhD is viewed as more prestigious than the DA. All of my colleagues have PhDs, and all of the job postings in my area (that are research/teaching or teaching) require a PhD in the field. If you are involved with data-based research, it is highly likely that a PhD would be your best (if not the only) option, preferably form a strong program in your specific field.
I also recommend looking at the
types of institutions you want to work at (within your discipline) and see what type of degrees those faculty have. If you see mostly PhDs, I'd recommend that, but if you see a good number of DAs, it might work. Don't just look at the issue from a one-dimensional perspective as some people tend to do. Consider as many factors as you can.
