Demand for an Interdisciplinary PhD in Public Affairs

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Demand for an Interdisciplinary PhD in Public Affairs Custom Brief February 4, 2010 RESEARCH ASSOCIATE Jeff Durkin RESEARCH MANAGER Aashna Kircher TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Methodology II. Executive Overview III. Enrollment in Peer Programs IV. Employer Demand for Subfields V. Strategies for Growth Networking Contacts THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY WASHINGTON, D.C.

2 I. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Project Challenge: A member institution approached the Council with the following questions: What trends are peer institutions seeing in enrollment and demand in various subfields of public affairs at the doctoral level? What strategies can an institution use to grow an interdisciplinary PhD program in public affairs? Sources: Best Public Affairs Schools. U.S. News and World Report. Accessed December < PA Times. American Society for Public Administration, Parameters: The Council interviewed departmental leaders at institutions with doctoral programs in public affairs. The Council focused on programs ranked highly in U.S. News and World Report in general public affairs or in key subfields identified by the requesting member, including budgeting and public finance, nonprofit management, and city management and urban planning The Advisory Board Company 2

3 I. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (CONT.) Institution A Guide to the Institutions Profiled in this Brief Sector Campus Setting University A Public City: Large University B Public City: Small University C Private City: Large University D Public City: Small University E Public City: Small University F Public City: Midsize University G Public City: Small University H Public City: Small University I Public City: Large Carnegie Classification Doctoral/ University Universities (very high research activity) Universities (very high research activity) Master's Colleges and Universities (medium programs) Universities (very high research activity) Universities (very high research activity) Universities (very high research activity) Universities (high research activity) Universities (very high research activity) Program Name Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Public Affairs Ph.D., Public Affairs Ph.D., Politics Ph.D., Public Affairs Ph.D., Public Administration & Policy Ph.D., Public Administration Ph.D., Public Administration Ph.D., Public Affairs Ph.D., Public Policy and Management 2011 The Advisory Board Company 3

4 II. EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Key Observations: Most doctoral programs at contact institutions accommodate cohorts to be between five and twelve students. Faculty size is a key constraint on program growth, especially in programs where faculty play an intensive role in overseeing the dissertation phase of a student s candidacy or in job placement. Departments admit a mix of mid-career practitioners and academically-oriented students and a mix of full- and part-time students. However, most contacts emphasize the need for fulltime students to ensure a highly academic focus. Financial aid policies typically include full funding for full-time students for at least three years. Some institutions have more limited funds and are not able to fully fund all full-time students; however, contacts note that external funding sources can cover an additional two or three students in some programs. Summer funding is less common, although at one institution, obtaining a research position frequently allows students to earn an income during the summer. Unmet demand exists in non-profit management and budgeting and public finance. Contacts are enthusiastic about the ability of PhD graduates to find positions in this field and in both cases, graduates may earn high salaries. A Council analysis of recently published dissertations demonstrates relatively few graduates in either subfield. Little evidence exists of unmet demand for PhDs in local governance and administration. Contacts do not express as much optimism about the prospects for graduates in this field as they do about non-profit management or budgeting and public finance, and the Council analysis reveals a large number of dissertations published in local policy. Contacts volunteer several strategies for program growth, including using faculty networks, using social network sites, developing a strong program niche, recruiting on-campus, and emphasizing faculty reputations The Advisory Board Company 4

5 III. ENROLLMENT IN PEER PROGRAMS Drivers of Program Size Most contacts report high demand for the PhD program. For example, University B is able to maintain an eight percent acceptance rate, and University D enjoys high demand as well. In fact, it is faculty size that constrains the size of programs in several ways. Faculty size limits capacity for oversight of the dissertation phase. At University A, the willingness of faculty members to oversee the dissertation phase of each student s trajectory through the program determines program size. This limitation is the result of the program s curriculum structure: besides a single course preparing candidates for the PhD examinations, the department relies on its existing base of master s courses for PhD coursework. As a result, adding PhD students only affects the department s instructional costs to a limited extent. However, because the department does not offer a methods course, PhD students are expected to absorb research methods insight through more involved faculty oversight in the dissertation phase. Typically, the department does not admit PhD candidates unless a particular faculty member agrees upfront to bear responsibility for shepherding the student through the dissertation phase. Faculty size limits capacity to assist in job placement. Contacts at University E note that tenured faculty members have wider professional networks and as a result can assist graduating PhD students in finding a job more than junior faculty members can. At University E, the number of tenured faculty has declined in recent years, causing the department to downsize from incoming cohorts of between nine and eleven students to cohorts of between five and eight students per year. Enrollment Characteristics Size and Age of Profiled PhD programs Formed in Cohort Institution Last Ten Size Years? University A 5-15 University B University C 5 University D 10 University E 5-8 University F 6-8 University G 5 University H University I 4-5 Departments strive to enroll full-time students as opposed to part-time students; in fact, several contacts cite this strategy as a key way to maintain the academic quality of a PhD program. In addition, faculty members at University G believe that full-time candidacy is key to socializing students to academic culture The Advisory Board Company 5

