Allied health and the dilemma of nontraditional doctorates

Opportunities to acquire doctoral degrees through nontraditional means have proliferated in recent years. These opportunities offer master-level allied health professionals a chance to obtain doctoral degrees without major interruptions in their careers or the need to leave their place of employment. However, many question the comparability of these degrees to those obtained through traditional programs. This report examines various types of nontraditional programs and attempts to assess their acceptance by deans of allied health programs based in academic health centers. Of ten deans surveyed, eight stated that they would consider candidates with nontraditional doctorates for faculty appointment. Two had nontraditional doctoral faculty on staff and have had no problems with promotion or tenure of those individuals. Only one indicated that promotion and tenure would not be possible for faculty possessing nontraditional degrees. The implications for allied health faculty possessing nontraditional degrees are explored in light of official and unofficial university policies, and an approach is suggested for junior faculty considering the nontraditional doctoral option.