基本説明
The authors consider who earns doctoral degrees, what affects students' chances of finishing their programs, and how successful they are at finding academic jobs.
Full Description
Despite the worldwide prestige of America's doctoral programs in the humanities, all is not well in this area of higher education and hasn't been for some time. The content of graduate programs has undergone major changes, while high rates of student attrition, long times to degree, and financial burdens prevail. In response, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 1991 launched the Graduate Education Initiative (GEI), the largest effort ever undertaken to improve doctoral programs in the humanities and related social sciences. The only book to focus exclusively on the current state of doctoral education in the humanities, Educating Scholars reports on the GEI's success in reducing attrition and times to degree, the positive changes implemented by specific graduate programs, and the many challenges still to be addressed. Over a ten-year period, the Foundation devoted almost eighty-five million dollars through the GEI to provide support for doctoral programs and student aid in fifty-four departments at ten leading universities.
The authors examine data that tracked the students in these departments and in control departments, as well as information gathered from a retrospective survey of students. They reveal that completion and attrition rates depend upon financial support, the quality of advising, clarity of program requirements, and each department's expectations regarding the dissertation. The authors consider who earns doctoral degrees, what affects students' chances of finishing their programs, and how successful they are at finding academic jobs. Answering some of the most important questions being raised about American doctoral programs today, Educating Scholars will interest all those concerned about our nation's intellectual future.
Contents
List of Figures ix List of Tables xi Preface and Acknowledgments xv List of Abbreviations xix Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Part I. Data, Methods, and Context Chapter 2. Data Collection, Outcome Measures, and Analytical Tools 25 Chapter 3. The Departments 41 Part II. Influences on Attrition, Completion, and Time-to-Degree Chapter 4. The Impact of the Graduate Education Initiative on Attrition and Completion 95 Chapter 5. The Influence of Financial Support 113 Chapter 6. The Influence of Doctoral Program Designs 140 Chapter 7. The Role of Gender and Family Status 156 Part III. Transition from Graduate Study to Career Chapter 8. Attrition and Beyond 169 Chapter 9. Early Careers 186 Chapter 10. Publications: Patterns and Influences 206 Part IV. Lessons and Findings Chapter 11. Redesigning Doctoral Programs: Lessons Learned 223 Chapter 12. Principal Findings and Implications 249 Appendix A. Data Collection 273 Appendix B. Questionnaire for the Graduate Education Survey 280 Appendix C. Outcome Measures 300 Appendix D. Methodology 304 Appendix E. Additional Tables and Figures 309 References 331 Index 337
