what is the shortest dissertation

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What is the shortest Ph.D. thesis? [closed]

The question is self-explanatory, but I want to make some remarks in order to prevent the responses from going off into undesirable directions.

It seems that every few years I hear someone ask this question; it seems to hold a perennial fascination for research mathematicians, just as quests for short proofs do. The trouble is that it has strong urban-legend tendencies: someone will say, "So-and-so's thesis was only $\epsilon$ pages long!" where $\epsilon \ll 1$ . It will often be very difficult to confirm or disconfirm such claims, since Ph.D. theses are often not even published, let alone readily available online. If you Google around for a while, as I did, you will find many dubious leads and can easily waste a lot of time on wild goose chases. Frankly, I'm a bit fed up with this state of affairs. I am therefore asking this question on MO in the hope that doing so will put this old question to rest, or at least establish provable upper bounds.

I would therefore request that you set yourself a high standard before replying. Don't post a candidate unless you're sure your facts are correct, and please give some indication why you're so sure. Read the meta discussion before posting. (Note that the meta discussion illustrates that even a MathSciNet citation isn't always totally definitive.) Include information about the content and circumstances of the thesis if you know it, but resist the temptation to gossip or speculate.

I'm not making this question community wiki or big-list because it should ideally have a definite answer, though I grant that it's possible that there are some borderline cases out there (perhaps there are theses that were not written in scholarly good faith, or documents that some people would regard as equivalent to a Ph.D. thesis but that others would not, or theses in subjects that are strictly speaking distinct from mathematics but that are arguably indistinguishable from mathematics dissertations).

Finally, to anticipate a possible follow-up question, there is a list of short published papers here (search for "Nelson"). Note that the question of the shortest published paper is not as urban-legendy because the facts are easier to verify. I looked up the short papers listed there myself and found them to be quite interesting. So in addition to trying to settle an urban legend, I am hoping that this question will bring to light some interesting and lesser known mathematics.

• ho.history-overview
• 9 $\begingroup$ I think it really should be CW. It makes no sense to me that the shorter the proposed candidate, the more reputation the proposer will get. It will also lower the temptation for people to post gossipy stuff. $\endgroup$ –  Alex B. Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 15:31
• 3 $\begingroup$ The only reasonable interpretation of the question is extremely short theses in general, because there is more than one measure of the length of a thesis. Moreover in some cases it's debatable whether a particular document really is a thesis or the full thesis. It realy should be CW. $\endgroup$ –  Greg Kuperberg Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 15:40
• 3 $\begingroup$ How would you like to count? Do all the cover pages, table of contents, abstract, etc. count? How about references? Or do you begin with the introduction and only include the content? $\endgroup$ –  Noah Stein Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:33
• 5 $\begingroup$ -1. This question is terrible. I'm sure I could reformat my thesis in a silly font size to make it have a ludicrously small number of pages. $\endgroup$ –  Peter McNamara Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 19:50
• 8 $\begingroup$ @Peter McNamara: you probably could, but I'm pretty certain that this is not the issue being discussed here. Anyway, most universities have specific formatting standards and would not let you submit it in this form. $\endgroup$ –  Thierry Zell Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 20:05

9 Answers 9

David Rector's thesis ("An Unstable Adams Spectral Sequence", MIT 1966) is 9 pages, according to the record at the MIT library . I haven't seen the actual thesis for many years, but I'm pretty the actual mathematical content takes about 3 pages total, and is largely identical to the published version in Topology (1966, same title, doi link: https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-9383(66)90025-5 ), which is 3 pages plus bibliography. (Dan Kan, his advisor, likes short papers.)

• 2 $\begingroup$ Probably not a coincidence. $\endgroup$ –  Tyler Lawson Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 20:25
• 3 $\begingroup$ Accepted provisionally. Enough people seem instinctively annoyed at this question that it seems likely to be closed soon (despite the fact that I'm asking it on MO in order to prevent its proliferation elsewhere). It doesn't seem likely that a stronger candidate will emerge before then. Ideally I'd like to examine the thesis myself before accepting the answer but I don't feel like purchasing it and it may be a while before my next trip to Boston. $\endgroup$ –  Timothy Chow Commented Feb 9, 2011 at 15:56
• 4 $\begingroup$ Aside from the library copy, there should be a slightly more accessible copy in the MIT Math reading room. (They used to keep copies of theses there, and I assume they still do.) Maybe somebody reading this could wander down the hall and take a look. :) $\endgroup$ –  Charles Rezk Commented Feb 9, 2011 at 18:55
• 31 $\begingroup$ I'm in the reading room now. Rector's thesis comprises a title page, an abstract page, a table of contents page, 7 pages of math, a bibliography page (8 refs.), and a biographical note page. The MIT library record's "9 leaves" exclude the title/abstract/contents, which are not numbered. Except for some trivial changes in wording in the intro, the mathematical part is indeed identical to the 4-page Topology paper, vol. 5 (1966), 343-346. The thesis occupies more space since it's manually typed; not including section titles, the 4 sections are respectively 18, 23, 42, and 36 typewritten lines. $\endgroup$ –  Timothy Chow Commented Aug 19, 2011 at 18:44
• $\begingroup$ 119 typewritten lines! $\endgroup$ –  David Roberts ♦ Commented Oct 14, 2022 at 10:53

John Nash's thesis was 26 pages, and had two references in the bibliography.