6 III. ENROLLMENT IN PEER PROGRAMS Institution Enrollment Patterns Notes Origin of students: 1/3 enter from the University s master s program 1/3 enter directly into the PhD program 1/3 are international Destination of students: University A Most students are bound for academic positions. The institution previously admitted a number of mid-career professionals, but contacts explain that they feared that the degree was merely a credential and that these students contributed to an atmosphere of anti-intellectualism. Striving for a more intellectual and theoretical atmosphere, the department now seeks students bound for academic careers. For example, the department screens applicants through a personal statement and a personal interview; in particular, students who do not plan to take a break from their job to work on a dissertation raise a red flag. Destination of students: University B The department has always maintained a core of full-time U.S. and international students who are bound for academic positions or positions with think tanks. Contacts estimate that the number of qualified applicants has increased by 50 percent over the past five years while the number of accepted students has increased by 25 percent suggesting that the institution is steadily growing more selective. The department also enrolls a small number of students who are employed and seek a PhD for professional advancement. The department formerly enrolled a small number of international students whose governments sponsor their studies, but the faculty were somewhat dissatisfied with the caliber of these students. Destination of students: University C Almost all students are researchers, bound for an academic position at a university or a research position at a think tank or in government. The department also accepts a limited number of mid-career professionals The Advisory Board Company 6

7 III. ENROLLMENT IN PEER PROGRAMS (CONT.) Institution Enrollment Patterns Notes Destination of students: University E Most students are bound for research positions. Contacts estimate that approximately 60 percent of students seek tenure-track positions at universities and another 20 percent will join think tanks or seek government research positions. The remaining students tend to find other positions, such as jobs with foundations. Destination of students: Key trends: 2/3 of students are mid-career professionals 1/3 of students are seeking an academic position University H The department is considering an increase in the quantitative rigor of the program as part of a push to expand the number of students seeking an academic position. However, department leaders fear that increasing quantitative rigor would dissuade some students with less quantitative backgrounds (nursing, environmental studies) whose presence is nonetheless key to maintaining an interdisciplinary culture to the program The Advisory Board Company 7

8 IV. FINANCIAL AID POLICIES Financial packages at institutions are largely uniform. At most institutions, contacts stress that as a matter of policy, institutions do not guarantee uniform financial aid, while in practice, full funding for a certain number of years is available to full-time students. University A University B University C University D University E University F University H Full-time students receive full support during the school year, but not during the summer. Contacts point out that students with quantitative skills typically experience little trouble finding work in one of the University s research centers during the summer, while students with a more qualitative focus may encounter more difficulty. Students receive full tuition remission and a ten-month stipend for four years. Students earn the stipend by teaching a course, participating in research, or assuming administrative roles. Students receive full tuition support for the duration of the program. Recently the department has added a stipend for four years. The institution occasionally provides summer support, although it does not promise this. Though the typical cohort is ten students, the department is limited to five graduate assistantships per year plus a stipend. The department awards these assistantships to full-time students, in part based on academic qualifications and in part in order to achieve a measure of diversity among candidates in the program. For example, the current group of students holding assistantships represents a mixture of candidates with undergraduate degrees, MPAs, and MBAs. The package typically includes funding for three years, with eligibility for the fourth year. We re trying to create an interdisciplinary group of students that mirrors our interdisciplinary program. - Council Interview The University s funding streams are currently highly constrained. The University is typically able to fund three students per year, for three years each. The department guarantees three years of funding explicitly, contingent on successful academic performance. Typically, students who demonstrate satisfactory progress will receive a fourth year of funding. State funding is only for nine months, although students on grants may have different packages. The department offers assistantships to students who demonstrate a strong academic performance, enroll in at least nine credit hours per semester, and who demonstrate the capacity to assist faculty members. These assistantships primarily entail serving as a research or teaching assistant, although some students engage in community outreach or administrative service. The institution avoids using PhD students as primary instructors for undergraduate classes in order to preserve the quality of its undergraduate courses. The assistantship covers 100 percent of tuition and fees and is accompanied by a small stipend. While the institution currently offers summer funding, this policy may change due to budgetary constraints The Advisory Board Company 8

