Doctor of Arts Center
The Doctor of Arts (D.A.) degree is a terminal degree for those especially interested in undergraduate college teaching. The degree is a well-established alternative to the traditional Ph.D. It is a different but not less-rigorous degree emphasizing teaching excellence and breadth of interdisciplinary knowledge.
Like the Ph.D., the D.A. requires extensive training in research techniques. D.A. programs differ from Ph.D. programs, though, in that they require broader study in the discipline, more awareness of interdisciplinary relationships, and both theoretical and practical preparation in pedagogy. The versatility of D.A. recipients makes them well-prepared to step into faculty positions at community colleges and liberal arts colleges, as well as comprehensive and doctoral universities.
History
The Doctor of Arts degree was sanctioned in 1970 by the Committee on Graduate Studies of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and by the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. A Supplemental Statement on the Doctor of Arts Degree was published by the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States in 1972.
The D.A. was established as a terminal teaching degree in response to pressures existing then (and now) to upgrade college and university teaching, with emphasis being placed upon giving recipients practical experience and theoretical knowledge in pedagogy in lieu of extensive research skills. The D.A. was not and is not in competition with the Ph.D., regarded as a research degree. The substantive course content of the two are similar, the application emphasis being different.
The Carnegie Foundation funded ten universities with seed money to initiate the degree, Idaho State University being one of the ten. ISU grants degrees in four disciplines:
Five of the original ten universities, including ISU, continue to grant the degree, with about 18 additional universities having adopted the program.
The National Doctor of Arts Association, Inc. is a nonprofit association of professionals as an educational association to foster visibility, credibility, and understanding of the Doctor of Arts degree in the United States and to work for the professional placement and advancement of DA degree holders. Learn more about the National Doctor of Arts Association.