Edmund Landau's thesis was 13 pages long.

• $\begingroup$ There is an English translation here: arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0803/0803.3787v2.pdf That document is 17 pages (including title page, etc.). $\endgroup$ –  Zach N Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 18:06
• 2 $\begingroup$ For a link to a scanned version of Landau's thesis see here gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/dms/load/img/?PPN=PPN317979566 The document has 18 pages, of which 2 are completely empty, indeed the catalogue of the libraries of Berlin gives 16 pages as lengths. (the French national library catalogue gives 18). Moreover, one page is a title page, one is a dedication, and one is a vita. So, depending on what one actually counts, 18, 16, or 13. According to library catalogues 16 or 18. $\endgroup$ –  user9072 Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 18:15

I believe the shortest PhD thesis is of Burt Totaro "Milnor K-theory is the simplest part of algebraic K-theory", 12 pages.

Milnor K-theory is the simplest part of algebraic K-theory, Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley, 1989; published as: K-Theory 6 (1992), 177-189 ( Portico archived version ).

Burt Totaro's webpage at Cambridge , including a pdf of the published version .

• 1 $\begingroup$ its complete thesis. I gave two references here, Milnor K-theory is the simplest part of algebraic K-theory, Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley, 1989 and K-Theory 6 (1992), 177-189 $\endgroup$ –  J Verma Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 17:43
• 2 $\begingroup$ I noticed, but the reference to the actual thesis does not have a page numbers (and it is somewhat surprising that the number of pages did not change from the thesis to K-theory's format) :) $\endgroup$ –  Mariano Suárez-Álvarez Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 17:45
• 17 $\begingroup$ Totaro's 1989 thesis is titled "K-theory and algebraic cycles" and, according to ProQuest, is 20 pages. If your university library subscribes to ProQuest, you can see a PDF preview of the thesis by searching for "Totaro, Burt" in the Dissertations and Theses database. $\endgroup$ –  Zach N Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 18:02
• 4 $\begingroup$ You can download it on mathscinet. It has 16 numbered pages, incl. 1 page of bibliography. Definitions start on page 1 though, not much of an introduction. $\endgroup$ –  fherzig Commented Feb 9, 2011 at 2:58
• 1 $\begingroup$ I downloaded the thesis from ProQuest. It comprises a signature page, a title page, an abstract page, an epigram page, 15 pages of (TeXed) math, and a bibliography page. Short, but not as short as David Rector's thesis. $\endgroup$ –  Timothy Chow Commented Aug 19, 2011 at 19:00

This is not really an answer because these PhD's were never actually written, but anyway: in his book A mathematicians miscellany (in the chapter on math with minimum raw material) Littlewood gave 2 examples that could have been 2-line PhDs:

(1) Cayley's projective definition of length

(2)Theorem: An integral function never 0 or 1 is a constant. Proof: $\exp(i\Omega(f(z)))$ is a bounded integral function. ($\Omega$ is inverse to the elliptic modular function.)

• 3 $\begingroup$ Richard, perhaps you overlooked that Gerry Myerson already gave this example on the meta discussion? $\endgroup$ –  Timothy Chow Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 15:53
• 19 $\begingroup$ I don't think it is reasonable to expect people to have read all the meta discussion before posting on a regular thread. This is a sort of fluff question, so it doesn't matter much, but in general I think it should be fine to repost answers from meta, so that the main thread has the most complete record of answers to the question. $\endgroup$ –  David E Speyer Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:52
• 7 $\begingroup$ While I agree with David Speyer in general, I also do not think this should have been posted as an answer to this particular question, given the questioner's emphasis on restricting the scope of the question. $\endgroup$ –  Charles Staats Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 17:27
• 6 $\begingroup$ @David: I too would agree that in general it’s not reasonable to expect people to read meta discussions on questions before answering them. But this question specifically asks us to, and gives good reasons for it. $\endgroup$ –  Peter LeFanu Lumsdaine Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 20:18
• $\begingroup$ (2) is a trivial corollary of Picard's little theorem. $\endgroup$ –  tst Commented Jun 13, 2017 at 3:06

I already posted this on meta where there was some discussion of whether the page count was correct. My guess is that it is, so I will post it here too:

MR2615548 Martens, Henrik Herman Buvik A NEW PROOF OF TORELLI'S THEOREM. Thesis (Ph.D.)–New York University. 1962. 12 pp.

• 8 $\begingroup$ Compared to that, the thesis of his student Kristian Seip was a massive tome, weighing in at 30 pages. $\endgroup$ –  Harald Hanche-Olsen Commented Feb 9, 2011 at 7:56

Kurt Gödel seems to be a good candidate for this "prize".

Let me quote from this review (see Page 74) of Kurt Gödel Collected Works.

The first three works of Godel in this volume are his dissertation of 1929 ( twenty-one pages in English ), a revised and substantially abbreviated version (eleven pages in English) published in 1930, and a brief abstract based on a presentation of Godel's results in Konigsberg on 6 September 1930. Of all of Godel's longer, published writings, his dissertation has been, until now, the most difficult to obtain, and is here translated for the first time into English, by Stefan Bauer-Mengelberg and van Heijenoort.

