Graduate Programs for Student Services Professionals on the Rise in Canada

An article appeared today on University Affairs about the growth of graduate programs for student services professionals in Canada. In recent years, masters and doctoral programs with specializations in the student services field have been implemented. As the article notes, Memorial University was one of the first to offer such a program, introducing the master's of education in post-secondary studies with a specialization in student services in 1998. Next fall, the University of Toronto will introduce a master's of education degree with a specialization in student affairs and student development. Many graduate programs in student services are offered part-time and online to accommodate working professionals. While such initiatives are fairly new to Canada, "the field is quite old in the U.S." according to Tony Chambers, associate professor of higher education at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

Canadian Trends in Graduate Education

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has released its annual Almanac of Post-Secondary Education in Canada. Highlights with regards to graduate education include the following:

- In 2008, Canadian universities awarded 36,423 Master's and 4,962 Doctorates.

- Women accounted for 56% of Master's program enrollments and 47% at the PhD level in 2008-2009.

- In 2008-2009, International students made up 15% of Master's and 21% of PhD program enrollments.

- In Newfoundland and Labrador, at the Master's level, the majority of Master's degrees awarded in 2008 went to women in all disciplines, with the exception of Architecture, Engineering, and Related Technologies, where they accounted for only 22.2%; and Mathematics, Computer and Information Sciences (28.6%). Overall, women accounted for 58.5% of Master's degrees that were awarded in the province.

- at the national level, women lagged behind men in the number of Doctorates awarded in 2008 in most fields, with the exception of the following fields: Business, Management and Public Administration (50.8%); Education (67.8%); Health, Parks, Recreation and Fitness (59.1%); Social and Behavioural Sciences, and Law (60.2%).

The full Almanac can be read here.

Trends in U.S. Graduate Education II

A new report, “Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2000 to 2010”, was released last week by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). According to the press release, enrolment of new graduate students at U.S. schools decreased for the first time since 2003, by 1.1% from 2009 to 2010. This, despite an 8.4% increase in applications; the report states that approximately 42% of all graduate applications were accepted.

Other findings from the report include the following:

- women accounted for 58% of first time graduate students, and 59% of all graduate students, in fall 2010. They also earned two-thirds of graduate certificates, 60% of master’s degrees, and 52% of doctorates awarded in 2009-10. The academic year of 2009-10 academic year marks the second consecutive year women have earned the majority of doctoral degrees in the U.S.

- While approximately three-quarters of all graduate students were enrolled in masters’ degree or graduate certificate programs, total enrolment increased faster at the doctoral level (3.3%) than at the master’s degree and graduate certificate level (0.5%) between fall 2009 and 2010. First-time graduate enrolment increased 1.5% at the doctoral level, but fell 1.6% at the master’s degree and graduate certificate level.

- More than half of all graduate students in fall 2010 were enrolled in programs in education, business, or health sciences.

The full report can be read here.

The PhD Movie

The PhD Movie, based on PhD Comics, is being screened tonight at Memorial University. The trailer, along with a screening schedule, can be found here.

Canadian and Local Trends at the Highest Levels of Tertiary Education

A new report has been released by the Canadian Education Statistics Council, entitled Education Indicators in Canada: An International Perspective 2011. With regards to graduate education, here are some highlights:

- Graduation rates at the tertiary-type A level (bachelor and masters degrees; other university degrees or certificates above a bachelor's degree but below a doctorate) for first-time graduates were higher for women in all Canadian provinces in 2008. The Canadian average was 45.8% for women and 28.3% for men. The earnings of women with any kind of tertiary education were still only 63% of men's however, an increase of only 2% since 1998.

- International students accounted for 1/5 (20.2%) of enrollment in advanced research programmes (doctorates and post-doctorates) in Canada in 2008. In Newfoundland and Labrador, international students accounted for 30% of those enrolled in these programmes.

-At the highest levels of tertiary education (Type-A and advanced research), Canada exceeded the international figure (25% versus 21%) for completion.

-While Newfoundland and Labrador exceeded the Canadian average (40.3% versus 36.9%)for completion of tertiary-type A education as a first-time graduate, the province had the lowest employment rates of those aged 25-64 years at all levels of educational attainment.

A Profile of Graduate and First-Professional Students in the U.S.

A new report was recently released by the U.S. department of education; prepared by the National Center for Education Statistics. The report draws on data from the 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study and takes a look at the enrolment characteristics of graduate and first-professional students, when they started their programs, how they combined school and work; the costs of attending, and the sources used to pay for their education, including amounts provided. Highlighted key findings from the report include the following:

* About 65% of all graduate/first-professional students were enrolled in master’s degree programs (31% in education). 15% were enrolled in doctoral programs (60% in a PhD program); 9% were in first-professional programs (51% were in law).

* Students in MBA programs and master’s or doctoral programs in education were more likely to have delayed enrolment in graduate education after completing their undergraduate degrees, to work full time, and to be enrolled part time, compared to medical, health science and law students who tended to be enrolled full time and within two years of earning a Bachelor’s degree, and not work full time,

* Average total costs of full time, full year attendance ranged from $28,400 for a Master’s degree program at a public institution to $52,500 for a first-professional program at a private non-profit institution.

* 91% of doctoral students received some type of financial aid. Doctoral students (except for those in education) were most likely to receive grants and the least likely to take out loans; borrowing was more common amongst first-professional students than master’s or doctoral students. Education doctoral students received financial aid less commonly than other doctoral students; relied solely on loans more commonly than Ph.D. students in other fields.

The full report can be found here:

An Overeducated Populace

Recently, The New York Times devoted a special issue to graduate school. Among the advice columns and opinion pieces, an article titled “The Master’s as the New Bachelor’s” takes a look at credential inflation and the difficult task facing new university graduates of marketing their degree to potential, often disinterested employers. According to Debra W. Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, a master’s level education is quickly becoming the entry degree in many professions. Partly responsible for this trend is the fact that increasing numbers of graduates are returning to school at the graduate level, a common reason for this was the recent economic downturn. The high numbers of job applicants with multiple degrees is leaving employers with little choice but to use education as a way of sorting through applications, and those with graduate degrees come out on top. Rising in popularity in the U.S. is the professional science mater’s degree, which combines job specific training with business skills, and demonstrates a shifting focus towards professionalizing degrees and “learning for the real world”. This trend is spreading beyond the master’s degree to the Ph.D. level, and humanities departments are being urged to get on board. People are frequently heard joking that soon one will need a Ph.D. for the most mundane of jobs, but at what point will universities and society at large determine that enough is enough?