Texas Tech University
Program Delivers Doctorate From A Distance
Ruben Salda�a admits that, had he looked hard enough, he probably could have found an educational program to suit his needs in his hometown of El Paso. But options were limited and the lure of earning a doctoral degree from two world-renowned agricultural universities without having to relocate was hard to pass up.
�That appealed to me,� he says.
This innovative partnership allowed Salda�a, a county extension director for the Texas Cooperative Extension, to earn a doctorate of education degree while continuing to further his career at home.
The �Doc at a Distance� program, offered through Texas Tech�s Department of Agricultural Education and Communications in conjunction with Texas A&M University, was created for mid-career agricultural educators and communicators who are looking to enhance their skills or increase their marketability.
The four-year program includes 64 semester hours of courses taught using the Internet. Students like Salda�a have access to top-notch professors and to coursework that he described as high quality, well-sequenced and relevant.
Additionally, the collaboration between Tech and A&M provides students with the nation�s largest pool of faculty in agricultural communications, says Matt Baker, chairman for Texas Tech�s Department of Agricultural Education and Communications.
�Nobody else is doing this in our discipline,� he says.
Another benefit: The students get first-hand experience with distance education, which is becoming more widespread and popular as technology improves and becomes more prevalent.
�These people have really become experts in distance delivery by being students in this program,� Baker says.
The program�s first cohort graduated in 2004. Since then, it has expanded to include students from as far away as Indiana and Montana. The research and dissertations of students have been recognized by national education and communications associations, and Baker hopes to begin recruiting from as far away as Canada and Mexico.
The program will accept applications for its third cohort � slated to begin classes in August, 2006 � by the beginning of September, 2005.
Texas Tech offers a variety of distance learning and off-campus instructional opportunities � including K-12, bachelor's and master's degree programs � through a number of colleges. A doctorate of philosophy degree in technical communication and rhetoric is also available.
More information on the Doc at a Distance program can be found at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/aged/DDII.htm.