Ed.D. Vs. Ph.D.
If you are an education professional and are looking to pursue an advanced degree to further your career, you are probably trying to decide whether to seek an Ed.D. or a Ph.D. to meet your career goals. While both degrees are quite similar, there are also significant differences of which you should be aware.
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Curriculum Focus
When considering both of these degree options, the first thing you should keep in mind is the curriculum focus of each degree. With a Ph.D., the curriculum focuses on furthering your knowledge as an educator since most people who pursue this degree wish to continue teaching in the classroom. However, when pursuing an Ed.D., much of the curriculum will focus primarily on solving various problems within today’s educational system, meaning you are seeking to move into an administrative position.
Projects vs. Internships
When comparing edd vs phd on sites such as Education Degree, you’ll notice both require you to complete a cumulative project. However, Ed.D. projects often have you developing workshops or conducting a research project within your community or elsewhere. When pursuing a Ph.D., you’ll be primarily doing research, teaching-related internships, and a dissertation.
Specialization Tracks
No matter which advanced degree program you select, you will likely need to choose a specialization track early on. If you pursue an Ed.D., you will probably want to specialize in such areas as Administrative Leadership, Curriculum, Learning, and Instruction, or Reading and Literacy Leadership. As for a Ph.D., common specialization tracks include Educational Technology, Comparative Education, and Teacher Leadership.
Career Goals
As stated earlier, different career goals are associated with both of these advanced degrees. By pursuing a Ph.D., you can look to become a college professor, where you will split your time between teaching in the classroom and conducting research to be published in professional journals. When seeking an Ed.D., you may look to become a school president, educational researcher, or other related position. However, since both degrees are so similar, it is possible each can be used for various types of career goals.
Time Factor
While you may assume it takes the same amount of time to obtain either of these degrees, that is not the case. If you enroll in a Ph.D. program, you can expect to spend 4-6 years pursuing your degree. However, when seeking an Ed.D., this degree will usually only take three years to finish. Though not a huge difference, you may want to seriously consider if you’re going to spend or can afford to spend an extra 1-3 years pursuing a Ph.D. in your chosen specialization.
Since you will need to consider many factors when making such an important decision regarding your education, don’t do so in haste. Instead, look over details found online at various sites, discuss your career ambitions with family, friends, and trusted coworkers, and consider how much time and money you will spend on your degree program. In doing so, you’ll come away knowing which degree is right for you.
