Suppose you’re a Maryland resident seeking career advancement through professional teaching credibility or high-level nursing, research, or executive position, or you simply want to indulge your research interests. In that case, a doctoral degree can get you there. Maryland hosts an abundance of doctoral programs at notable schools like Johns Hopkins, the University of Baltimore, Towson University, Salisbury University, and Loyola University.
Most PhD programs in Maryland require four to six years of study, dissertation included. But Maryland universities offer accelerated and part-time programs. Use this guide to kickstart your research and learn about the best in-person and online doctoral and PhD programs in Maryland.
Top-Rated PhD and Doctoral Programs in Maryland for 2023
While everyone defines “best” differently, the three Maryland doctoral and PhD programs spotlighted below rise to the top because of the variety of quality degrees, reasonable costs, and flexible study options, including online and hybrid degree programs, they offer. Even if these programs aren’t the perfect fit, you can use these profiles as a quality barometer to compare and vet other programs and schools.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is a well-known school offering quality PhD and doctoral degrees in Baltimore. At the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, you can choose to focus on public health research, teaching, or leadership, as well as earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH).
Tuition varies among programs. Doctoral degrees cost $60,480 in the School of Arts and Science and $60,960 at the School of Public Health, while School of Medicine doctoral students pay $59,700. You can find a full list of doctoral tuition and costs for the current academic year on the University’s website. Many of these programs even offer significant funding. The PhD in neuroscience, for example, offers incoming students a decent annual living stipend of $35,608 as part of its sizeable funding packages in addition to tuition waivers and health insurance.
Towson University
Towson University, known as Maryland’s “university of opportunities,” grants a variety of master’s degrees along with a PhD in information technology. PhD students work on campus researching computer science, information systems, and information technology to train for careers as college professors, entrepreneurs, and scientists. Students complete 18 credits of coursework in this PhD program, take a qualifying exam, and complete at least 24 dissertation credits beyond a master’s degree. Like most PhD programs, information technology students are expected to publish in journals and conferences before they can graduate.
In-state graduate students pay $642 in tuition and fees per credit. Out-of-state students pay $1,210 in tuition and fees per unit.
University of Maryland Global Campus
An entirely online university, the University of Maryland Global Campus grants doctoral degrees for two in-demand fields: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and Doctor of Management. Designed for executives, the Doctor of Business Administration degree trains students in strategic thinking, research, innovation, management theory, and organizational leadership.
Students in the Doctor of Management program, designed for college administrators and faculty who want to create and lead change in higher education, train in community college policy and administration via online courses. They also work with distinguished faculty for dissertation support.
Although this program is fully online, brief residencies are required, generally taking three years to complete. Each student works with the same small group of students throughout the entire program, completing 54 total credits to graduate in Foundations of Management, Research Methods, Leadership and Change, and others.
The cost of each program is $1,087 per credit for in-state and out-of-state students.
Types of PhD and Doctoral Programs Available in Maryland
Every PhD program in Maryland differs in its curriculum, delivery, learning modes, and even admission requirements. Some programs require GRE scores, and some are part-time. Maryland also hosts online, hybrid, and fully funded doctoral programs that pay PhD students a living stipend and health insurance to teach and conduct research for the university. Explore the various program types below to find the right one for you.
Full-Time PhD/Doctoral Programs in Maryland
Students typically take four to six years to complete full-time on-campus or online PhD programs in Maryland. These programs tend to consist of doctoral coursework, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation, usually followed by a dissertation defense. Examples of quality full-time PhD programs in Maryland are Salisbury University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Education.
Part-Time PhD/Doctoral Programs in Maryland
A part-time approach to your PhD program in Maryland will likely take five to eight years longer than if you attended full-time. Part-time programs are designed for people with full-time responsibilities, like families and careers, as they tend to offer more flexibility through online and hybrid learning formats. For example, Johns Hopkins University offers quality part-time programs in each of its nine departments, including the School of Medicine and School of Nursing. Visit this part-time PhD and doctoral program page for more part-time PhD options.
