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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
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| Feb 18 2008, 6:37 PM EST (current) | JohnMSmart | 197 words added, 2 words deleted |
| Feb 18 2008, 5:25 PM EST | JohnMSmart | 5 words added, 1 word deleted |
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Overview:
By our count there are nine MS and four PhD programs in Futures Studies / Strategic Foresight globally. See our List of Global FS Programs. The programs on this list are a primary futures studies community that needs to be connected and supported by our network.
At the same time, for many of those in this community who already have MS degrees, there is a need for an affordable, low-residency (mostly(defined distance-based)here as mostly distance-based, with weeklong or less residentials, not summer residency) Futures Studies PhD option (three to six years typically) that can be done while working full time in one's current job and that has regular or adjunct faculty who have experience in Primary Futures Studies areas.
About twenty futurists in our network have expressed interest in taking such a program to date. We have at present discovered four universities where informal (no specific futures-track information yet on their websites) low-residency futures PhD programs may be done. These are:
We've also found one with a brief formal mention of the distance PhD:
U.S. Low-Residency or No-Residency (Distance) PhDs
(With No Known Futures Affiliation)
Finally, there are a number of other distance and low-residency PhD programs available in the US, accredited by one of the "Top Six" accrediting agencies, that would also be good options for the working professional. Unfortunately, these have no known affiliation with academic or professional futurists (let us know if otherwise). Good degree choicesmight beEducation (PhD,Ed.D), for academic futurists, or Business (Ph.D.,DBA) for professional futurists.
These programs typically range in cost from $30,000 to $60,000, and often your employer will pay a portion of the tuition. Here is a comparison of doctoral costs for the Ed.D program for some of these.
Leading US Low-Residency or Distance Universities To Consider:
Argosy University ($47,000)
Capella University ($43,000)
Fielding Graduate University ($47,000)
Northcentral University ($30,000)
Nova Southeastern University ($34,000)
Union Institute and University ($70,000)
University of Phoenix ($45,000)
Walden University ($34,000 to $46,000)
A 2006 comparison of some of these:Doctoral Studies by the Internet
Of these, Fielding and University of Phoenix seem particularly distingished. Union Institute's PhD inInterdisciplinary Studies is particularly customizable.
We'll post more on these and other programs here as we find out more about them (and you are encouraged to do the same).
Such a program would be particularly desirable for:
1. Academics who presently have MS's in futures studies (or other disciplines) and want to go further with their education in an affordable manner,
2. Professional futurists and other future-oriented practitioners who want an advanced credential in futures studies while working full-time in their day jobs.
Those with a Futures Studies PhD have greater academic and professional clout.
Some specific advantages for those who obtain the low-residency FS PhD:
Usefulness and Limits of the Low-Residency PhD.
It is true that a low-residency degree from an accredited university may not grant you access to a top research university, unless that university already has a futures department or center (and few do). But such degrees will work very well for adjunct positions in all but the most exclusive universities, community colleges, private colleges (University of Phoenix, etc), technical colleges, etc. It is true that you will be less competitive (meaning you'll have to bring other things to the table) if you are applying for full-time or associate positions with these degrees, even in non-research universities, but not for part-time or adjunct positions, especially if you are willing to develop curriculum (and there is much open courseware futures content available now for the shaping). In particular, for working professionals interested in adjunct positions, not at the top research universities, a low-residency terminal degree from an accredited university is a perfectly fine credential.
Importance of Empirical Research (Original or Applied) in Your PhD
Most low-residency PhD degrees from accredited universities require the student to do some original or applied empirical research as part of the degree, but a few do not. If you are doing the low-residency option, it will serve you best to do a PhD that requires empirical research, either original research, as with most PhDs, or applied research based onexisting theory, as with many DBAs (Doctors of Bus. Admin), rather than a thesis based solely on discourse, rhetoric, argument, professional practice, or any other path that does not require the use of modern research methods. We'll list only programs here that allow empirical research as part of the degree (though they may not all require this). We encourage all low residency PhD students to take that path, for their own future benefit.
