Interested in a distance doctorate information systems doctoral degree via distance from a regionally accredited brick and mortar university that has been around since 1881?
Dakota State University’s Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Information Systems via distance learning is your only option!
Note: I am currently working on the D.Sc. at DSU. I like this program and hope tons of people choose it….but I will try to be partial with the review.
Dakota State (DSU) is a regionally accredited non-profit brick-and-mortar university offering one doctorate degree online and on-campus: the Doctor of Science in Information Systems degree.
Accreditation
DSU is a regionally accredited university with accreditation received from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC). The NCA-HLC is a recognized body by the US Department of Education and Council on Higher Education. DSU has been a regionally accredited university since 1961 (not sure what status was prior to that). You can see the CHEA listing of Dakota State University’s accredited status here and the NCA-HLC accreditation listing here.
DSU also lists the following accreditation for their graduate degrees (note the ACBSP Accreditation, which is a positive for DSU’s graduate programs for people earning Business & MIS degrees).
- National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
- Division of Education of the South Dakota Department of Education and Cultural Affairs
- Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
- State Approving Agency as programs eligible for veterans benefits
- Commission on Accreditation of the Allied Health Education Programs
- Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
- Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatic and Information Management Education
- American Health Information Management Association
- Service Members Opportunity College
Program Delivery & Requirements
The DSU Doctor of Science degree is actually a combined program with on-campus and online students taking the same courses and performing the same type of work.
For those students taking courses externally / online, the program is delivered using an asynchronous mode via a platform called Desire2Learn. The course delivery is similar to many other online programs with discussion boards, instructor videos and submittal mechanisms for coursework and exams. Many courses are a combined delivery method with on-campus students attending a lecture which is then videotaped and shared with distance students.
The Dakota State D.Sc. has the following requirements (see full requirements):
The program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis, with classes offered in three academic terms: fall, spring, and summer. Overall, the program requirements for the D.Sc. in Information Systems include a total of 88 semester credit hours:
- 63 credit hours of graduate course work:
- 27 credit hours of masters-level Information Systems (MSIS) which may be waived for students with an MSIS degree
- 9 credit hours of research methods
- 27 credit hours of research specialization including research seminars, and core and elective courses
- Screening examination
- Qualifying portfolio
- 25 credit hours of dissertation work
The qualifying portfolio is used to push students toward writing articles, teaching and performing other activities to prepare the student for a career in academia after finishing the program.
Tuition / Fees
The DSU distance doctorate program is quite inexpensive when compared to others. For distance students who aren’t South Dakota Residents, the fee is $343.75 per hour. For South Dakota residents taking courses on campus., the fee is $151.30 per credit hour…that’s a great rate.
For someone without a Masters degree in Information Systems taking the course online, the program would cost ~ $30K. If you already have a MSIS, the program would cost ~$17.5K.
This is one of the best deals out there in doctoral distance education.
Feedback from Current Students & Alumni
This is one of those easy ones…since I’m a student at DSU.
I’ve been a student at DSU since mid-2007 and have been completely happy with my choice of this program. The professors have all been top-notch with many of them coming from Top Tier schools (e.g., University of Arizona – a great program for Information Systems).
I have heard a few reports from students of a professor with very negative reports on one particular course. Those reports are in the minority and other students have mentioned to me that the professor in question is quite good in other courses.
Many of the students that I’ve had the pleasure of working with have been extremely smart, well educated and very driven to make it through this program.
I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting or talking with any Alumni yet but I do know of at least three doctoral students who have completed their degree since I started.
Usefulness of the Degree(s)
I believe the DSU D.Sc. is a great degree for anyone looking to move into (or stay) in the world of consulting and is even an excellent degree for practitioners as the program is focused on real-world usage of technology and theories.
The degree might hold some merit in academia if one were to earn it and, along with a good set of publications and experience, it might work as a credential to obtain a job in a smaller university / college. I don’t think the degree will open any doors at upper tier universities, but you never know what the future may bring. Put together an amazing streak of publications and become well known and this doctorate + that exposure might be enough to land a full-time gig at a Tier 1 University…but I don’t think you should bet your future on it.
Final Thoughts
The Dakota State University Doctor of Science program is an excellent program. It’s a regionally accredited doctorate from a brick-and-mortar university that’s been around since 1881.
If you’re looking for a doctorate degree in information systems from a school with a long history and delivered 100% online, check out Dakota State’s D.Sc. program.
For more information check out the DSU Graduate program website.
