Get Your Ph.D. Without a Dissertation

For many doctoral students, the dissertation phase of their program is the most daunting and demanding aspect of this multiyear journey.

However, it’s possible to earn a doctorate online in many disciplines without completing a dissertation. The online environment provides students flexibility not only with their program schedule but also with degree requirements.

These programs typically have alternatives, including capstone projects, fieldwork, and applied research, all of which emphasize practical learning over the more theoretical nature of the dissertation.

Although most doctoral programs require a dissertation, not all do. Students earning a Ph.D., the standard academic research degree, typically complete a doctoral dissertation.

Terminal degrees prepare graduates for more practical pursuits, and students often have the option to complete a different kind of culminating project, such as a capstone or fieldwork.

Don’t think of that as the “easy” way out; instead, consider it a more career-focused path toward completing your degree.

Here are 10 popular doctoral program options that don’t require a dissertation.

A doctor of education degree can focus on either research or practice. In programs where both the Ph.D. and Ed.D. are offered as separate tracks, the Ph.D. skews toward research, and the Ed.D. emphasizes practical applications.

For those Ed.D. programs that don’t require a dissertation, students can complete an applied research project or write a case study based on empirical analysis within an educational environment.

Graduates with an Ed.D. often work in K-12 or college administration, in nonprofits, or in education policy. Salaries for Ed.D. graduates can vary, though one example is school superintendents, who, on average, earned about $156,000 in 2022, according to Education Week.

While business remains the most popular field at the master’s degree level, about 2% of people with graduate degrees in business earn a doctor of business administration.

Graduates of DBA programs have deep expertise within a particular field of management and often demonstrate that expertise not through dissertation work but through applied research projects focused on solution-based outcomes. Earning a DBA can open doors to careers in education, public policy, or private industry.

According to data from Lightcast, graduates working in large corporations, consulting firms, or government agencies earn an average of about $144,000.

While the DBA focuses mainly on the business world, a Ph.D. in organizational leadership leads to careers in private industry, education, nonprofits, government, healthcare, and consulting.

To complete degree requirements, students will undertake a capstone project, often a case study involving leadership challenges in a work setting requiring actionable strategies.

Salaries vary based on industry, ranging from a median of $84,000 in education to more than $103,000 in business, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

For professionals seeking a leadership role in the healthcare industry, a doctor of healthcare administration might be just the ticket. Students can also earn a Ph.D. in this discipline, but that route is more likely to involve a dissertation.

DHA students instead complete applied research projects that could entail analyzing new healthcare policies, improving patient outcomes, or evaluating how emerging technologies impact healthcare organizations.

According to Payscale, the average annual salary for a professional with a DHA in 2024 was $144,000.

If you’re interested in earning a terminal degree in psychology, you might consider either a Ph.D. in psychology or a doctor of psychology. The latter focuses more on clinical practice and features hands-on training and experiences, whereas the Ph.D. is more grounded in research and theory.

You can circumvent writing a dissertation for your Psy.D. by completing an internship or practicum, along with a research project based on service delivery in areas such as addiction, child psychology, or organizational psychology.

Clinical psychologists earned a median salary of $96,100 in 2023, according to the BLS.

The nursing field offers both the Ph.D. and the doctor of nursing practice. As the name suggests, the DNP focuses more on evidence-based practice, leaving more theoretical and research-based inquiry to Ph.D. programs.

After completing a scholarly project or capstone, graduates of DNP programs pursue advanced practitioner roles, including as a clinical nurse specialist, advanced practice registered nurse, or health policy analyst.

Nurse practitioners earned a median annual salary of almost $130,000 in 2023, according to the BLS.

To become a licensed physical therapist, you must earn a doctor of physical therapy degree, or DPT. Taking about three years to complete, a DPT program trains students in the art and science of therapeutic care and advanced human movement.

Instead of writing a dissertation, DPT students complete a research project examining the applications of physical therapy in clinical settings, preparing them for careers in orthopedics, geriatrics, pediatrics, or sports medicine.

According to the BLS, physical therapists earned a median salary of $99,710 in 2023, though the top 10% earned more than $130,000.

If you’re interested in a career in healthcare but don’t see yourself becoming a doctor or nurse, consider the field of public health. This discipline covers issues such as environmental health, epidemiology (patterns and causes of diseases), biostatistics, and behavioral science.

To gain a leadership role in the field, you could pursue a Ph.D. or a doctor of public health degree, which often doesn’t require a dissertation. Your capstone project might entail data analysis, public policy, or community assessments.

Careers in public health generally pay well. Epidemiologists in 2023 earned a median annual salary of roughly $81,000, according to BLS data.

If you seek a career in social work and want a terminal degree, you can opt for a Ph.D. in the field or a doctor of social work. The Ph.D. emphasizes theory and scholarly research, while the DSW concentrates on social work practice and applied research.

To earn their DSW, students can undertake a research or capstone project focused on clinical practice, leadership, or management and policy analysis.

Graduates pursue careers in social work administration, public policy, or private practice. Although social work isn’t a field that pays particularly well — professionals earned a median salary of about $58,000 in 2023 per the BLS — the reward comes in the satisfaction of helping others improve their lives.

As with many other disciplines listed here, public administration offers a terminal Ph.D. degree along with a more practice-oriented designation — in this case, the doctor of public administration.

The DPA focuses on leadership and management skills, preparing graduates for careers in government or the nonprofit sector. Instead of writing a dissertation, students can complete a research project analyzing public policy, city management, organizational change, or finance.

Careers for DPA graduates vary widely. Social and community service managers, for example, earned a median salary of about $77,000 in 2023, based on BLS data.