Proposed Ideal Low Residency Futures Studies PhD Program Structure
One example of what we think would be very helpful for our profession (please let us know your thoughts on this) is a program represented formally, in a public web page, with the following characteristics:
Marketing a Low-Residency FS/SF PhD Program
We haven't begun to publicize this option in our community, as such a program isn't available yet. But the futures community is small enough to be easily networked, and our nonprofit, ASF, has begun to do so. The World Future Society has over 25,000 members. There are over 2,000+ students and alumni of the existing global futures studies programs, most of them only MS, not PhD students. Our Global Futures Network already has over 700 members, many of which who would be interested in this. Shaping Tomorrow's Foresight Network has over 700 members. The Association of Professional Futurists has over 300 members. The World Futures Studies Federation has roughly 300 members.
We'd love to actively promote this educational option to all the folks in these and other communities as soon as it becomes available.
By our count there are nine MS and four PhD programs in Futures Studies / Strategic Foresight globally. See our List of Global FS Programs. The programs on this list are a primary futures studies community that needs to be connected and supported by our network.
At the same time, for many of those in this community who already have MS degrees, there is a need for an affordable, low-residency (mostly(defined distance-based)here as mostly distance-based, with weeklong or less residentials, not summer residency) Futures Studies PhD option (three to six years typically) that can be done while working full time in one's current job and that has regular or adjunct faculty who have experience in Primary Futures Studies areas.
About twenty futurists in our network have expressed interest in taking such a program to date. We have at present discovered four universities where informal (no specific futures-track information yet on their websites) low-residency futures PhD programs may be done. These are:
- Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds, UK)
- Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane, Australia)
- University of Manchester (Manchester, UK)
- University of the Sunshine Coast (Sunshine Coast, Australia)
We've also found one with a brief formal mention of the distance PhD:
- University of Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
U.S. Low-Residency or No-Residency (Distance) PhDs
(With No Known Futures Affiliation)
Finally, there are a number of other distance and low-residency PhD programs available in the US, accredited by one of the "Top Six" accrediting agencies, that would also be good options for the working professional. Unfortunately, these have no known affiliation with academic or professional futurists (let us know if otherwise). Good degree choicesmight beEducation (PhD,Ed.D), for academic futurists, or Business (Ph.D.,DBA) for professional futurists.
These programs typically range in cost from $30,000 to $60,000, and often your employer will pay a portion of the tuition. Here is a comparison of doctoral costs for the Ed.D program for some of these.
Leading US Low-Residency or Distance Universities To Consider:
Argosy University ($47,000)
Capella University ($43,000)
Fielding Graduate University ($47,000)
Northcentral University ($30,000)
Nova Southeastern University ($34,000)
Union Institute and University ($70,000)
University of Phoenix ($45,000)
Walden University ($34,000 to $46,000)
A 2006 comparison of some of these:Doctoral Studies by the Internet
Of these, Fielding and University of Phoenix seem particularly distingished. Union Institute's PhD inInterdisciplinary Studies is particularly customizable.
We'll post more on these and other programs here as we find out more about them (and you are encouraged to do the same).
Such a program would be particularly desirable for:
1. Academics who presently have MS's in futures studies (or other disciplines) and want to go further with their education in an affordable manner,
2. Professional futurists and other future-oriented practitioners who want an advanced credential in futures studies while working full-time in their day jobs.
Those with a Futures Studies PhD have greater academic and professional clout.
Some specific advantages for those who obtain the low-residency FS PhD:
a. higher pay (vs. MS holders) as part-time instructors
b. access to better universities (vs. MS holders) to teach FS as part-time faculty
c. the option to pursue full-time faculty positions and to start FS MS programs
d. the ability to advance and ground the methodology of the FS field
e. more respect and better pay in the business and professional world
Finding, networking, and supporting the further development of all accredited instances of such degrees seems a high-value strategy for the continued development of the global futures community.b. access to better universities (vs. MS holders) to teach FS as part-time faculty
c. the option to pursue full-time faculty positions and to start FS MS programs
d. the ability to advance and ground the methodology of the FS field
e. more respect and better pay in the business and professional world
Usefulness and Limits of the Low-Residency PhD.
