08-23-2025, 10:31 AM
Hi folks
We now have another option for an online PhD—affordable, flexible, and from a regionally accredited university.
Eastern University is preparing a new PhD in Applied Data Science!
https://www.eastern.edu/academics/graduate-programs/phd-data-science
Some key highlights:
- The structure is flexible: you can finish quickly if you hustle, but plenty of room to go at your own pace, especially with dissertation work.
- Seriously built for working professionals. Requires at least a 3.5 GPA at master’s level and 5 years of real-world experience in data-related fields—so you're never grouped with early-career students, and the peer cohort is high-quality.
- Cost-efficient credit structure. Instead of front-loading and paying for a big block of dissertation credits up front, Eastern starts you with just 3 dissertation credits, and you add more as needed, in 2-credit increments. Much fairer and more transparent financially.
- Topical relevance + interdisciplinary foundation. The program emphasizes applied research tackling real social and organizational challenges, with deep grounding in ethics, causal inference, quantitative & qualitative methods, and machine learning.
- Hybrid delivery model = flexibility with interaction. Weekly Zoom sessions keep you connected, but most of the coursework is asynchronous—perfect if you're balancing a job.
It may look like a short PhD (30 credits), but realistically, no one completes a dissertation in an accelerated 2-month term. The program is structured around the minimum possible time frame, while giving you flexibility to pay only for the dissertation credits you actually need.
What I think:
This program seems to strike a balance between what are often called professional doctorates and scholarly doctorates. While all research doctorates are academic and require original research with methodological rigor, there is a traditional distinction: scholarly doctorates tend to focus on building or testing theory, whereas professional doctorates emphasize advancing practice.
Eastern’s PhD in Applied Data Science clearly incorporates elements of both. On one side, it is aimed at experienced professionals (minimum 5 years in the field, 3.5 GPA, hybrid online format) and emphasizes applied, real-world impact—characteristics often seen in professional doctorates. On the other side, it carries the PhD designation, requires a dissertation with original research, and ensures rigorous grounding in quantitative, qualitative, and ethical methodologies—features typical of scholarly doctorates. In that sense, it aligns with programs that intentionally blend theoretical and practical orientations, offering both credibility in academia and tangible value for professional practice.
Rafa
We now have another option for an online PhD—affordable, flexible, and from a regionally accredited university.
Eastern University is preparing a new PhD in Applied Data Science!
https://www.eastern.edu/academics/graduate-programs/phd-data-science
Some key highlights:
- The structure is flexible: you can finish quickly if you hustle, but plenty of room to go at your own pace, especially with dissertation work.
- Seriously built for working professionals. Requires at least a 3.5 GPA at master’s level and 5 years of real-world experience in data-related fields—so you're never grouped with early-career students, and the peer cohort is high-quality.
- Cost-efficient credit structure. Instead of front-loading and paying for a big block of dissertation credits up front, Eastern starts you with just 3 dissertation credits, and you add more as needed, in 2-credit increments. Much fairer and more transparent financially.
- Topical relevance + interdisciplinary foundation. The program emphasizes applied research tackling real social and organizational challenges, with deep grounding in ethics, causal inference, quantitative & qualitative methods, and machine learning.
- Hybrid delivery model = flexibility with interaction. Weekly Zoom sessions keep you connected, but most of the coursework is asynchronous—perfect if you're balancing a job.
It may look like a short PhD (30 credits), but realistically, no one completes a dissertation in an accelerated 2-month term. The program is structured around the minimum possible time frame, while giving you flexibility to pay only for the dissertation credits you actually need.
What I think:
This program seems to strike a balance between what are often called professional doctorates and scholarly doctorates. While all research doctorates are academic and require original research with methodological rigor, there is a traditional distinction: scholarly doctorates tend to focus on building or testing theory, whereas professional doctorates emphasize advancing practice.
Eastern’s PhD in Applied Data Science clearly incorporates elements of both. On one side, it is aimed at experienced professionals (minimum 5 years in the field, 3.5 GPA, hybrid online format) and emphasizes applied, real-world impact—characteristics often seen in professional doctorates. On the other side, it carries the PhD designation, requires a dissertation with original research, and ensures rigorous grounding in quantitative, qualitative, and ethical methodologies—features typical of scholarly doctorates. In that sense, it aligns with programs that intentionally blend theoretical and practical orientations, offering both credibility in academia and tangible value for professional practice.
Rafa
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