• 3 $\begingroup$ The original version of his thesis seems to have 33 pages; see permalink.obvsg.at/AC05181322 (the number next to "Umfangsangabe") $\endgroup$ –  user9072 Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:59
• 2 $\begingroup$ I cannot say anything about the original version (my German skills are null, not almost null). But I have just checked my copy of the Collected Works (unfortunately I have not found any online library to link), and in pages 60-101 we can find Godel's dissertation (even pages match German, while odd ones match English). Thus, the description "21 pages in English" is accurate. $\endgroup$ –  boumol Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 17:14
• 1 $\begingroup$ I did not want to imply your claim was not accurate. Only, as I understand the question, it is about the actual document the person submitted as a thesis. Thus, I supplemented this information, documenting it by the link to the entry of Goedels thesis in the joint library catalogue of Austrian (academic) libraries. It specifies title, author, year, lengths (that's the Umfangsangabe, S. abbreviates 'Seiten' i.e. pages), the type of document (thesis of University of Vienna (Wien)), and finally the specific libraries where it can be found. $\endgroup$ –  user9072 Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 17:48

According to mathscinet, Eva Kallin's thesis was 14 pages.

• 3 $\begingroup$ This is promising, but as the question mentions and the meta thread shows, MathSciNet alone is not an authoritative reference. More documentation? $\endgroup$ –  Peter LeFanu Lumsdaine Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 20:12

Barry Mazur's thesis on the proof of the Schoenflies conjecture (and introducing the method of infinite repetition in topology) is 5 pages long.

• 4 $\begingroup$ According to "Mathematical apocrypha redux" by Krantz, Mazur's thesis was 26 pages long. $\endgroup$ –  Michael Greinecker Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:22
• 2 $\begingroup$ Mathscinet says his thesis is 30 pages. $\endgroup$ –  Jaikrishnan Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:26
• 70 $\begingroup$ Well, it may not be the shortest but it surelyt appears to have the most variable number of pages! $\endgroup$ –  Mariano Suárez-Álvarez Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:42
• 17 $\begingroup$ Let's please heed Timothy's call to do one's homework carefully. "Don't post a candidate unless you're sure your facts are correct, and please give some indication why you're so sure. Read the meta discussion before posting." $\endgroup$ –  Todd Trimble Commented Feb 8, 2011 at 16:47
• $\begingroup$ Yikes. I had never looked at the thesis, but just the published version in the Bulletin of the AMS which is 5 pages long. $\endgroup$ –  Victor Miller Commented Feb 23, 2011 at 22:12

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How long is a PhD dissertation? [Data by field]

The final piece of the PhD journey is the PhD dissertation. It takes many years to accumulate enough original and new data to fill out a dissertation to the satisfaction of experts in your field. Interestingly, the PhD dissertation length and content vary significantly based on the field you are studying and the publishing conventions.

A PhD can be anywhere from 50 pages to over 450 pages long. This equates to between about 20,000 words to 100,000 words. Most PhD theses are between 60,000 and 80,000 words long excluding contents, citations and references.

A PhD thesis contains different sections including an introduction, methods, results and discussion, conclusions, further work, and references. Each one of these different sections will vary in length depending on the field of study and your particular topic.

Ultimately, a PhD dissertation should contain as many pages and words as it takes to communicate the results of your multi-year investigation.

It is very rewarding to see your thesis come together as you are writing day after day. When I was writing my PhD dissertation I wrote the sections separately and my heart filled with joy when I finally put them all together and compile them into a single PDF document.

Counting the pages should not be the way to determine a PhD dissertation’s value but it certainly helps when your thesis is starting to look substantial in thickness.

How many pages should a PhD dissertation be?

A PhD dissertation should contain as many pages and words as it takes to outline the current state of your field and provide adequate background information, present your results, and provide confidence in your conclusions. A PhD dissertation will also contain figures, graphs, schematics, and other large pictorial items that can easily inflate the page count.

Here is a boxplot summary of many different fields of study and the number of pages of a typical PhD dissertation in the field. It has been created by Marcus Beck from all of the dissertations at the University of Minnesota.

Typically, the mathematical sciences, economics, and biostatistics theses and dissertations tend to be shorter because they rely on mathematical formulas to provide proof of their results rather than diagrams and long explanations.

On the other end of the scale, English, communication studies, political science, history and anthropology are often the largest theses in terms of pages and word count because of the number of words it takes to provide proof and depth of their results.

At the end of the day, it is important that your thesis gets signed off by your review committee and other experts in the field. Your supervisor will be the main judge of whether or not your dissertation is capable of satisfying the requirements of a PhD in your field.

If you want to know more about how long a Masters’s thesis and PhD dissertation is you can check out my other articles:

• How Long is a Masters Thesis? [Your writing guide]
• How long is a Thesis or dissertation? [the data]

Can a PhD dissertation be too long?

A PhD thesis should contain enough evidence and discussion to report on the most significant findings of your PhD research.

A PhD dissertation should not contain everything that you have done during your PhD. It should only include the data and information required to convince your PhD examining body that wraps up and tells the full story of particular lines of investigation.

Including random results, thoughts, or superfluous explanation can result in a dissertation that is unfocused. I have heard of music PhD is being described as too verbose and physical sciences PhD dissertations as being unfocused.

Therefore, a PhD thesis can be too long if the information it contains does not form a full and cohesive story.

One of my colleagues during their PhD removed an entire chapter from the thesis after writing it as the supervisor said that it needed more experiments to be a full story. They did not want to spend the next six months gathering the data and simply removed the chapter altogether.

