Canadian Graduate Education in the News

Canadian graduate education has been all over the news lately. A number of recent articles have stirred the pot, so to speak, on a number of debates going on in the higher education arena, particularly with regards to times to completion and the poor job market new Ph.D.'s are currently facing. At Queen's, the dean of the School of Graduate Studies responded to a column expressing concern over a new policy that aimes to lower graduate student times to completion. Meanwhile, Speculative Diction blogger Melonie Fullick revisits the job crisis and the purpose of doctoral education in a Globe and Mail article

PhD Reform?

Attention has been drawn to doctoral education in the popular media lately. An article and blog post in University Affairs call for PhD reform in Canada, prompted by the release of exclusive date on completion rates and times to completion that have not been published elsewhere. While this data is not comprehensive, representing only eight of the 15 top research-intensive universities- none of them identified, it helps to create a picture, of what has been termed elsewhere the ‘crisis’ in doctoral education. This data, provided by a group of the country’s leading research-intensive universities, known as the U-15, shows that of a 2001 PhD cohort, 55.8% of those in humanities, and 65.1% of social science students completed their programs, compared to 78.3% in the health sciences and 75.4% in the physical sciences. Times to completion were also highest in these disciplines, with humanities students taking, on average, 18.25 terms, or just over six years, and those in social science programs averaging 17 terms. This data substantiates earlier research that found that fewer than half of those who start a doctoral program in the humanities and social sciences actually graduate; these faculties have the lowest completion rates at both the master’s and doctoral degree levels. Doctoral students in these fields of study are also reported to have the longest times to completion, with averages hovering around 77 months, according to statistics released by the Canadian Association of University Teachers.

Canadian Graduate Student Satisfaction with Academic Experience and Student Life

A new report released today by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) shows that graduate students remain satisfied with their education, although satisfaction has dropped slightly since 2007. Using data from the 2007 and 2010 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS), the report explores what influences graduate students’ satisfaction with their universities, programs of study, academic experiences and faculty supervisors; what influences students’ perceptions of the quality of teaching and learning; and how graduate student satisfaction levels differed between 2007 and 2010. The report uses data from 15 Ontario universities in 2007 and 17 in 2010. While the satisfaction levels of doctoral students have decreased slightly, the study showed greater satisfaction with the quality of professional skills development they received in 2010 compared to 2007. This may suggest the success of some institutions’ initiatives – such as the Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) Program at the University of Toronto. Policy recommnendations suugest that the government continue to work with universities and their graduate deans to promote and support initiatives and best practices that improve graduate student preparation for the labour market.

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.

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.