Beginning a PhD program is a very big decision. Not only does it cost money, but you're making a very large time commitment as well. The sheer fact that you're considering this commitment suggests that you already have a very busy lifestyle. Generally a PhD candidate would be required to travel to the university/college to gain access to the best doctorate program in their field. This could mean taking leave from work and you family. How ever with todays modern education technologies PhD candidates can search for a program on the Internet. The distance learning PhD programs that are available online today are usually fully accredited and come with all the prestige that a PhD deserves.
Where should you start to look?
The Internet offers potential students all of the features of both a big and a small town or city. Using a good search engine will bring you right up to the community of your choice. One of the great things about online education is that no matter where you are in the world you can find as many options as you'd have in the largest cities in the world. Once you've begun your search your first task is to narrow down the distance learning PhD programs in your discipline. You want to learn as much about the institutions as possible, often schools will send you free information about their programs, it's a good idea to learn all you can about a school and their reputation.
It's very possible that you could never set foot on the campus of the university that graduates you with a PhD. Of course we all have the doubts that we without seeing it cannot be as good. Your mentor/advisor is someone you may only ever know through emails and work exchange. How ever this doesn't make the quality of the experience any lower. It's important to discover what your colleagues think of the potential program. Will you're degree be treated as equal in the professional world? A good source of education on each school and program are educational journals that may have articles regarding the distance learning PhD programs. These are an excellent source of valid information.
After you have completed your search and believe you've found the correct distance learning PhD program for you begin looking at the other required resources. If you're not going to be on a campus you're going to need a library. Does the school you're considering offer an e-library? Does it supply you with alternatives to not having a campus library at hand? Of course your work will be limited to the research you can do, and a library plays a big role in that.
More often then not a college close by will offer accessibility if you follow the correct channels during your time of enrollment. Of course you might like a distance learning PhD program that allows it's campus to be available. The bottom line is if you've made it this far to be ready to take on the challenge of a PhD, then you have what it takes to complete a distance learning PhD program. Find the right one, and it's smooth sailing.