How short can PhD dissertation be?

The shortest PhD dissertations are typically found in mathematics.

George Bernard Danzig was an American mathematical scientist who made contributions to industrial engineering and many other mathematical-related fields. An interesting miscommunication led to 1 of the shortest PhD theses ever.

In 1939 his professor wrote two problems on the blackboard and Danzig thought they were homeless assignments. He stated that they were harder than usual but handed in solutions to the surprise of the professor.

They were, in fact, open mathematical problems in statistics.

His professor said to bind the solution to the two problems together and submit them as his thesis – the total thesis length = 14 pages.

Obviously, most PhD theses and dissertations will be so much longer than that!

My PhD dissertation was 256 pages long. It was full of schematics, diagrams, and tables to demonstrate and communicate my findings.

I would say that most people’s PhD thesis experience will be closer to mine than Prof George Bernard Danzig’s.

Why PhD dissertations are typically so long

PhD dissertations are often over 200 pages long.

One of the primary reasons they are so long is that it is a single document that summarises many years of hard work. Also, summarising the research field to date and making sure that all of your references and citations are included so you avoid plagiarism will bolster the word count of the thesis dramatically.

Here are all of the reasons PhD dissertations tend to be so long.

Many years of work

PhD theses or dissertations contain many years of research and analysis.

In many of my YouTube videos I recommend that a PhD student work towards their PhD thesis by doing at least three hours of focused work every work day.

This amount of work quickly adds up.

Of course, not every bit of work makes it into the PhD dissertation but a lot of it does. It can be difficult to work out what to include or leave out of your thesis.

As a PhD student, I perfected the art of turning one experiment into many different types of grafts and schematics to fully explore the limits of my data. The graphs can take up a lot of space in your PhD thesis and, therefore, bolster the page count significantly.

In depth literature review

One of the most substantial parts of a PhD dissertation is the literature review.

The literature review can take up a huge portion of the early part of your PhD dissertation depending on the amount of data and publications in your field.

Writing an in-depth literature review requires just as much meticulous data analysis and searching as the central part of your dissertation.

Figures and schematics

Some fields end up producing a lot of figures and schematics.

My thesis had many full-page figures of atomic force microscopy experiments with much more explanation on subsequent pages.

As they say, a picture paints a thousand words and a dissertation can really benefit from having many schematics to highlight the important aspects of your findings.

References and citations

The recommended PhD dissertation word count from an institution or university does not include citations, references, or other thesis parts such as summary of abbreviations, table of figures, et cetera.

However, these components of your dissertation can take up many pages and add to the overall thickness of your PhD dissertation.

University formatting rules

University formatting rules will also dictate how you many pages your words take up.

I often get roasted on my YouTube channel for having doublespaced lines and wide margins. Unfortunately, this layout was dictated by my university before printing.

PhD dissertations often end up going into long-term storage and therefore, need to adhere to archival and standardised formatting rules.

Deep in the depths of the University of Newcastle, there is a copy of my thesis on a shelf. The formatting and binding rules mean that my thesis looks like everyone else’s.

Universities will often have their own requirements for PhD dissertation cover colour, quality, and type of paper. Even the quality of the paper can change the thickness of the PhD dissertation significantly.

PhD by publication

It is becoming increasingly common to submit a number of peer-reviewed papers bound together with supplementary information in between instead of a PhD dissertation.

The benefits of this to the researcher and university are:

• More early career peer-reviewed journals for career advancement
• an easier review process – they have already been peer-reviewed
• an early focus on publishing means better research outcomes for the researcher, supervisor, and Department.
• No mad rush at the end to finish a thesis
• continually writing peer-reviewed papers throughout your PhD helps with timely analysis and communication of results

Even though this option has been available to PhD students for a number of years, I have only known a handful of students actually submit their PhD via publication.

Nonetheless, having this option will suit some research fields better than others and lead to a more productive PhD.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know about the length of a PhD dissertation and the common lengths of PhD dissertations for various fields.

Ultimately, there is no predefined length of a PhD .

A PhD thesis is as long as it needs to be to convince your examiners that you have contributed significantly enough to an academic field to be awarded the title of Dr of philosophy.

Mathematical and analytical theses tend to be shorter and can be as short as 50 pages (with one of the shortest being only 14 pages long). At the other end of the spectrum, PhD students in anthropology and history tend to produce the longest dissertations.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

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The 20 Shortest Doctoral Programs Available

Find your perfect school.

According to PremiumSchools’ chief editor, Malcolm Peralty, “These speedy doctoral programs are your fast track to becoming a leader in what you love. Dive into a world of valuable knowledge, grab those must-have skills, and step out as the go-to expert in your field. Your shortcut to a successful career is right here, ready and waiting!”

With the rapid innovation of education, many academic institutions offer accelerated or shortest doctoral programs in various academic disciplines. Reputable colleges and universities are known for their state-of-the-art resources and tools, facilities, research works, and funding to support professional students.

The following article has been reviewed by Malcolm Peralty

Quick Summarization of the Shortest Doctoral Programs Available Completing the shortest doctoral program is an important aspect of professional students wanting to advance in the current roles of their profession. Since they come with convenience and flexibility, doctoral programs with shorter lengths allow students to work and study without compromising their obligations. These programs also provide non-traditional doctoral students and career shifters with excellent alternatives, especially those who can’t afford traditional doctoral programs or don’t have the luxury of time to complete their graduate studies.

