What is Opportunity Cost Decision-Making

This chapter examines the role of online education in removing the barriers that prevent women from entering, and ultimately successfully completing, doctoral programs. Three core questions guide this chapter as it examines this complex problem of practice: Do online doctoral programs mitigate access barriers specifically for women? What are the implications of access-based college choice decisions for women? How can increased access to online doctoral programs shrink the gap for women in fields where they are underrepresented? This chapter also includes solutions and recommendations for practice designed to support online programs in creating expanded access and opportunity for women, particularly those impacted by underrepresentation, in terms of entry into and completion of doctoral programs.