Prospective doctoral students face a daunting challenge choosing between Doctor of Education (EdD) programs and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education due to programmatic ambiguity, inconsistency, and ill-defined career alignment (Carpenter, 1987; Perry, 2012; Shafer & Giblin, 2008). This qualitative study employed comparative analysis to…

Purpose: Program evaluation stands as an evidence-based process that would allow institutions to document and improve the quality of graduate programs and determine how to respond to growing calls for aligning training models to economic realities. This paper aims to present the current state of evaluation in research-based doctoral programs in…

Purpose: This paper provides a cross-national analysis of PhD supervision models, milestones and examination procedures in order to compare PhD programs and their practices. Design/methodology/approach: A comparative approach is employed, which systematically interrogates PhD supervision models, milestones and examination procedures in the United…

Examines seven surveys containing ratings of geography departments that appeared between 1924 and 1980. All the surveys attempted to assess the relative standing of Ph.D.-granting departments of geography in the United States. (RM)

A discussion of the National Research Council's 1995 ranking of research-doctorate programs in the United States criticizes the report for what it does not address, particularly comparisons with the information it disseminated in a 1982 report, some data discrepancies, and central issues such as an institution's available methods of instruction,…

All of the major academic quality rankings of American Ph.D.-granting geography departments during 1925-80 are examined, and trends in the universities and regions in which the best Ph.D.-granting geography departments have been located are analyzed. Seven major ratings of geography departments are considered. Reputational rankings were conducted…

Drawing on a national survey by Barak and Berdahl, this article discusses the trend in many states toward official reviews of doctoral programs. The rationale behind these academic reviews, procedures used, results, and the benefits and problems of review programs are discussed. (SJL)

This paper describes selected issues and concerns facing students who are deciding upon a masters or doctoral program in instructional technology. Issues of recognition, program identification, and environment are considered to help students trying to choose a program from the nearly 200 masters level and over 60 doctoral level programs offered by…

This paper reports the results of a literature reviewed on models or approaches to curriculum development and evaluation used or are currently in use at the college level in recreation and leisure studies. Trends in this field are identified, analyzed, and summarized according to themes. Most of the data available in the literature were about…

Rapid growth in the psychological professional has brought an attempt to make the doctoral degree the minimal credential for entry to independent practice. Examination of the characteristics of doctoral and nondoctoral training programs in school psychology suggests that each type of program has points in its favor. (Author)

Examines criticism of the National Research Council's 1995 report, "Research Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change," which ranks university departments across institutions based on peer ratings. It is argued that the criticisms are not based on the content or design of the study, but reflect general concerns…

Application of experiences in adult and general education to experiential and prior learning in PharmD program development is discussed. Included in the discussion are definitions, program examples, contrasts with traditional programs, quality control procedures, program evaluation, and cost considerations. (MSE)