Feasibility of International Comparisons of PhD Program Time-to-Degree and Completion Rates
In attempting to compare doctoral times-to-completion and completion rates for institutions in different countries, it was found that issues of definitions and data availability are major stumbling blocks. National and institutional contexts also complicate matters. Because of these complications, comparisons are difficult to make, but it might be possible to account for these confounding issues to gain some insights from …
Read MoreEvaluative Framework for International Collaboration
The evaluation research reported here had two central aims: To provide formative evaluation of two cases of international collaborations between U.S. and German doctoral programs and to use this experience to develop a framework for evaluation of international collaboration in doctoral-level science education that allows us to assess the benefits of such international collaborations to students, faculty and graduate programs. In the …
Read MoreFrom Gradute Student to World Citizen in a Global Environment
Universities play a significant role in the production of new knowledge and training of future leaders. This applies particularly to doctoral education. Several countries have introduced innovative structures for training doctoral students which share many characteristics including international components and collaborations. Nerad, M. (2005). From Graduate Student to World Citizen in a Global Environment, International Higher Education, 40, pp. 8-9. …
Read MoreFrom Doctoral Citizen to World Citizen
Empirical data on the outcome of doctoral education leads up to question whether we prepare our doctoral students adequately for the present andn future. We can use the current trend of globalization and the move to a knowledge economy to prepare our PhD students not just to be expert scholars, but also to become world citizens who are aware of …
Read MoreCIRGE Charts Work/Family Paths of Female PhDs
Evidence from the survey, PhDs—Ten Years Later suggests that gender equality in the career paths of PhD recipients is still hampered by conflicts between family lives and career structures. Rudd, E. and Homer, L. (2005). CIRGE Charts Work/Family Paths of Female PhDs. in Women in Higher Education, September 2005, pp 36-37. Download: CIRGE Charts Work Family Paths
Read MoreInnovation in PhD Training – IGERT evaluation report
Evaluation of an IGERT at the University of Washington which aims to train its students to become disciplinary experts who are also highly skilled in collaborative team work and interdisciplinary problem solving. The evaluation was performed at the end of the third year of a five-year grant in order to assess which activities were working in pursuit of their goals, …
Read MorePromovieren in den USA
This paper explains the structure and functioning of US PhD education, views the process from the perspective of a doctoral student, discusses the role of the US graduate school and ends with an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of US doctoral education. Nerad, M. (2004). Promovieren in den USA (Getting a PhD in the USA) written for the handbook, …
Read MoreInnovation in PhD Training – IGERT evaluation report
Evaluation of an IGERT at the University of Washington which aims to train its students to become disciplinary experts who are also highly skilled in collaborative team work and interdisciplinary problem solving. The evaluation was performed at the end of the third year of a five-year grant in order to assess which activities were working in pursuit of their goals, …
Read MoreThe PhD in the US: Criticisms, Facts and Remedies
Several initiatives have been developed to address recent criticisms of doctoral education in the U.S. In addition, three major surveys have been undertaken to better understand the process, content, and outcome of doctoral education. This paper explores the criticisms and outlines the initiatives for change. It argues that initiatives for change in doctoral education are important first-step responses to the …
Read MoreSo you want to become a Professor
Respondents give high marks to their history programs for “academic rigor,” and training in “critical thinking” and “data analysis and synthesis.” They also identified areas to target for improvement, including training in writing and publishing reports and articles and in how to teach, as well as providing concrete feedback to students on their progress, socializing students into the academic community …
Read More