Earning a Doctorate as a Working Professional: Six Tips

1. Choose the Right Program

When pursuing an EdD while working, it's essential to select a program that allows you to balance your career and personal commitments while advancing your education.

“Flexibility is definitely necessary because a doctorate program is a long journey,” Maietta says. “You want to ensure you can maintain your educational progress while working and having a personal life.”

Not all programs offer the flexibility you may need. Therefore, if you’re juggling several responsibilities, research institutions that provide options such as:

• Part-time enrollment
• Online or hybrid delivery
• Asynchronous classes

These factors can make a significant difference in your ability to balance work and academic life. However, flexibility is just one piece of the puzzle. Choosing a program that aligns with your current educational standing and offers the right resources is equally important.

As Maietta explains, “Many doctoral students struggle with certain elements of the program, like drafting and publishing research, which can feel overwhelming without the right guidance and resources. That is why choosing a program with strong mentorship and robust support systems is key.”

“At Regis, we teach students how to publish their work, how to find their voice, and how to apply what they’ve learned in different contexts of their professional careers,” Maietta adds. “You just don’t get that kind of support in every doctoral program.”

2. Build a Support Network

In addition to selecting a flexible program, creating a strong support network is essential for your success. Support from family, friends, and colleagues can help you balance priorities, but having a network within the program is equally important.

“Your support network is going to be other students in the program and those connected to the program,” Maietta says. “It’s your cohort, the faculty, and the alumni. They’ve been in your shoes and fully understand what you're going through, which can be really important.”

Connecting with fellow students, participating in study groups, and seeking mentorship from faculty and alumni can provide the guidance, encouragement, and shared experiences necessary to thrive.

“That support network is everything,” Maietta adds. “It’s by far the most essential factor to maintain momentum, and you get that by being a student in a program with those resources around you.”

By actively cultivating a supportive network, you can better manage the demands of your EdD program and enhance your chances of success through the strength of shared experiences and mutual support.

3. Prioritize Time Management

Balancing work, personal life, and the academic demands of a doctoral program can be overwhelming without a solid time management plan. To succeed, you need to be proactive and intentional about how you allocate your time each day.

There are several strategies that can help you manage your time effectively. Some tools you should consider include:

• Planners or planning apps
• Physical or digital calendars
• Time-tracking apps
• Accountability partners

These resources can help you prioritize tasks, set reminders for important deadlines, and allocate time for both study and personal activities. By staying organized, you can reduce the stress that often comes from juggling multiple responsibilities.

If you’re unsure where to begin with time management, look for programs that provide guidance on this.

“For example, at Regis, we introduce different time management strategies to students early in the program,” Maietta says. “This allows them to test out and find the one that works best for them.”

Experiment with different methods to discover the time management strategy that aligns with your lifestyle and helps you balance your studies with professional and personal commitments.

“We want to ensure students understand there are a variety of strategies,” Maietta says. “And we encourage them to implement these throughout the program.”

4. Set Clear Goals and Priorities

With the competing demands of work, life, and academia, having a clear vision of your goals is critical. This helps ensure your time is focused on what truly matters.

While this may seem straightforward, many doctorate students struggle with stepping away from other professional development opportunities.

“I always tell my students to weigh the benefits of getting a doctoral degree versus things like volunteering to sit on a committee,” Maietta says. “Which one’s going to be more beneficial to their goals? Most of the time it's going to be the degree, which is going to pay back dividends at the end of the day.”

In other words, each decision about how to spend your time should align with your ultimate goal of earning the degree. By focusing on activities that directly contribute to your academic progress, you ensure that your efforts are maximized toward achieving your degree.

It’s also important to avoid distractions that can derail your progress.

“Don’t take on any more new tasks or responsibilities,” Maietta advises. “Focus on your doctorate because little else is as important as that goal right now.”

By keeping your end goal in sight and making intentional choices about your time and energy, you can successfully navigate the demands of your doctoral program and reach the finish line.

5. Communicate with Employers

As a working professional, having an open conversation with your employer about your academic goals is crucial. Engaging in this dialogue can help you gain the necessary support to balance work and study effectively.

If you’re hesitant about approaching your employer, it’s important to remember that your educational goals aren’t just beneficial to you.

“Let your employer know how receiving this degree benefits them first,” Maietta advises. “If they see the value, they’ll be more likely to support you."

Explain how the knowledge and skills you gain through the doctorate program will directly contribute to your role and benefit the organization. For example, your research could address challenges within your industry or bring innovative solutions that align with your company’s goals.

This approach can make your employer more receptive to accommodating your needs, such as flexible working hours or a lighter workload. To prepare for this conversation, consider outlining your academic schedule, highlighting any key deadlines or particularly intensive periods, and suggesting specific ways your employer could support you.

6. Take Care of Your Health

Maintaining both your physical and mental health is essential when pursuing an EdD while working full-time.

To manage stress and stay healthy, consider incorporating positive habits like:

• Implementing regular exercise
• Maintaining a balanced diet
• Getting adequate sleep

These practices don’t just enhance your physical well-being—they also improve your mental clarity, which is vital when earning your terminal degree.

“You're going to be stressed here and there while in the program,” Maietta says. “But we always tell our students to trust the process. You aren’t always going to have the answers, and you aren’t always going to feel comfortable.”

Understanding that uncertainty and discomfort are natural parts of the process can help you maintain a positive mindset and foster a sense of community among peers and faculty.

By taking care of your physical and mental health, you not only improve your capacity to handle academic and professional challenges but also set yourself up for sustained success throughout your doctoral program.

Start Your Doctorate Journey

Earning an EdD while working and balancing the demands of work and personal life is no small feat. It requires dedication, resilience, and a strategic approach to managing your time and energy. However, with the right strategies and support, it’s an achievable and immensely rewarding goal that can open doors to new career opportunities.

Regis College understands the unique challenges faced by working professionals pursuing advanced degrees.

“Our goal as faculty is just to help them pursue their research interests with as much passion as they can and get them across that finish line,” Maietta concludes.

This commitment to student success is at the heart of Regis College's approach, providing personalized guidance and comprehensive support to ensure you have everything you need to thrive.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your educational journey and are looking for a program that values flexibility, support, and a community-driven approach, consider enrolling in Regis College’s EdD in Higher Education Leadership program.