This search term and others like it, e.g., p.hd buy, lead unsuspecting netizens to my blog which, of course, doesn’t provide information about how to buy academic degrees but rather rants and raves against diploma mills and rogue providers, most of which are based in the US, sorry to say.

Speaking of the US, those who have earned a Ph.D. are members of a pretty select group in that country.  According to the US Census Bureau, 1.77% of all US Americans age 25 and over have one.  That group is even more select in countries that do not have a mass education system.

Here’s what Peterson’s had to say about Ph.D. programs with the understated title Ph.D. Programs Are Rigorous Educational Experiences:

Ph.D. programs—for that matter, any doctoral program—will take years to complete. Depending on what you’re studying and how much time you can put into your studies and dissertation, doctoral programs can consume anywhere from 3 to 6 to 9 years or more. Earning a Ph.D. degree can be so time-consuming that many candidates cannot work full-time, and they often live on stipends and fellowships to help make ends meet while they haunt the research labs and libraries. These graduate programs are perhaps the most rigorous educational experience people can have, but when they are complete, the recipients are considered to be individuals who add intellectual and scholarly value to their fields.

Another point worth mentioning is that an estimated 50% of US doctoral students do not complete their degree.  Many of them complete their coursework but are unable to reach the summit, i.e., write and defend their dissertation, meaning they are forever ABD (“all but dissertation”).

What does it take to complete a Ph.D.?  Intelligence (brilliance is not a prerequisite but certainly doesn’t hurt), passion, creativity, a strong work ethic and, most importantly, perseverance.  It’s a long, hard slog and if you don’t have the fire in the belly and a good support system, you will never reach the light at the end of the tunnel, the promised land of degree conferral and life after your Ph.D. program.  You will end up in advanced degree limbo known as ABD.  Real Ph.D.s and the experience on which they’re based offer many tangible and intrinsic benefits that last a lifetime.  The slog is well worth it.

Prestige, of course, is why so many people want to buy one.  Why invest all of that blood, sweat and tears when you can fill out an online form, including your credit card information and, voilà, you’re “Dr.” Somebody.

Side Note:  While the Ph.D. is a research degree and most graduates pursue a career as a professor, whose primary tasks are research, teaching and services – in that order at many institutions – there are other career paths that take full advantage of everything on which the degree is based.

For those who buy a Ph.D. what happens though when people ask Where did you get your Ph.D.?  Just ask well-known people with fake degrees who have ended up in media stories about academic fraud.  A bit of advice for those who choose to buy their Ph.D.:  For God’s sake, don’t include it in your bio or LinkedIn profile!

The easy answer to the question about where to buy the “best phd degree” is that the best Ph.D. degrees are earned, not purchased like computers or smartphones.  Some things just aren’t for sale.

MAA