Fully Funded PhD/Doctoral Programs in Maryland
Funding is a common problem for PhD students, so many quality in-person and online PhD programs in Maryland and around the country are fully funded. These funding packages usually cover tuition and provide a living stipend and health insurance as part of your teaching or research assistantship. Popular examples include the University of Maryland’s Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program and Towson University’s Bridges to the Doctorate program.
No-GRE PhD/Doctoral Programs in Maryland
The GRE is the most common entrance exam for graduate programs across the country. If the GRE isn’t accessible for you or you simply dread exams, research no-GRE doctoral programs. No-GRE programs may have unique admission requirements and delivery modes. In Maryland, you can find no-GRE programs in the University of Maryland’s Computer Science and Business and Management PhD programs.
Accelerated PhD/Doctoral Programs in Maryland
If you want to earn your doctoral degree within three years, you’ll appreciate an accelerated program. In these programs, you complete coursework, conduct research, and likely write a dissertation, but you may take fewer classes. Some online doctoral programs only require a year of study. Quality accelerated programs include the University of Maryland’s PhD for Clinicians Program and the fully online Doctor of Management at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
No Dissertation PhD/Doctoral Programs in Maryland
Most PhD and doctoral programs in Maryland require a dissertation, a project that takes two to three years to complete. If you prefer not to write a dissertation, you can pursue programs that don’t have dissertation requirements. Notable no-dissertation doctoral programs in Maryland include Salisbury University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice and Johns Hopkins University’s Doctor of Education, where practical learning and capstone projects replace the dissertation.
Top Fields for Earning Your Ph.D. or Doctoral Degree in Maryland
Behavioral and Community Health
A PhD in behavioral and community health is the perfect degree for professionals wanting to improve public health. Many graduates of this degree work in both the public and private sectors as scientists, professors, public health analysts, and in other roles where they can research and change policies and programs related to public health.
Quality Examples of On-Campus Programs
Psychology
A doctoral degree in psychology (PsyD) prepares you to work as a researcher or an academic and to help patients in clinical settings. While you can work as a counselor in Maryland without a doctoral degree, the degree makes you more competitive and marketable. It allows you to teach psychology in higher education and lead research in the field.
Quality Examples of On-Campus Programs
Information Technology
A PhD in Information Technology is a perfect fit if your wheelhouses are computer science, information technology, and information systems. These programs focus on topics like database systems, software engineering, computer networks, and human-computer interaction. Graduates from these programs advance in business leadership roles and government, research, and academic positions.
Quality Examples of On-Campus Programs
Education
A Doctor of Education degree empowers education professionals to advance in their education careers through theoretical and practical knowledge. Doctoral education students specialize in a variety of areas that include learning design, educational leadership, and curriculum and instruction.
Quality Examples of On-Campus Programs
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore Education Leadership Doctorate
- Morgan State University PhD in Higher Education Administration
Quality Example of Hybrid/Online Programs
Business
A business doctorate (DBA) trains professionals for highly effective, competitive leaders in the business world. PhD business students, conversely, study scholarly research on business, developing effective leadership skills and the eligibility to teach in higher education. While most DBAs focus on business consulting, some DBA holders teach in higher education as well.
Quality Examples of On-Campus Programs
Quality Example of Hybrid/Online Programs
Earning Your PhD or Professional Doctorate Online in Maryland
Whether you earn your doctorate in Maryland online or in a hybrid format, you’ll get a quality education, especially if you enroll in one of the programs listed in our college rankings below. Since there are many high-quality doctoral and PhD programs in Maryland, you have plenty of options.
Choose a fully online doctoral program like the Doctor of Business Administration or Doctor of Management at the University of Maryland Global Campus, and you may never have to visit campus since all the synchronous classes for these programs are online. Online doctoral programs tend to offer the most flexibility, even in the dissertation stage, and there are online doctoral programs in Maryland, like Salisbury University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice, that require no dissertation whatsoever.
Just remember to ask if there are any in-person requirements if you pursue hybrid or online PhD programs in Maryland since every program is different. You may have to attend lectures on campus or synchronously periodically throughout the semester.
