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ERIC Number: ED185916
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1979-Mar-1
Pages: 12
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
How to Assess Quality in Master's Degree Programs--A New and Better Way.
Webster, David S.
Evaluation methods for master's degree programs should be substantially different from those currently used for doctoral degree programs. Three current methods, that of Beverley Hurlbert, that of Jack Gourman, and that using departmental reputations as the major criterion, are insufficient. Elements that should be included in the evaluation are the department itself, ancillary departments that could reasonably be expected to attract a substantial number of students from the department being rated, campus facilities used by the department, and the advantages and disadvantages of the surrounding community for the subject being studied. Department measures include: the faculty's scholarship; amount of time faculty devote to teaching, advising, guiding student research, and student contact; quality of students, measured by Graduate Record Examination scores, undergraduate grades weighted by college quality, and current jobs and cumulative experience; student participation in department and campus life; and graduate placement record. Campus-wide measures include strength and accessibility of related departments, and the quality of facilities a program draws upon most. Although the community environs should be considered, they should not be weighted too heavily. A list of references is included. (MSE)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Guides - Non-Classroom
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at a conference on assessing quality in master's degree programs (University of Maryland, College Park, MD, March 1, 1979). Best copy available.