A steep and continuing national decline in master's program applications is influencing applicant pool composition, enrollments, and programs. Reasons include immediate and long-term economic considerations and current lessened interest in social reform and human service. Both educational and professional questions are raised by these…

A multi-stage modeling and analysis approach that may be used to assess overall performance of an educational program from the current student's viewpoint is described, and applied in two waves (1989, n=350; 1992, n=779) to a master's in business administration degree program. The statistical model estimates relative importance attributed by…

Creative Arts in Learning, a master's degree program at Lesley College Graduate School, acknowledges the importance of teacher creativity. By feeding teachers' inner lives, the arts can transform the tone of classrooms or entire schools. Courses in storytelling, visual arts, and drama help teachers demystify the arts, learn alternative…

Draws on experience developing a Web-based master's program in TESOL for Newport Asia Pacific University (NAPU), a relatively new virtual university based in Newport Beach, California that offers graduate programs in TESOL, teaching Japanese as a second language, intercultural communication, and business administration. Discusses the challenges…

Demonstrates how alumni research can be designed to focus program assessment on student outcomes and be responsive to program goals, administrators' policy concerns, faculty instructional values, and professional practice standards. Based on study of 347 teacher education master's degree recipients, the paper presents a conceptual framework and…

Examines masters and doctoral programs at Nova Southeastern University (FL) that rely on technological delivery systems: autobridge, videotapes, electronic mail, compressed video, electronic library access, bulletin boards, and a virtual classroom. A survey of doctoral students indicated that the students received instruction which enabled them to…

Three teams of prospective teachers created and presented school "portraits" based on research in an elementary school. Their stories revealed that each team moved from an external point of view to one situated in the actions of teaching. Their efforts to construct their own stories had a powerful impact on their knowledge, relationships…

Discusses the restructuring of the graduate program to accommodate emerging fields in engineering. Notes half of the graduate degrees Cornell grants each year are M.Eng. degrees. Offers 12 specialties: aerospace, agriculture, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical and nuclear engineering; computer science, engineering physics; geological…

A 1991 study of 136 graduate social work students determined students' status as adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) by self-report and standardized screening test scores, and evaluated mental health functioning with four standardized measures. Results found that 47% of the social work students were ACAs, and not all (or only) ACAs were vulnerable…

Discusses the state of leadership education for teachers today, focusing on the needs of teachers who wish to be more influential in their schools. A successful teacher leadership program (University of Redlands, California) is outlined as a promising way to promote the skills necessary for teachers to become confident leaders. (SM)

Few graduate social work curricula include training in private practice. A study found that attitudes of social work faculty and students concerning this issue differ significantly. It is suggested that creative approaches for integrating the realities of professional practice with the traditional values and mission of social work be developed.…

Reports on a study of the apparently paradoxical absence of background socioeconomic status (SES) effects on school continuation by college graduates. Finds results consistent with earlier studies of SES impact on schooling and explains the absence of parental SES effects on schooling beyond college. (CFR)

The authors argue that a recently proposed Minnesota policy for implementing full-cost tuition in selected practitioner master's degree programs in state institutions is counterproductive. The proposed policy is examined as a case study of probable supply and demand effects on student enrollments and institutional vitality. (Author/MSE)

A study drew on data from a major longitudinal study to examine whether graduate business administration students experienced a hiatus in educational careers and whether work/education profiles differed from other graduate students. Results indicate interrupting education between bachelor's and master's degrees correlates with part-time enrollment…

A national survey of graduate-program chairs (n=28) and graduate students (n=131) in social and administrative sciences gathered information on research-methods courses and other curricular data, including core/required courses; subject area emphasis; where and how students gain knowledge in specific areas; importance of level of preparation in…