Best Online Doctoral Programs in Maryland for 2023
With its main campus in Maryland near Washington, D.C., Capitol Technology University is a private nonprofit university that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology-focused fields like computer science, engineering, information technology, and security. It has 38 doctorate programs, the vast majority of which are available 100% online with no campus residencies or other in-person requirements. Most online programs deliver coursework asynchronously. Some programs may include synchronous components as well, though, so check format details before enrolling.
Program Highlights:
EdD in Cyber Science
- Credits: 60
- Length: 2 to 3 years
- Cost: $950/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
PhD in Aeronautical Science
- Credits: 60
- Length: 2 to 3 years
- Cost: $950/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
PhD in Engineering Management
- Credits: 60
- Length: 2 to 3 years
- Cost: $950/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CounselingYes
PlacementYes
Faculty Ratio15
Private, highly-prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, offers 15 online doctoral degree programs that span education, engineering, nursing, and public health. Most of these programs are accessible entirely online, but some are hybrid or blended formats. As you might expect from such an elite private university, tuition costs at Johns Hopkins are steeper than at other institutions. However, Johns Hopkins is committed to making earning a degree at the university within the financial reach of all qualifying students through its numerous financial aid resources. Contact the financial aid office for your degree's academic department for information on available funding opportunities.
Program Highlights:
DNP Executive Track
- Credits: 40
- Length: 6 semesters
- Cost: $1,939/credit
- Mode: Online plus on-site immersions
- Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Ecuation
Doctor of Public Health (DrPh)
- Credits: 64
- Length: 5 to 9 years
- Cost: $1,321/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health
Doctor of Education (EdD)
- Credits: 54
- Length: 4 years
- Cost: $1,900/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CounselingYes
PlacementYes
Faculty Ratio6
Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDM) (not to be confused with the University of Notre Dame in Indiana) is a private Catholic institution located in Baltimore. Professionals interested in pursuing top-level positions as administrators and educational leaders in occupational therapy education or the postsecondary institution level can earn a PhD in Higher Education online through NDM. The PhD in Higher Education has two online options. The PhD in Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations prepares students to address administrative and leadership issues resulting from the dramatic demographic shifts impacting the needs and practices of colleges and universities in both the U.S. and around the world. NDM's PhD in Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations -- Occupational Therapy focuses on the impact of a diversifying population on the occupational therapy profession to prepare educational administrators and educators in the OT field.
Program Highlights:
PhD in Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations
- Credits: 45 plus dissertation
- Length: Varies
- Cost: $625/credit
- Mode: Fully Online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
PhD in Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations - Occupational Therapy
- Credits: 54
- Length: Varies
- Cost: $625/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CounselingYes
PlacementYes
Faculty Ratio7
Salisbury University is a public university located in the Eastern Shore community of Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury offers two doctoral degree programs that feature online courses of study, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Literacy Studies. Salisbury bills its DNP degree as an “alternative to research-focused doctoral programs” to prepare RNs for leadership positions in advanced practice roles and as nurse educators. Both Family Nurse Practitioner and Leadership Post-Masters to DNP options are available as is a Post-Bachelor's to DNP option. Salisbury's EdD in Literacy Studies allows students to become literacy education leaders in P-12, higher education, and community settings. The curriculum provides a foundational academic framework upon which students can concentrate their studies in a preferred subject area. Coursework is entirely online in an asynchronous format.
Program Highlights:
Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Credits: 80 (Post-Bachelor's to DNP); 68 (FNP); 38 (Leadership)
- Length: 4 years (Post-Bachelor's to DNP); 3 to 4 years (FNP); 3 years (Leadership)
- Cost: $805/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
EdD in Literacy Studies
- Credits: 56
- Length: 4 years
- Cost: $775/credit
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CounselingYes
PlacementYes
Faculty Ratio14
There are three online doctorate options offered by Towson University, a public university in the Baltimore County community of Towson, Maryland. The PhD in Occupational Science prepares students to create knowledge in the scientific study of human occupation as it relates to meaningful and purposeful activities in day-to-day life. It is open to current occupational therapists with master's degrees or select non-OTs with master's degrees in a social science-related field. Both full-time and part-time study and online and hybrid formats are available. Licensed OTs with master's degrees can gain advanced clinical expertise and leadership skills through the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OCT) program. This program is part-time and features online coursework with a small number of on-site immersion experiences. Towson's PhD in Instructional Technology provides advanced knowledge and skills in technology in digital learning. This degree program is also available in both online and hybrid formats.
