While earning doctoral degrees can help you achieve career and educational advancements, the costs for earning one can be quite expensive. University and college programs tend to be the most expensive, but for some that is the course of study they'd prefer. There are alternatives, however, such as earning an online college doctoral degree or even one through a correspondence or distance learning program.

There are also financial aid programs, scholarships and grants available to help you fund your doctoral degree and reap the benefits of continuing your education. Here are some things about the pricing and costs of doctoral programs that you should consider:

1. Learn about the costs of college and university doctoral programs.

2. Compare and find out about the tuition costs for online doctoral programs.

3. Get information about the costs of distance learning PhD programs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out about the costs of earning doctorate degrees from college doctoral programs

For those who want a more traditional learning experience, there are university doctoral programs. These programs are often more expensive than online or distance learning programs since you also need to calculate living expenses and housing as part of your overall cost. The prices for this kind of doctorate degree education range in price from about $10,000 a semester to about $40,000 for one year of study. Your dissertation costs may not be included with your tuition costs and usually are about $2,000 extra.

I recommend: Go to the John Hopkins University website to learn about its tuition costs for university doctoral programs in areas like arts and sciences, engineering and education. Visit the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business website to learn about its PhD tuition costs, which include fees for living expenses such as housing and books.

Learn about the costs of accredited online doctoral programs

The ability to compare tuition costs at different accredited PhD programs online is a great way to find not only the best online doctorate programs for you but also the one that will best fit your budgetary needs. The cost of a complete two- to three-year online doctoral program can range in price from approximately $30,000 to almost $50,000.

I recommend: Compare tuition fees for accredited online PhD programs at Northcentral University, which offers online doctoral degrees. Learn about the tuition costs of earning an online doctoral degree from Henley-Putnam University, which offers degrees for law enforcement and security specialists.

Find out about the costs for distance learning doctoral programs

For those with busy schedules, a distance education PhD is a great way to earn your doctoral degree. Since these programs are done at a pace determined by the doctoral candidate, the prices are usually counted by credit hours, ranging from about $80 if you were to take one class, or one credit hour, for a semester to more than $1,600 if you choose to do a full course in a semester, or 25 credit hours.

I recommend: Earn a distance education PhD from the University of North Dakota's Division of Continuing Education Distance Degree Programs, which offers a doctoral degree in philosophy of higher education. Learn about the occupational therapy doctoral degree offered by Nova Southeastern University.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Earning doctoral degrees can help you gain prestige in your field of study as well as give you the necessary credentials for career advancement.

Doctoral programs enable students to gain the highest levels of proficiency possible in their subject, while preparing them to push the limits in their specialty, if they so desire.

More than one-third of U.S. colleges offer online doctoral programs. Students pursue their studies through email, virtual lectures, traditional homework and email. Courses can be tailored to meet each student's needs.

By pursuing online PhD programs, students can:

1. Save time and energy commuting to campus.
2. Pursue the degree at their convenience.
3. Complete doctoral study in less than the traditional three years.
4. Maintain their present job and income.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Verify the accreditation of online doctoral programs

Online paper mills have sprung up that offer courses of study and degrees, but their degrees do not command respect. Rather than getting a 'degree you buy,' be sure that you are expending energy on a course that will advance your career.

I recommend: The U.S. Department of Education maintains a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that guarantee the quality of education offered by institutions of higher learning. Also, if your field of study is one that is licensed, be sure the degree program is recognized by the licensing bureau; for example, a program on public health.

Choose a university that offers accredited online doctorate programs

Major players offering accredited online doctoral degrees are the University of Phoenix, Capella University, Walden University and Argosy University. Other universities also offer online doctorate programs in various fields.

I recommend: Look at this list from Elearners for colleges offering doctoral programs in business. Check the Adultlearn website to find online PhD programs in fields as diverse as computer information systems and physical therapy.

Seek funding to get your online doctorate

As with undergraduate and master's degrees, scholarships are available for the pursuit of online doctoral degrees. Criteria must be met, no matter the type of learning. However, some scholarships exist for online learning.

I recommend: Walden University, which is entirely online, offers scholarships for doctorates. The University of Phoenix also offers financial options for those seeking online doctoral degrees.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When considering what type of online doctorate to pursue, examine your employer's needs and pick a course of study that will make you more valuable.
• •  Set specific times and days for study once you embark on the curriculum. It's too easy for work and family responsibilities to interfere with your online doctoral studies.

