I am interested in an on line liberal arts PhD program. Any ideas?

Question

I am particularly interested in Greek mythology, drama, history and literature. Is there any such thing as a degree like this? I need a regionally accredited school and a respectable program.

Here's the thing: I am a military wife, and a mother of three boys: two under the age of two, and one who is five years old. I am teaching Humanities at a community college, and I want to continue my education. I know I can't be in one place for very long and I can't afford child care on top of the cost of tuition. Is there no hope at all?

Answer 1

No respectable program would do a Ph.D. online, I'm afraid. The whole idea of a Ph.D. is to socialize you as a researcher, and they really can't do that from cyberspace.

Answer 2

And there's the rub. PhD liberal arts programs - respected ones - are not offered online. Some may allow you to do your dissertation from home, but the initial years are spent on campus, working closely with a professor.

There are some PhD programs that are online, but they aren't respected. What would be your goals for obtaining this PhD? If it's teaching or some other employment-related reason, I'm afraid that you must attend in person, and in fact, attend the best reputed, best ranked program that you can possibly get into. Jobs for PhD liberal arts are few and far between, anyway. Don't hamstring yourself by attending a program of poor reputation.

I'm thinking the field that most closely matches your interests may be Classics. There are PhD programs in this field. If you can't relocate, check with your local universities to see what they have to offer.