Program Highlights:
PhD in Institutional Technology
- Credits: 63
- Length: 4 to 7 years
- Cost: Cost: $669/credit (residents); $1,210/credit (out-of-state)
- Mode: Fully online or hybrid
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
PhD in Occupational Science
- Credits: 45 to 60
- Length: Varies
- Cost: $669/credit (residents); $1,210/credit (out-of-state)
- Mode: Fully online or hybrid
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)
- Credits: 33
- Length: 6+ semesters
- Cost: $669/credit (residents); $1,210/credit (out-of-state)
- Mode: Online plus on-site immersions
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CounselingYes
PlacementYes
Faculty Ratio16
Morgan State University, a public university in Baltimore and the largest HBCU in Maryland, offers a Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership in an online format. The program provides the specific knowledge and competencies required to successfully fill professorial positions and other senior leadership roles in a community college setting. Classes are offered in both on-site and online formats, allowing students tremendous flexibility in attending to their studies while continuing to work at their present jobs. Students are required to complete either a specialized internship or practicum at a community college. The program culminates in the completion and defense of a dissertation.
Program Highlights:
EdD in Community College Leadership
- Credits: 60
- Length: 6 years average
- Cost: $545.50/credit (residents); $993.50/credit (out-of-state)
- Mode: Fully online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CounselingYes
PlacementYes
Faculty Ratio16
Unlock Financial Aid for Your Maryland PhD Program
The cost – tuition, books, dissertation and research fees, insurance, transportation – of a doctoral or PhD degree in Maryland consists of multiple expenses, even for online students. Many programs in Maryland support students with a living stipend and tuition scholarships or fellowships, often with health insurance. Like most students, though, you might still find yourself concerned about the cost of your graduate degree even with this assistance.
This is where financial aid comes in handy. Financial aid opportunities in Maryland that help offset the cost of your education come in a variety of forms, most commonly scholarships, fellowships, grants, work-study programs, and graduate research assistantships.
A great place to start finding funding is the university website that most interests you. The University of Maryland, for example, lists a variety of recruitment, research, and dissertation fellowships for PhD and doctoral students, as does Towson University. Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) also offers a list of funding sources, including tuition waivers for students with disabilities, students in the National Guard, and students pursuing careers experiencing a worker shortage.
Maryland PhD Degree Holders: Exploring Their Earnings Potential
Two great benefits of earning a PhD or doctoral degree in Maryland, whether on-campus or online, are lower unemployment rates and pay bumps. On average, doctoral graduates earn over $300 more per week than those with master’s degrees and more than $500 more per week than bachelor’s degrees. PhDs also experience lower rates of unemployment.
Salaries differ greatly between professions and industries, however. Where a psychologist with a PhD can earn $150,000 annually, the average psychologist earns $81,040 per year. The table below provides more insight into potential earnings for popular careers that either require a doctorate or allow professionals to move to the very top of the profession.
| Job Title | Related Doctoral Degree(s) | Median Earnings | 90th Percentile Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) | $199,820 | $208,000 |
| Computer Research Scientist | PhD in Computer Science | $131,330 | $172,490 |
| Economist | PhD in Economics | $119,080 | $172,490 |
| Historian | PhD in History | $72,740 | $134,780 |
| Human Resources Executive | Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) | $127,160 | $206,540 |
| Mathematician | PhD in Mathematics | $122,600 | $172,490 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Doctor of Nursing Practice | $104,550 | $141,140 |
| Physicists | PhD in Physics | $135,430 | $172,490 |
| Psychologist | Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) / PhD in Psychology | $114,050 | $159,700 |
| School Principal/Administrator | Doctor of Education (EdD) | $123,340 | $157,240 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2021