While doctorate studies are considered the culminating term that marks students’ finale of their academic venture, they often require a lot of discipline, effort, time, and resources to obtain. Doctorate credentials are highly desired for professional students wanting to pursue advanced roles or participate in high research activities.

The 20 Shortest Doctorate Careers and School Selections

Let’s get started!

Doctorate in Psychology/General Psychology

Unlike the traditional equivalent, the online Doctorate in Psychology or Doctorate in General Psychology is one of the shortest doctoral programs available. Instead of completing the 6- to 8-year program, accelerated doctorate in psychology programs can be completed in less than three years.

This online program is a terminal degree that helps professional students understand how people behave and think, covering various specializations, including clinical psychology, health & wellness psychology, sport & performance psychology, and business psychology. 

The online Doctorate in Psychology program is a heavy research-based academic program, emphasizing research and development of analytical and critical thinking proficiencies. Although each school has different study plans, some of the most common sets of coursework include:

• ethics and multicultural issues
• quantitative research methods
• qualitative analysis
• counseling theories
• tests and measurements

Doctoral students should also expect dissertations and practicums to be a part of the doctorate program’s culminating requirements.

Doctoral programs in Psychology help prepare students for numerous career opportunities in consultancy, academia, research, organization, healthcare, and private practices. 

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Psychology:

• Capella University
• The University of Arizona
• Walden University

Doctorate in Behavioral Health

With an average completion period of three years, the Doctorate in Behavioral Health is one of the shortest doctoral programs in psychology. It is designed for licensed, working clinical professionals interested in furthering their education and knowledge, offering holistic medical services to help individuals improve their well-being through behavioral changes. 

Professional students pursuing an online Doctorate in Behavioral Health will receive advanced training and learning opportunities in entrepreneurship, medical literacy, and behavioral interventions. They will learn in-depth how mental health affects their clients’ overall well-being and discover the different approaches to resolving issues through counseling, therapies, behavioral interventions, and other clinical approaches.

Graduates with DBH credentials don’t have licensing requirements. However, they are required to have certifications in the practice of their profession. They also participate in and conduct extensive research studies that highlight the behavioral and mental health aspects. Unlike licensed psychologists and psychiatrists, DBH graduates aren’t allowed to diagnose clients with mental health issues.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Behavioral Health:

• Arizona State University
• Cummings Graduate Institute
• Freed-Hardeman University

Doctorate in Business Administration

Many schools offer a variety of online Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), making it one of the most popular and shortest doctoral programs available. It is a doctorate program that prepares students for management and leadership roles in different organizations within the local and global markets.

The DBA program is ideal for professional students desiring advanced studies for career advancements in business, including government sectors, non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies. Graduates can also work in the academe as professors, deans, and other school administrative roles.

Unlike MBA programs, the Doctorate of Business Administration program has a more exclusive curriculum. Although most schools offer online coursework, some will require in-person residencies during summer terms. Professional students are expected to complete a set of required courses, dissertation work, comprehensive examination, and final defense as part of the program requirements of their DBA programs. 

Many schools also allow students to specialize in their preferred academic discipline, including marketing, management & organizations, leadership, information technology management, accounting, or finance. Students who are more inclined to work in the field of education can also pursue an online Ph.D. in Business Administration, focusing more on research work rather than applied learning.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Business Administration:

• Hampton University (Hybrid)
• National University
• Trident University

Doctor of Nursing Practice

One of the most popular doctoral programs offering fast-tracked learning is the Doctor of Nursing Practice. It is an ideal program for working nurse practitioners, helping them learn more about evidence-based practices.

Through the online Doctor of Nursing Practice program, students will have advanced knowledge of complex decision-making, management, and healthcare practices. Depending on the students’ learning commitments and pace, the online Doctor of Nursing Practice program can be completed within two years on average.

Considered a professional, practice-focused doctorate program, the online Doctor of Nursing Practice program will prepare nursing professionals to be industry leaders who deliver advanced-level nursing care and state-of-the-art healthcare outcomes.

Apart from advanced clinical roles, pursuing the Doctor of Nursing Practice program will help students conduct teaching and research initiatives in higher education. Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates complete a set of coursework that emphasizes healthcare ethics, statistical analysis, organizational social and behavioral policies, and evidence-based research and practice.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctor of Nursing Practice:

• Duquesne University
• The Pennsylvania State University
• The University of Alabama

Doctorate in Management

Completing a Doctorate in Management program is possible in less than three or four years, making it a popular option for professional students who prefer the shortest doctoral programs available. Many schools offer transfer-friendly Doctorate in Management programs that combine highly desirable skills in technology and communication with core technical components of quality research. It is a terminal degree that prepares students for various rewarding professions in the public and private sectors.

Professional students will develop crucial writing and research skills to publish a dissertation throughout the online Doctorate in Management program. Each dissertation of students will highlight their proficiencies to identify a particular area of interest within the modern workplace, test their hypothesis in real-world applications, and develop effective solutions to specific business-related challenges.

Some schools offer a variety of concentrations to choose from implemented into the online Doctorate of Management program, including information technology, human resource management, conflict management, and strategic management.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Management:

• Franklin University
• Indiana State University
• Sullivan University

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Given that the online Doctor of Occupational Therapy program can be completed within 18 to 24 months, it is one of the shortest doctoral programs sought-after by students in the field. It is a post-professional occupational therapy program designed for licensed occupational therapists pursuing advanced skills and expertise applicable in the workplace. 

