Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Andrea B., Ph.D. in Education & Leadership, Self-Designed
Name: Andrea Bowe
Age: 56
Marital Status: Divorced/Single
Children: Girls 13, 16, 19, 21; and one 29-year-old boy
Current Location: Washington
Occupation: Director of a Washington-based nonprofit Computer Social Impact Research Institute, Inc.
Current School: Walden University
Target: Ph.D. in Education, May 2011
At her traditional college in 1974, instead of graduating with Honors in Psychology and Nuclear Reactor Technology, Andi changed her major to graduate early.
"I was going to write two papers, one on New Sources of Energy and one on Sources of Creativity and just now, after thirty years of research, I feel ready to write those papers!"
Andi chose to go with online learning for "ease of access and not having to leave my 96-year-old mom or my children." Her previous online learning experience included an online Master's Degree in Education, specializing in Instructional Technology from Grand Canyon University online.
For her M.S., she had also considered University of Phoenix, but went with GCU because it was smaller and less expensive for her.
To finance her education, which could cost her up to 200K when she finally receives her Ph.D. in 2011, Andi is using Sallie Mae student loans and some bank loans, which are deferred until after she graduates.
Andi's current course load requires her to write a KAM (Core Kowledge Module) this quarter and every quarter, but in Winter she will add another research class. "…so I will carry 11 credits, although six is considered full time," she says. She will also receive 30 credits for writing her dissertation.
"A KAM is a paper we write at our own pace, with a broad outline from Walden and a suggested bibliography to get started… I appreciate the KAMs as opposed to regular coursework, although next quarter I am continuing to write a KAM on human development in addition to taking a regular course required in statistics and research methodology."
As for the number of students in her classes, Andi says it varies widely. "The KAMs are connected by who your faculty mentor is, and only about 20 are in this class. The research classes are much larger so far, maybe twice that."
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