Hironao Okahana

This study provides empirical evidence that PhD graduates working at community colleges feel less prepared than their counterparts employed in research universities. In addition, we find that perceptions of skills related to research are not predictive of feelings of job preparation for community college faculty. We offer recommendations for doctoral programs to better prepare future faculty for roles outside of the research university that combine research and interpersonal skills. We argue… Show more

This study provides empirical evidence that PhD graduates working at community colleges feel less prepared than their counterparts employed in research universities. In addition, we find that perceptions of skills related to research are not predictive of feelings of job preparation for community college faculty. We offer recommendations for doctoral programs to better prepare future faculty for roles outside of the research university that combine research and interpersonal skills. We argue that there is a misalignment between PhD training and community college faculty preparation and that this training should be not considered a zero-sum game between research and all of the skills required to be an effective teacher, advisor, mentor, and college/university citizen. We also discuss the problematic discourse surrounding PhD professional development that fails to account for the diverse needs of the professoriate. Show less

The combination of sophisticated research and noncognitive skills promotes the idea of a well-rounded PhD – a highly skilled and versatile researcher that can interact in both academic and industry settings – as a goal of doctoral education. The knowledge gained from this study will assist scholars and graduate educators, including faculty advisors, program directors, graduate deans, graduate education professionals and career development professionals to reconceptualize professional… Show more

The combination of sophisticated research and noncognitive skills promotes the idea of a well-rounded PhD – a highly skilled and versatile researcher that can interact in both academic and industry settings – as a goal of doctoral education. The knowledge gained from this study will assist scholars and graduate educators, including faculty advisors, program directors, graduate deans, graduate education professionals and career development professionals to reconceptualize professional preparation for work in industry. Show less

The CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees is jointly sponsored by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Graduate Record Examinations Board (GRE). The survey report provides information about applications for admission to graduate school, first-time and total graduate student enrollment, and graduate degrees and certificates conferred. More than 100 figures and data tables, as well as interpretative text, are included in the report.

Since 2004, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has conducted a multi-year empirical examination of international graduate application, admission, and enrollment trends. This analysis responds to member institutions’ concerns about continuing changes in the enrollment of students from abroad seeking master’s and doctoral degrees from U.S. colleges and universities.

Utilizing the 2013 National Survey of College Graduates (Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, National Science Foundation, 2015), this study examined three measures of labor market outcomes: annual earning potentials; primary work activity; and education-job match for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) bachelor’s degree holders by their master’s degree attainment. Whereas the study found earning differentials across master’s degrees, the results suggest that… Show more

Utilizing the 2013 National Survey of College Graduates (Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, National Science Foundation, 2015), this study examined three measures of labor market outcomes: annual earning potentials; primary work activity; and education-job match for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) bachelor’s degree holders by their master’s degree attainment. Whereas the study found earning differentials across master’s degrees, the results suggest that one’s earnings are explained by other factors, specifically gender. Results reflect a discernible and concerning pay gap between men and women with the same level of degree attainment in the STEM workforce. Also, implications for policy and practice are addressed. Show less

Graduate students, and thus graduate education, are an essential part of postsecondary
education in the United States. With 2.9 million students enrolled and $40.1 billion in federal
student aid invested in graduate education, trends in graduate student data are not only of
interest to institutions of higher education and researchers but also to policymakers and the
general public. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects some data on
graduate-level students… Show more

Graduate students, and thus graduate education, are an essential part of postsecondary
education in the United States. With 2.9 million students enrolled and $40.1 billion in federal
student aid invested in graduate education, trends in graduate student data are not only of
interest to institutions of higher education and researchers but also to policymakers and the
general public. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects some data on
graduate-level students through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS),
but it is not as in-depth as the data for undergraduate-level students. As commissioned by the
National Postsecondary Education Cooperative, a compilation of higher education stakeholders
who advise on the R&D of IPEDS, the purpose of this report is to provide a general overview of
the current landscape of graduate student data collections and recommendations for future
IPEDS efforts in this area. Show less

Though master’s programs and degree recipients have thrived, there has been scant research on the processes by which students gain admission into master’s programs. Recognizing this gap in our understanding of master’s admissions, in 2017 CGS, with support from Educational Testing Service (ETS), embarked on a project to better grasp how graduate programs evaluated applicants’ cognitive and noncognitive attributes and reviewed application materials. Improved understanding of master’s admissions… Show more

Though master’s programs and degree recipients have thrived, there has been scant research on the processes by which students gain admission into master’s programs. Recognizing this gap in our understanding of master’s admissions, in 2017 CGS, with support from Educational Testing Service (ETS), embarked on a project to better grasp how graduate programs evaluated applicants’ cognitive and noncognitive attributes and reviewed application materials. Improved understanding of master’s admissions would help graduate deans and their admissions teams put transparent processes in place to better identify promising candidates for admission and avoid unfair biases. Show less

This article is a result of the analysis of student-level enrollment records from twenty-one research universities in the United States, and it contributes to a more robust understanding of timely completion of STEM doctorates by underrepresented minority students. Using multivariate logit regression models, findings indicated that Hispanic/Latino and students from other underrepresented groups complete at higher rates than do their Black/African American counterparts. Findings also indicated… Show more

This article is a result of the analysis of student-level enrollment records from twenty-one research universities in the United States, and it contributes to a more robust understanding of timely completion of STEM doctorates by underrepresented minority students. Using multivariate logit regression models, findings indicated that Hispanic/Latino and students from other underrepresented groups complete at higher rates than do their Black/African American counterparts. Findings also indicated that prior master’s degrees and institutional participation in doctoral completion programs positively correlate with STEM doctoral completion. We conclude by offering insights and recommendations for graduate schools about how to increase the STEM doctoral attainment rate of students from underrepresented groups. Show less

This study examined department supports that influence doctoral completion and time-to-degree among 5,001 doctoral programs at 212 universities in the United States. Multiple regression models were used to determine the relationships between financial support and academic support and doctoral retention and how these relationships vary across STEM and non-STEM fields. Analyzing the American National Research Council’s data, we found that a department’s financial support significantly predict… Show more

This study examined department supports that influence doctoral completion and time-to-degree among 5,001 doctoral programs at 212 universities in the United States. Multiple regression models were used to determine the relationships between financial support and academic support and doctoral retention and how these relationships vary across STEM and non-STEM fields. Analyzing the American National Research Council’s data, we found that a department’s financial support significantly predict doctoral completion and time-to-degree. However, no overarching relationship was found between department academic support and doctoral completion and time-to-degree. These findings provide a better understanding of how department supports are associated with doctoral student success. The article concludes with implications for theory, practice, and future research. Show less

Doctoral Initiative on Minority Attrition and Completion synthesizes the findings from both quantitative and qualitative data collected from 21 participating institutions to better understand doctoral outcomes of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The publication reports new benchmarks for completion rates, attrition rates, times-to-degree, and times-to-attrition for URM STEM doctoral students, and also sheds light on… Show more

Doctoral Initiative on Minority Attrition and Completion synthesizes the findings from both quantitative and qualitative data collected from 21 participating institutions to better understand doctoral outcomes of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The publication reports new benchmarks for completion rates, attrition rates, times-to-degree, and times-to-attrition for URM STEM doctoral students, and also sheds light on factors leading to the successful completion of a STEM doctorate. Show less