The flexibility and affordability of online, asynchronous, at-scale degree programs have significantly increased the accessibility of a masters-level graduate education. While studies have been conducted on the general growth of such programs and the quality of the online courses compared to their on-campus counterparts, few (if any) have examined outcomes such as alumni career growth or admission into other graduate programs. This work examines how {program blinded for review} prepared alumni for matriculation into STEM PhD programs. Enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse was analyzed to identify key trends in alumni PhD enrollment. Surveys and interviews with program alumni were also conducted to investigate the unique paths that these individuals had taken to beginning their PhD education. This study finds that {program blinded for review} positively impacted alumni PhD experiences in a STEM-related field. Alumni noted that involvement with graduate research and coursework was a key component in their preparation for a PhD program. These results demonstrate that an affordable, online, asynchronous graduate STEM program can provide non-traditional students with an effective pathway to PhD enrollment. The paper concludes with recommendations for asynchronous, at-scale degree programs seeking to expand their research opportunities for students with a desire to move forward into PhD programs.