While most schools offer online doctoral programs in Occupational Therapy, their programs are integrated with on-campus opportunities. They provide students with a space to present their work to various professional audiences, participate in engaging services, and collaborate with professional leaders within the industry.

All courses are evidence-based, advocating a wide spectrum of knowledge of certain topics, including quality improvement, social policy & disability, educational theory & practice, theories of change, and health promotion & wellness.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctor of Occupational Therapy:

• Fairleigh Dickinson University
• University of Pittsburgh

Doctor of Public Administration

Professional students with a Doctor of Public Administration program have earned their doctorate credentials within three to four years. Considered one of the shortest doctorate programs, the DPA program only requires a minimum of 49 credit hours of coursework and dissertation work.

The doctorate program is designed to develop the skills and expertise of innovative leaders who prefer maximizing impact in non-profit, private, and public organizations.

While each university has a unique set of coursework requirements, most online Doctor of Public Administration programs include courses in employment discrimination law, ethics, and social justice, government regulations and administrative law, leadership in public sectors, and introduction to public service management.

Each course is developed to meet the needs of professional students seeking advanced knowledge in addressing unique and complex issues of organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. Developed with a holistic curriculum, the DPA program will highlight the essential components of social service, health management, policy, governance, criminal justice, and business.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctor of Public Administration:

• California Baptist University
• Old Dominion University
• University of Illinois-Springfield

Doctorate in Educational Leadership

The Doctorate of Educational Leadership is primarily designed for working professionals, allowing students to complete their doctorate studies in two years in a full-time learning format. Like the Doctorate in Business Administration, the online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is one of the most popular options for students seeking shorter doctorate programs. 

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program helps prepare innovative leaders who have the knowledge and skill set to oversee complex organizations through uncertain times. While many students assume that the program is only applicable to education, many schools have offered an interdisciplinary doctorate program in Educational Leadership.

Some of the online Doctorate in Educational Leadership offer specializations in Sport Leadership, Special Education Leadership, Nursing Education, Human Resource Development, Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management, Global Education, and Health Communication & Leadership.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership:

• Drexel University
• Louisiana State University
• Spalding University

Doctorate in Public Policy

The Doctorate in Public Policy program is an excellent option for professional students seeking advanced roles in Education and non-profit, public, and government sectors. It is a practitioner-based terminal doctorate program that highlights a set of coursework, developing students’ problem-solving, communication, management, and leadership skills.

With an average completion time of 36 months, the online Doctorate in Public Policy program is considered one of the shortest doctorate programs available. It is an academic doctorate program that builds upon students’ expertise and skills in the development of applied research skills essential for professional students working in public administration.

Although program requirements vary per school, some of the most common include foundational, core and elective courses, writing assessments, residency programs, and dissertation requirements. Some schools also offer a variety of specializations for a Doctorate in Public Policy, including social policy, national security policy, foreign policy, education policy, and economic policy.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Public Policy:

• Liberty University
• Valdosta State University

Doctorate in Social Work

Professional students enrolled in the online Doctorate in Social Work program can receive their degrees in less than three years. It is designed for experienced clinical social workers with diverse professional experience, learning styles, and academic goals.

Through the doctorate program, students will develop characteristics of both scholars and practitioners. They also adopt the disciplinary habits of scholars through different methodological tools and rigorous study.

Regardless of professional background, the Doctorate in Social Work program will prepare students to pursue a variety of social work career pathways. It is a terminal degree with a clinically-driven curriculum, providing students with advanced practice methods and clinical overview essential to succeed.

Given that it is one of the shortest doctorate programs, professional students pursuing the DSW degree will only require a set of coursework and capstone projects. Depending on the nature of their program, some students will complete a leadership practicum and a teaching practicum.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Social Work:

• Simmons University
• University of Louisville
• University of Southern California

Doctor of Theology or Ministry

Design for professional students in religious studies, the Doctor of Theology or Ministry program will provide students with a practice-focused academic degree that focuses on solving real-world ministry or theological problems with advanced research and practice. Many online schools offer a Doctor of Theology or Ministry program that helps equip students with essential skills in the practice of Christianity. 

Many students can already complete their Doctor of Theology or Ministry degree within 24 months, making it one of the shortest doctorate programs in Religious Education.

Students will immerse themselves in an in-depth journey through the New and Old Testaments through the program. It is an academic degree that will help develop students’ skills in bibliographies, theological methodologies, and doctorate-level writing and research.

Students may also choose a concentration in Theology, including Pastoral Theology, Theological Apologetics, Systematic Theology, Biblical Theology, and Church History.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctor of Theology or Ministry:

• Regent University
• Trinity College of the Bible & Theological Seminary

Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Change

Professional students interested in enrolling in one of the shortest doctorate programs available shouldn’t miss the Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Change program. It is an academic program that will prepare students to explore a diverse range of solution-building initiatives for complex social challenges.

As a terminal doctorate, the Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Change program features an extensive research-based study plan. It is a holistic, interdisciplinary program covering organizational behavior, business analytics, research design, statistics, and business methodologies and theories.

