Data Sources: Measuring Interdisciplinarity

July 2012

Interdisciplinary study has long been a feature of graduate education and research, but measuring the scope and determining the nature of interdisciplinarity has proven a challenge for survey researchers. Three major data collection efforts on graduate education—the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees, the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering—use taxonomies of fields of study to collect and analyze enrollment and degree data. While this is an efficient method for characterizing enrollment and degrees in programs of study that are based in a single discipline, it is somewhat less effective for measuring interdisciplinarity.

Data Sources: Graduate Student Loans and Debt

June 2012

Student loan debt in the United States is at a record high. In February 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released data indicating that student loan debt reached $867 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, exceeding the $704 billion Americans owed in credit card debt (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2012). The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau puts the student loan debt figure even higher, reporting in March 2012 that student loan debt is estimated to exceed $1 trillion (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 2012). While the exact amount owed in student loans may be in question, it is clear that Americans collectively owe a tremendous amount of money in student loans.

Data Sources: Results from the 2012 CGS Pressing Issues Survey

May 2012

Graduate deans report that their top pressing issues in 2012 are about recruitment, admissions, and enrollment management, according to the Council of Graduate Schools’ (CGS) annual Pressing Issues Survey. Each year, CGS asks graduate deans at member institutions to identify the three most important or “pressing” issues or challenges they currently face. The findings from this Pressing Issues Survey inform CGS about the concerns of graduate deans and help to shape sessions at Summer Workshops, Annual Meetings, and other forums, as well as future best practices projects. The survey has been conducted annually as part of the CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications since 2004 and through the CGS membership survey and other surveys in prior years.

2012 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications

April 2012

The results of the latest International Graduate Admissions Survey show that applications increased 9% between 2011 and 2012.

Data Sources: A Profile of McNair Scholars

April 2012

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, also known as the McNair Scholars Program, is the largest federal effort aimed at preparing low-income, first-generation in college and minority undergraduates to pursue doctoral studies. The McNair Scholars Program is funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s TRIO programs and provides participants with research internships, faculty mentors, opportunities to present and publish results of their research, undergraduate teaching experience, and assistance with applying to and preparing for graduate school.

Data Sources: Strong Employment Growth Expected for Graduate Degree Recipients

March 2012

Individuals with graduate degrees will be in growing demand over the next several years, according to new employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These projections are part of BLS’ biennial examination of expected long-term changes in employment by occupation, industry, level of education, and demographics. The data provide a comprehensive outlook of employment in the United States through 2020.

Data Sources: The Role of Community Colleges on the Pathway to Graduate Degree Attainment

January/February 2012

For many students, the academic journey leading to a graduate degree starts with community college. These institutions provide access to higher education for students who in some cases may not yet even realize that a master’s degree or a doctorate is attainable. For other students, community colleges provide an affordable and/or a convenient means of earning college credit prior to enrolling, or even while enrolled, in a four-year institution.leges on the Pathway to Graduate Degree Attainment

Enrollment and Degrees in Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Programs: 2011

January 2012

The 2011 Professional Science Master’s Enrollment and Degrees Survey collects data on overall enrollment and degrees awarded in Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs. It is the second such survey conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) with a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.