It is true that a low-residency degree from an accredited university may not grant you access to a top research university, unless that university already has a futures department or center (and few do). But such degrees will work very well for adjunct positions in all but the most exclusive universities, community colleges, private colleges (University of Phoenix, etc), technical colleges, etc. It is true that you will be less competitive (meaning you'll have to bring other things to the table) if you are applying for full-time or associate positions with these degrees, even in non-research universities, but not for part-time or adjunct positions, especially if you are willing to develop curriculum (and there is much open courseware futures content available now for the shaping). In particular, for working professionals interested in adjunct positions, not at the top research universities, a low-residency terminal degree from an accredited university is a perfectly fine credential.
Importance of Empirical Research (Original or Applied) in Your PhD
Most low-residency PhD degrees from accredited universities require the student to do some original or applied empirical research as part of the degree, but a few do not. If you are doing the low-residency option, it will serve you best to do a PhD that requires empirical research, either original research, as with most PhDs, or applied research based onexisting theory, as with many DBAs (Doctors of Bus. Admin), rather than a thesis based solely on discourse, rhetoric, argument, professional practice, or any other path that does not require the use of modern research methods. We'll list only programs here that allow empirical research as part of the degree (though they may not all require this). We encourage all low residency PhD students to take that path, for their own future benefit.
Proposed Ideal Low Residency Futures Studies PhD Program Structure
One example of what we think would be very helpful for our profession (please let us know your thoughts on this) is a program represented formally, in a public web page, with the following characteristics:
1. Offers a Futures Studies / Strategic Foresight track of their (Business, Strategy, Policy, Education, Sociology, Communications, or other Departments) PhD. This track can be done by working with adjunct/affiliate faculty and/or dissertation committee members that specifically have futures studies PhDs, publishing professional futurists, and pubishing future-oriented academics from a number of postsecondary specialties. The program would briefly list the FS dissertation domains (FS methods and subject areas) that would be well-supported in the FS track.
2. Lists additional admissions prerequisites to the FS track that would minimize the educational overhead for these programs and guarantee the quality of the graduates. Ideally a distance PhD in FS would be for mature, self-motivated individuals who are already somewhat established academic, business, or institutional futurists. Entrants might have any of the following:
3. Lists an Alumni Council (volunteer based) that is available by email to help the incoming FS PhD students. I believe a number of global FS PhD alumni would be interested in participating, if asked. Ideally the program would also list the already completed futures graduates of their existing programs, if any, and a brief outline of their dissertations.
4. Encourages program students to publish in and cite the existing Primary Futures Studies / Strategic Foresight journals as part of the PhD requirements. There are at least twelve of these journals (and many more related journals), but these core FS journals are still "silos waiting to be networked" according to Clem Bezold, who has been on the editorial committees of several of them. Ideally examples of primary and secondary FS/SF journals would be listed on the program web page, further promoting the field to the prospective student.
a. A Masters from one of the recognized Futures Studies MS programs
b. Two or more years of futures studies or professional futures publications (sole author or as part of a team).
c. Two or more years of experience as a business or institutional futurist (with references to validate).
3. Lists an Alumni Council (volunteer based) that is available by email to help the incoming FS PhD students. I believe a number of global FS PhD alumni would be interested in participating, if asked. Ideally the program would also list the already completed futures graduates of their existing programs, if any, and a brief outline of their dissertations.
4. Encourages program students to publish in and cite the existing Primary Futures Studies / Strategic Foresight journals as part of the PhD requirements. There are at least twelve of these journals (and many more related journals), but these core FS journals are still "silos waiting to be networked" according to Clem Bezold, who has been on the editorial committees of several of them. Ideally examples of primary and secondary FS/SF journals would be listed on the program web page, further promoting the field to the prospective student.
Marketing a Low-Residency FS/SF PhD Program
We haven't begun to publicize this option in our community, as such a program isn't available yet. But the futures community is small enough to be easily networked, and our nonprofit, ASF, has begun to do so. The World Future Society has over 25,000 members. There are over 2,000+ students and alumni of the existing global futures studies programs, most of them only MS, not PhD students. Our Global Futures Network already has over 700 members, many of which who would be interested in this. Shaping Tomorrow's Foresight Network has over 700 members. The Association of Professional Futurists has over 300 members. The World Futures Studies Federation has roughly 300 members.
We'd love to actively promote this educational option to all the folks in these and other communities as soon as it becomes available.