Due to the nature of the program, many schools require at least three years of professional experience for students to enroll. After completing the doctorate program, graduates will become effective leaders in various professional settings, including healthcare organizations, academia, non-profits, businesses, and ministries.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Change:

• Adler University
• Vanderbilt University

Doctorate in Healthcare Management or Administration

The Doctorate in Healthcare Management/Administration is one of the shortest doctorate programs designed for mid-to senior-level professionals to help them perform applied research in the healthcare setting. Students will become knowledgeable in performing and capitalizing on practice-based research, leading a diverse range of institutions, and shaping public health policies through the doctorate program.

The doctorate program can be completed in three years, depending on students’ pace and commitment. While schools have different curricula for their doctorate programs, the majority of Doctorate in Healthcare Management degrees will require the completion of the core, elective, and foundational courses, dissertations, and comprehensive examinations.

After graduation, professional students will focus more on achieving leadership in healthcare management, ethics of healthcare, healthcare information systems, and healthcare practices and theories. Working as healthcare consultants, healthcare data analysts, pharmaceutical product managers, or hospital CEOs are some of the career pathways for graduates with Doctorate in Healthcare Management credentials.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Healthcare Management or Administration:

• California Intercontinental University
• Loyola University Chicago
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Doctorate in Physical Therapy

A list of the shortest doctorate programs wouldn’t be complete without the Doctorate in Physical Therapy program. With one to three years of completion time, the doctorate program is designed for licensed physical therapists and physiotherapists, providing industry-standard experience, skills, and knowledge.

It is an ideal program for professional students seeking to maintain their relevance while pursuing the practice of their profession in the field of physiotherapy or physical therapy.

Through the program, professional students will take control of various therapeutic procedures, including diagnosis and implementation of physical therapy treatments tailored to every patient’s unique requirements. Its curriculum features a set of coursework in diagnostic imaging, foundations of autonomous practice, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and global healthcare issues.

Apart from coursework completion, students must accomplish practicum requirements in their chosen field of specialty areas.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Physical Therapy:

• AT Still University of Health Sciences
• Northeastern University

Doctorate in Education

Another option for educators and aspiring school administrators pursuing the shortest doctorate programs available is the Doctorate in Education program. The online, accelerated doctorate program can be completed within 36 months, depending on the student’s pace and preferences.

The doctorate program will develop an in-depth understanding of the educational process and build a skill set applicable to educational leadership settings. It is a doctorate program designed for experienced and skilled educators and other aspiring professionals in learning and development career positions.

Integrated with practitioner-oriented learning, professional students will become transformative leaders with a diverse range of expertise in organizational change, learning & teaching, and curriculum development.

Completing the Doctorate in Education program will equip graduates with the essential skills and knowledge to manage and lead positive transformations in community programs, non-government and government sectors, corporations, and academic systems.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Education:

• Baylor University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Marymount University

Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision

The Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision is another popular option for students seeking the shortest doctorate programs in counseling or psychology. Although the doctorate program has an average completion time of three to four years, many universities offer accelerated, web-based programs that can be completed within 24 months.

Professional students with CACREP-accredited master’s degrees can also transfer academic credits, making it the shortest way possible to complete their doctorate studies.

The majority of the curriculum is designed and aligned with the standards administered by the Council of Accreditation for Counseling & Related Educational Programs. It is a doctorate program that prepares graduates and other professionals to become practitioners, researchers, supervisors, and counselor educators in various clinical and educational settings.

The academic program will also provide graduates with the necessary credentials and knowledge to assume leadership roles in the counseling profession.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision:

• Adam State University Colorado
• Antioch University (Flexible, Low Residency)
• University of the Cumberlands

Doctorate in Criminal Justice

The Doctorate in Criminal Justice is one of the rarest doctorate programs available in the country, with only a few schools offering this type of program. It is a unique doctorate program that will explore and address the demand for highly skilled criminal justice practitioners in the US.

The doctorate program is also designed for professional students seeking teaching opportunities and other high-level positions within various educational and criminal justice systems. Many distance learners can complete their Doctorate in Criminal Justice credentials within two years of full-time learning.

Through the doctorate program, Criminal Justice majors will strengthen their skills in policy implementation, in-depth analysis, and evaluation for criminal justice practitioners. They will have an in-depth understanding of real-world problems concerning the criminal justice field, including reducing recidivism of cases, wrongful convictions, police use-of-force, and federal consent decrees.

Apart from online coursework completion, professional students will accomplish residency programs, dissertations, and comprehensive examinations.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Criminal Justice:

• California University of Pennsylvania
• Saint Leo University

Doctorate in Information Technology

Given that Information Technology is a rapidly evolving field, the Doctorate in Information Technology is a multidisciplinary academic program designed for innovative professionals and leaders seeking to advance their abilities, skills, and knowledge in computing systems and technology.

Apart from technical proficiencies, students will also develop relevant information technology abilities essential to influencing and leading a diverse range of organizations. The academic program will offer a comprehensive understanding of foundational theories and practices and how they can be applied to IT.

While every school has its unique program requirements, students can expect to complete foundational, elective, and core courses, specialization, comprehensive examination, dissertation, and residency programs. After completing the doctorate program, graduates can pursue senior-level roles in academic, government, and industrial sectors.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Information Technology:

• City University of Seattle

Doctorate in Grief Counseling

Another rare doctorate program with a shorter program length is the Doctorate in Grief Counseling . Unlike traditional doctorates in counseling, the Grief Counseling post-masters program emphasizes clinical practice instead of counselor supervision and education.