9 V. EMPLOYER DEMAND FOR SUBFIELDS Contacts express various perspectives on employer demand for certain subfields within public affairs: Local Government Non-Profit Management Contacts do not typically report high demand in this field. Contacts at University A suggest that because local government is still coming into its own as an accepted sub-field in public affairs, graduates in this subfield may wish to cross-list themselves in another subfield such as organizational theory. Contacts at University E see demand outpacing supply in this field, noting that when the public administration department at that University advertises for a position in non-profit management, the department receives only about half as many applications as would be expected for a public affairs position. Contacts also note that graduates in this field can earn high salaries. Contacts at University G note that high growth at the master s level in this field may be augur future growth at the doctoral level. Budgeting and Public Finance All contacts who express an opinion on budgeting and public finance agree that the demand for PhDs in this subfield far outstrips the supply. I wish I had a PhD in public finance -Council Interview Contacts at University B report that virtually all of the department s graduates find a teaching position at a university and do so with less difficulty than graduates from other subfields. Contacts at University E add that these positions can be extremely Even the top institutions in the field are well-paying. calling me for graduates. Some contacts cite -Council Interview budgeting and public finance as a difficult field to develop strength in due to unmet demand in the job market. Contacts at University C have experienced difficulty in recruiting in this department The Advisory Board Company 9

10 V. EMPLOYER DEMAND FOR SUBFIELDS (CONT.) The Council performed an analysis of recently awarded doctoral degrees in public administration and public affairs, as reported in ASPA s 2010 Education Supplement. The Council categorized degrees into several categories: 1. Human resource management: Dissertations concerning the management of the public workforce 2. Organizational theory: Dissertations concerning the effect of organization on policy making 3. Ethics: Dissertations concerning ethical norms and perceptions of ethical norms in public administration issues 4. Policy analysis: Dissertations analyzing government-created economic and social policy, excluding taxation and budgeting 5. Public finance and budgeting: Dissertations analyzing taxation, public budgets, and public finance 6. Voters and interest groups: Dissertations analyzing the role and behavior of non-government actors in issues of public administration and public affairs 7. International affairs: Dissertations concerning American foreign policy and the domestic and foreign policies of other nations 8. Other: Dissertations not falling into categories 1-7, including dissertations on public health, economics, and the history of public administration In 2010, the following distribution of dissertations occurred: Number of dissertations published in subfields of public administration and public affairs (2010) Human resource management 8 Organizational Theory in Public Administration 33 Ethics 3 Policy Analysis 51 Public Finance and Budgeting 10 Voters and Interest Groups 14 International Affairs 27 Other Number of Dissertations 2011 The Advisory Board Company 10

11 V. EMPLOYER DEMAND FOR SUBFIELDS (CONT.) The Council was unable to create a comparable distribution of academic job openings, as it was unable to locate comprehensive job listings with enough openings that could be categorized in similar categories. Nonetheless the distribution of dissertations suggests several conclusions: A relatively low number of dissertations were published in 2010 in public finance and budgeting, reinforcing the consensus among contacts that the supply of PhDs in this subfield remains low. The low number of dissertations published on voters and interest groups suggests an undersupply of PhDs in nonprofit management. The bulk of the dissertations in organizational theory in public administration and policy analysis concerned local and state governance in fact, only a small number of dissertations concerned federal policymaking. This fact suggests that the market for local administration is not underserved The Advisory Board Company 11

12 V. STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH Strategy Leveraging Faculty Networks Using Social Networking Sites Developing a Strong Niche Recruiting Oncampus Emphasizing Faculty Reputations Strategies for Program Growth at Contact Institutions Description Several contacts cite faculty networks as a way to find and recruit potential applicants. At University D, whose program is relatively young, networking is a key strategy. University D is also using Facebook to advertise its program. Because the department at University D is relatively small, department administrators seek to distinguish the program through a strong focus. The department has chosen to focus on community development, based on the strength of the current faculty as well as the University s proximity to Philadelphia and Trenton. Contacts at University G also recommend establishing a strong niche to differentiate the program. Contacts at University G suggest on-campus recruiting at the institution in order to attract students at the undergraduate and master s level. University A has a lower research profile compared to many other institutions profiled in this brief. However, the department has a number of recognized faculty with prominent research profiles. The department encouraging candidates to take advantage of this by publishing at least one and preferably two joint papers The Advisory Board Company 12

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