Are there any schools that offer free PHD degrees ?
![]() |
Are there any schools that offer free PHD degrees ?
In which subject? In which country?
The only "free" PhD programs I am aware of are the "work for education" programs in the hard sciences... so if you are getting a PhD in chemistry you have a "tuition", but then you get a tuition merit scholarship for teaching and research and also a monthly financial stipend for the teaching or research you do.
These programs are, obviously, not distance learning.
Schools are businesses. They need to make money, and generally giving away degrees won't pay the bills.
Another option, while not 100% free, many businesses will pay a portion of tuition bills for advanced degrees. In one case I am aware of it cut the tuition at least by 50% and maybe even as much as 75%.
What degree are you looking at? What is your background? Looking for education online?
Are you looking for a degree that is based upon the experience that you already have? If so, then there are a number of sites that will grant you a degree based upon experience. And, some of the degrees that are granted are recognized as being legitimate in a lot of places. However, there is still a fee that you have to pay for them.
clough... not trying to argue about this... this is my experience and id be glad to review any sites/institutions you can provide... I'm open to new things. I'm also skeptical of this issue.
tuezday... you'd need to provide the area in which you believe you have advanced experience. What's the field? Why do you think you are deserving of the adv degree? What is your goal? Higher pay? New job? What's the angle? But without knowing the field and the specific application... its pretty tough to know what angles are possible.
not an expert in this area, in that I don't know a lot about extreme alternative avenues for an advanced degree that bypass the traditional grad school program (including legit online learning), other than "honorary" PhDs. I did teach at an accredited university for several years, and have some experience in the educational field.
you absolutely CAN earn bachelors credits and, rarely, degrees, tied to experience, but this often requires you to provide a detailed portfolio that demonstrates your abilities and experiences and also often requires you to "test out"... and very few schools will let you test out or show experience to get the degree completely without and formal work. Most of the time, you can, at best, knock off some class requirements. You still need to take classes for most legit degreed programs.
I have yet to see a legitimate, accredited school offer "life exp" degrees outside of honorary degrees. Yes, you may be able to earn some credits with proof of exp (and again, perhaps testing), but whole degrees based off exp... nope.
sure... I've seen the emails claiming you can earn with "proof and pay"... but id really be skeptical. If the school doesn't state its accredited by the department of ed and college for higher ed (or at the very LEAST, accreditation in the field you wish to work by a major agency/association)... it might as well be any person who is willing to take your money to give you "credentials" that doesn't stand up to the rigors of a real degree.
for ex... if you get a degree online (with real legit classwork) from univ of phoenix or kaplan univ in nursing, the commission on collegiate nursing education will recognize this advanced degree. If you apply for a job, your proof of educational exp. Is legit.
in the research institutions and the educational settings where I worked, it wasn't enough to claim you had a degree. You needed proof, often with transcripts. If you cannot provide a track record, you aren't likely to get past any HR person worth their weight.
If you choose to go with the scams, well... you roll the dice. If the HR person doesn't perform due diligence and questions the institution, then maybe you can get away with it.
let me put it this way... when I received my first bach. Degree in college, I had done, according to my supervising professor, graduate level work in research. Presented at national conferences. Blah blah blah. He lobbied the school to let me obtain a master's based on work done... under a professor at the school... five five years of academic proof (and bills) to lend support.
the school said "no"... why? It isn't in any schools best interest to devalue the degree. Sure... I believe there are people well qualified in some areas that can run laps around a degreed person... my mother has a HS ed and can beat the pants off most bachelor degree bio majors concerning medical care based on her life exp.
but she's never going to get an undergrad degree without taking classes and paying tuition.
the only place where id see this might be reasonably possible would be tied to computer sciences... where a person could show certification, take tests, etc... but the advanced degree is something all accredited school take seriously... passing it out to people without formal educational training (but with cash to spend) weakens the institutions existence. Its not in their best interest.
so... I'm open to the idea that education has changed and businesses are accepting different paths to determine proper experience. When I began teaching, online courses were fairly new, and many profs were wary of online classes. Now... most every major offers at least some distance learning as part of their program.
with the email solicitations, id expect to receive a "degree" that isn't accepted by most field related accreditation councils, and id worry that when throwing your money at them, you just gave away your personal financial information.
I in too much debt for my bachelor and masters. I want to go back to school for a PHD but the problem is I don't want to pay for all of it. Are there programs where I can get the phd for free or half the price. Also I been wanting to teach online school for a while now and can't seem to find a job as a professor. Please can someone help?
Hi, jbusiness1981!
This is the old thread of someone else that is now archived and so not generally visible unless someone happens to go directly to the forum topic area.
If you would like for your question to get noticed the most, it would be best for you to start a new thread.
Thanks!
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:15 AM. |