Program Objectives

"A concern with liberal education for all adults is necessary if we are to have liberal education for anybody; because liberal education can flourish in the schools, colleges, and universities of a country only if the adult population understands and values it. The best way to understand and value something is to have it yourself."

~ Robert M. Hutchins

Doctoral Degree Programs…

In keeping with Harrison Middleton University's commitment to promote excellence in education and its desire to create highly trained scholars and professionals who have a broad, interdisciplinary perspective, the university offers two doctoral degrees, the Doctor of Arts and the Doctor of Education.

Doctor of Arts Degree Program

The Doctor of Arts degree is a first professional degree that gives students the opportunity to pursue advanced scholarly study of interdisciplinary content areas that can be utilized in a variety of situations. The degree program offers students the opportunity to pursue their self-designed studies in such a way as to enhance their breadth of applicable knowledge in the four concentrations of imaginative literature, natural science, philosophy and religion, and social science. This program of study requires students to complete sixty (60) credit hours of graduate credit beyond the master's degree level.

Students design their program of study as the culminating assignment in their first course, The Great Conversation: The Cornerstone Course, with the guidance of their Mentor. Students at Harrison Middleton University are enrolled in and complete one course at a time. Each course needs to be completed within sixteen weeks. Student courses will consist of a series of telephone discussions and an end of course essay.

Students are encouraged to be creative in the design of the program of study for Doctor of Art degree program. When students design their program of study, they are asked to carefully review the 102 Great Ideas and authors listed in the Syntopicons of the Great Books of the Western World. By perusing the Great Ideas, and skimming the Great Idea(s) introductory essay(s), students can begin to explore those topics that interest them. Students may decide to complete an in-depth study of specific authors within the concentration(s) or may choose to study a combination of the two. In the two volumes of the Syntopicon, there are nearly 3,000 topics parceled out among 102 Great Ideas. In addition, the Inventory of Terms contains about 2,000 topic suggestions and concepts.

This interdisciplinary program, which encourages analytical and synthetic thought, hones research methods and improves written and oral communication skills, will also prepare students for a variety of fields which are enhanced by advanced training, including law, medicine, art, architecture, education, religion, science, business, engineering, civil service, publishing, and lifelong learning.

The Doctor of Arts degree at Harrison Middleton University is unique in the way the program is delivered - entirely via distance education - and provides a flexible, individualized, student designed program of study. In this way, the manner in which the student fulfills the degree requirements can be tailored to each student's individual educational and career goals.

The Doctor of Arts degree program (60 credit hours) consists of:

  • The Great Conversation: The Cornerstone Course ~ 4 credit hours
  • Concentration One ~ 24 credit hours
  • Oral Comprehensive Examination ~ Part One
  • Concentration Two ~ 24 credit hours
  • Oral Comprehensive Examination ~ Part Two
  • Doctoral Capstone Course ~ 8 credit hours