The emergence of the nontraditional doctorate: A historical overview

Abstract

The nontraditional doctorate is a relatively recent development in the long history of the doctoral degree. Understanding what makes a doctoral degree "nontraditional" requires describing its key features in relation to those of the traditional doctorate and embedding this analysis in a historical context.

Evolution of the Dissertation in Practice

“…Doctoral programs first emerged in the nineteenth century and revolved around knowledge transmission in traditional disciplines. They later expanded towards critical thinking approaches and began including professional practice in order to accommodate part-time students with careers, offering them professional doctoral degrees (Archbald, 2011;Taysum, 2006). The first professional doctorate originated in the field of education in 1920, in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard, as Doctor of Education (EdD) (Dill & Morrison,1985).…”

An Emerging Framework for the EdD Activist

“…Simultaneously, industrial advancements, cultural diversity, and societal changes raised the interest in professional education to meet market needs. The education doctorate expanded access to research-based graduate study and offered new contexts for inquiry around professional practice (Archbald, 2011;Taysum, 2006). No longer catering to early-career, young adult learners only, professional doctorates opened the way for professional part-time students (Archbald, 2011).…”

“…The education doctorate expanded access to research-based graduate study and offered new contexts for inquiry around professional practice (Archbald, 2011;Taysum, 2006). No longer catering to early-career, young adult learners only, professional doctorates opened the way for professional part-time students (Archbald, 2011). On the other hand, changes in American society led to increased high school enrollments, reinforcing the need for college educated teachers and giving rise to the education doctorate, the Ed.D.…”

“…On the other hand, changes in American society led to increased high school enrollments, reinforcing the need for college educated teachers and giving rise to the education doctorate, the Ed.D. (Archbald, 2011).…”

“…However, the growing popularity and the proliferation of Ed.D. programs (Archbald, 2011) come with criticism, bias, and vagueness in differentiation from Ph.D. programs. Shulman et al (2006) argued that problems in Ed.D.…”