After earning your master's degree, you may want to continue your education and earn a doctorate degree. Since some candidates for doctoral programs are older and are working in the business sector, this can be difficult. Thankfully, in addition to traditional college doctoral programs, there are accredited online doctoral programs that offer you the ability to earn your PhD in the comfort of your home.

Since doctoral programs can be expensive, you'll want to learn about financial aid, scholarship programs and grants for doctoral candidates. Here are some additional things about doctoral programs basics for you to consider:

1. Find out about traditional college and university doctoral programs.

2. Get information about accredited online PhD programs and distance learning PhD programs.

3. Learn about financial aid, scholarship and grant programs for doctoral programs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about doctoral programs offered at colleges and universities

or those who have the time to take traditional college and university courses, there are many doctorate programs available. These kinds of courses usually take about two years to complete, so be sure to consider how much time you will have to set aside in order to complete them.

I recommend: Check out Boston University to learn about its Doctor of Business Administration degree, which focuses on various management education skills that could help you become part of the global business environment. Go to John Jay College of Criminal Justice to learn about earning a doctoral degree in forensic psychology.

Find information about online and distance learning PhD programs

For doctoral candidates who can't fit a traditional full-time university doctoral program into their schedule, some great alternatives are online doctoral degrees and distance learning doctoral programs. Those who choose distance learning PhD programs can correspond with faculty about courses and instructions through the mail, while those who take online PhD courses can do their coursework online. Both of these programs allow you to make your own study schedule toward earning your degree.

I recommend: Visit Capella University to learn about its many online doctorate programs in fields such as business, technology, education and human services. Liberty University Distance Learning offers a distance education PhD in Theology and Apologetics.

Get scholarship, grants and financial aid information for doctoral programs

Since tuition costs for accredited PhD programs can be quite expensive, learning about financial aid assistance, as well as grants and scholarships available to doctoral candidates, is a great way to get your degree without straining your budget.

I recommend: Learn about financial aid assistance and scholarships for doctoral programs offered by the University of Phoenix and Adelphi University. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School offers grants and scholarships to its seminary students.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Earning a doctoral degree can open more doors to you in your field of study as well as increase your chances for career success.

Once a person has earned his masters degree, it opens up a world of possibilities and career options. Many choose to go a step further and earn a Ph.D., or doctorate, in their specific field. Earning a Ph.D. can qualify you for higher-level faculty positions, research positions and other top career opportunities. Doctoral programs are offered at universities, online and through distance learning programs. Doctoral programs typically take six years to complete.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Online Ph.D program

An online Ph.D program is a series of classes that a student can complete online. Some PhD programs offer specific courses online, while others provide the whole program.

I recommend: The Adult Learn Online Directory provides a guide on choosing the right online Ph.D program.

Distance learning

Distance learning differs slightly from online programs in that distance learning can also refer to the use of telecasts, webcasts and study from home course materials.

I recommend: The Distance Learning College Guide provides information on the benefits of using distance learning to further education into masters and doctoral degree programs.

First-professional doctoral program

A first-professional doctoral program is a program that includes the fields of medicine, law, dentistry and veterinary medicine. This type of degree does not require a completion of a thesis, but does require actual practice in the field of study before graduation.

I recommend: The Community Acupuncture Network presents the case whether the field should adopt the use of a first-professional doctorate as the standard to qualify for entry level positions.

Research doctoral program

A research doctoral program is a program that provides a student the resources to complete research and provide a publishable finding. The research findings are presented as a thesis or dissertation.

I recommend: The American Speech Language Hearing Association provides tips for preparing to enter a research doctoral program in speech or language studies.

Honorary doctorate

An honorary doctorate is awarded to a person that has shown a substantial contribution to a specific field of study, but does not have to provide an academic contribution.

I recommend: Most universities, such as the University of Oregon, have a committee to determine the criteria for awarding honorary doctorate degrees.

Doctoral dissertation

A doctoral dissertation is a written research paper that contains a thesis statement. This statement is specific to enable the student to conduct research on the topic to prove or disprove the thesis statement.

I recommend: Dissertations provides additional information on doctoral dissertations and the steps to take to get the process started.