It is a doctorate program that helps professional students explore and gain a holistic understanding of community trauma and disaster, crisis management, critical incidents, forgiveness, inner healing, and grief management. The academic program will also prepare psychotherapists and professional counselors for leadership and advanced clinical practice.

Through a series of coursework, students will become knowledgeable in reviewing models, theories, and research on bereavement, grief counseling techniques, and factors that impact grief. Some of the most common topics include community & crisis counseling, grief & bereavement, counseling ministry for the bereaved, psychotherapy integration, and ethics in grief counseling. 

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Grief Counseling:

• American International Theism University
• Mississippi College

Doctorate in Public Health

Professional students completing the Doctorate in Public Health can graduate within 36 months, depending on their professional commitments and pace. It is a doctorate program designed for mid to senior-level practitioners with more than five years of professional experience in the related field.

The doctorate curriculum highlights advanced public health studies and training for preparing graduates for leadership positions in practice-based settings, including community-based organizations, international agencies, non-profit organizations, and health departments.

Completing the Doctorate in Public Health program will help graduates foster advanced expertise in evaluating, implementing, and developing evidence-based, applied public health practices.

Best Schools Offering an Online Doctorate in Public Health:

• Indiana University
• University of South Florida (Low Residency)

Frequently Asked Questions

Regardless of the type of doctorate programs you enroll in, completing doctorate credentials requires significant commitment. While fast-tracked or the shortest doctoral programs online help students earn their doctorate in less time, online doctoral degree programs have a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that can be completed faster, requiring hard work, grit, and dedication.

Professional students can choose any of the two major types of doctorate degrees, namely the following: 

A doctorate program that emphasizes theories, data analysis, and research to have an in-depth expansion of a particular area of discipline.

• Professional/Applied Doctorate

It is a doctorate program that emphasizes developing effective professional practices, finding solutions, and applying research methodologies to a diverse range of practical problems within the field of discipline.

Although Ph.D. programs have 8.2 years to complete on average, some online schools offer fast-tracked programs as alternatives. Instead of application, Ph.D. programs focus more on theories. Due to the nature of applied doctorate programs, they’ve become an in-demand type of post-master’s degree since many working professionals prefer applied learning.

While students prefer shorter program lengths and affordability, others have more specific preferences. Each preference and school classification is considered by students when comparing and choosing academic institutions.

Since many professional students have unique criteria and goals for pursuing doctorate studies, it can be challenging to standardize the shortest doctorate programs. Students who prefer individualized and comprehensive mentoring from academic or thesis advisors can enroll in a private institution with a smaller student-to-faculty ratio. However, extra perks often involve more expensive programs.

The completion time for completing doctorate studies, such as the DBA or Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, will depend on students’ commitment and their chosen discipline area. Some universities have an average completion time of more than six years, while others have 5.5 years as the median completion time. With reputable online doctorate programs, students have the option to complete their doctoral studies in as few as three years.

Both traditional and online doctorate programs have become widely accepted in financial aid coverage. Given that doctorate students will complete their FAFSA requirements, they will receive financial assistance to help them complete their doctorate education. 

Here are some of the types of financial aid options available for doctorate students:

• Fellowships/Assistantships
• Private Loans
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• Work-Study Programs

Most students can obtain their doctorate degrees within two years when pursuing online, fast-tracked learning programs. However, some students extend their completion time to more than five years due to their personal and professional obligations. 

Although online programs are mostly self-paced, schools have time limits to prevent their students from extending their completion time to almost a decade. The extension will depend on the academic institution and specific areas of study.

However, most universities offer a 7- to 8-year deadline from students’ admission date to their final thesis. At some point, the thesis requirements of students are slowed down due to their circumstances and work schedules.

Given the scenarios, it is hard to standardize exactly how long it will take to complete doctorate studies. Students’ pace and timetable significantly impact obtaining their doctorate degrees on time.

As distance learning has become a trend, many professional students have enrolled in fast-tracked online programs at the doctorate level without leaving their current professions.

For example, the field of education requires candidates to have a doctoral degree when taking on leadership roles in the academe, including associate deans, academic supervisors, and deans. Having doctorate credentials will help candidates negotiate higher salaries, career advancements, or licensing requirements in the business industry.

Here are the most popular academic fields for students pursuing the shortest doctorate online programs:

• Leadership/Management
• Political Science

In Conclusion

Since many colleges and universities offer a variety of online programs, it’s easier and more possible for students to pursue the shortest doctorate programs available. Gone are the days when online, fast-tracked doctorate degrees are not as good as traditional, on-campus degrees.

Many professionals and adult graduate students nowadays prefer the shortest online doctoral degree programs available due to their flexibility, convenience, and program duration, making them ideal for career advancements and career shifters. 

On the contrary, pursuing the shortest doctorate program, such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice, can involve additional pressure. Since it is a fast-tracked program, students accomplish more deliverables in less time than traditional doctorate programs. 

While pressure is subjective and depends on all graduate students, it is safe to say that more and more professionals have realized the benefits of pursuing the shortest possible option of completing doctorate studies. All it takes is to find the shortest doctorate program tailored to students’ personal and professional lives, learning preferences, and career objectives.

Related Article: Choosing a Short Doctorate Program: Factors to Consider

Malcolm Peralty Chief Editor