Building on elementary and secondary education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), higher education in science and engineering (S&E) and S&E-related fields is essential to developing the talent of U.S. adults and attracting and retaining talent from around the world. This report describes U.S. undergraduate and…

From an economic perspective, the arrival of international students on Canadian campuses can represent a flow of highly skilled talent that can help ease domestic skills shortages not filled by the native-born population. A recent study notes that of the cohort of international students who came to Canada to study during the 1990s and early 2000s,…

This article characterizes and measures errors in the 2010 National Research Council (NRC) assessment of research-doctorate programs in geography. This article provides a conceptual model for data-based sources of uncertainty and reports on a quantitative assessment of NRC research data uncertainty for a particular geography doctoral program.…

This article reports the authors' research which combined quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze a rather intangible phenomenon of interest to higher education researchers and administrators, that being "departmental climate" (often referred to as "academic climate"). This investigation required the authors to develop a method by which…

Using a conceptual model, this study examines the variables associated with the "U.S. News and World Report" peer assessment ratings of graduate and professional schools in business, education, engineering, law, and medicine. What are the correlates of prestige among the nation's leading graduate and professional schools, and are they consistent…

This study aimed to provide evidence to guide decisions on the type and timing of assessments in a graduate medical programme, by identifying whether students from particular degree backgrounds face greater difficulty in satisfying the current assessment requirements. We examined the performance rank of students in three types of assessments and…

The 2017 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 53rd in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the principles of assessment in online education are reflected in the assessment activities used by the developers and administrators of actual online distance courses. Three online distance education programs provided at a large mid-west university were analyzed; the School of Continuing…

Examines some fundamental assumptions that have informed recent policy on doctoral research in the United Kingdom in light of empirical, quantitative research on doctoral supervisors and their students, and argues those assumptions are insensitive to significant differences between academic cultures of different disciplines. Looks at issues of…

Graduate faculty in six fields of study judged (1) the importance for academic success of various analytical skills; (2) the seriousness of various reasoning errors; and (3) the degree to which "critical incidents" had affected their estimations of students' analytical abilities. (Author/MLW)

The 2016 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 52nd in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…

A study investigated differences in graduate student supervision across disciplines at a Canadian research university. Most departments reported having some policies or procedures, but they tended not to be explicit. According to program directors, the two most important supervisor qualities were knowledge of research field and availability.…

Examined why graduate students take longer to complete humanities and social sciences degrees than natural sciences degrees. Found that field differences in knowledge structures and the organization of research have significant implications for research training. "Hard" fields have a directed supervision model and close relationship…

This book reports findings of a study comparing how the leading institutions of higher education in England, France, and the United States conduct their graduate programs in political science. Institutions studied were: Cambridge University, Oxford University, and the University of London in England; the University of Paris 1 (Sorbonne), Institute…

United States institutions awarded 42,705 doctorates in 1997, the highest one-year total ever, and a 32% increase over a decade ago. Some fields, primarily the sciences and engineering, experienced declines. Data are presented on the demographic characteristics and employment/postdoctoral education plans of doctorate recipients, institutions…