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[dr_prephd]

Nomad, I agree with the trends you've noted; however, I also think it's possible to be a working, part-time student with the goal of doing research and obtaining a TT faculty position.

[nomad]

Actually you just described me.  I choose the PhD specifically because of the research aspects but I managed to find a way to do it part time.  I searched high and low for a way to do that and I am happy to say it is working well. For me it is a combo of working, school and parenting. There is no other way for me to do it but part time.

It is the trend but not the rule.

[jclift]

I think this post is over with, but I thought I would chime in anyway. You should think long and hard about what it is you want to do and then go from there. There have been many Ed.D. bashing posts in various Chronicle forums. It seems there are quite a few stuck up Ph.D.s out there and I wonder what was involved in their program to make them so stuck up and mean spirited. I have an Ed.D. and am very proud of it. I have an Ed.D. because the program I went through...gasp...was in the School of Education and Human Services. It is ignorance to think that all Ed.D.'s paid tuition, did no work, and were conferred a degree. I don't know of a single Ed.D. program where you don't have to do a dissertation. Likewise, it is ignorance to think that all Ed.D.'s are school superintendents. I completed a dissertation that took me well over a year to complete. I completed 2.5 years of coursework. I went through the stress of APA formatting just like other doctors.

I like the Ed.D. because I want my career to move into the evaluation field. I like research and helping organizations become better. Thus, the idea of applied research suits me very well. I am no less a doctor or researcher because I have an Ed.D. I like the program I went through and this is the kind of degree they conferred upon the students. They could have offered a Ph.D. instead of an Ed.D.; the only thing that would have been different is the letters. BTW....the past president of the APHA had an Ed.D.

All in all, think about what you want to do in life and find a program that will help you meet those goals, regardless of the type of degree it is. Education is what you make it. I know some crappy Ph.D.s and some crappy Ed.D.s. Don't think too much about the letters after your name and think about your career aspirations. Everything else will fall into place.

[sciencephd]

Howdy,

Am debating between applying to an EdD program (Doctorate of Education in Higher Ed) or a PhD in Education.  Is one degree better or more reputable/credible than the other?

Thoughts?

I have no idea.  But if you are looking to faculty employment, you can answer the question more objectively by looking at the EdD/PhD ratio of recent hires in Eduction or other relevant departments.

[chaud]

Get a PhD. Though the requirements are usually very similar, I think the consensus is that a PhD is more respected than the EdD.