Career Path Analysis in Assessment of Scholarship to Work Focus for Practitioner Doctorate Degrees Rob Olding, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Assessment School of Advanced Studies Mercedes Valadez, Ph.D. Assessment Coordinator (SAS) Office of Assessment

Scholarship to Work: A major aspect of Practitioner Doctorate Degrees Career Path Analysis is an assessment method oriented toward the career outcomes of successful (completed) graduates applied here to practitioner doctorates

Career Path Analysis is linked directly to Alumni Surveys as a data source Research regarding the career paths of graduating doctorates was to some extent pioneered by Maresi Nerad and Joseph Cerny (1999a; 1999b). However that work was concentrated on Ph.D. recipients. Practitioner doctorates have remained virtually unexplored.  Includes cross sectional design “snap shots” of graduates pursuing their careers  Includes longitudinal design follow ups to alumni on a repeated measures basis over time (career development)  Requires specific survey items and an awareness of the type of relationships being explored

The research questions have been: “Where do graduating doctorates work? What compensation do they receive? What are their levels of satisfaction?” ­ Alumni data concerning how graduates have fared in employment is an important matter. But… not always analyzed to optimal benefit of the university.  The UOPX School of Advanced Studies entered into Alumni Surveys of graduating doctorates early.  Survey data exists from 2008 and 2012 in substantial amounts. However efforts to leverage that data has been quite limited.

Comparison Items Participants 2008 (n = 422)Participants 2012 (n = 630) Employed full-time, part-time or self-employed while attending program. 98.2% 97.8% Employment subsequent to achieving doctorate degree, full- time, part-time or self-employed. 96.9% 95.8% How close current job matches doctoral degree field. Directly related or somewhat related. 94.7% 91.7% Promotion since achieving the doctorate degree? 56.6% 61.0% Increase in compensation since completing the doctorate degree? 57.7% 58.4% Key Career Path Related Items from 2008 and 2012 UOPX SAS Alumni Surveys - Note that there are only a few matching items to allow for comparison across years.

Career Path Analysis must contextualize data ­ Note from previous slide that the percentage of UOPX Practitioner Doctorates responding to the survey that were employed was: ­ During Program 2008 = 98.2% ­ During Program 2012 = 97.8% ­ Subsequent to Program 2008 = 96.9% ­ Subsequent to Program 2012 = 95.8% ­ The total difference only 1.1% (Not statistically different at.05) ­ Contextualized to the national conditions of the period (remarkable)!

Seasonally Adjusted Series title: (Seasonal) Unemployment Rate Labor force status: Unemployment rate Type of data: Percent or rate Age: 16 years and over United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Rate Highest sustained rate of unemployment since the “Great Depression!”

­ University of Phoenix (UOPX) School of Advanced Studies (SAS) Graduates are employed at a MUCH higher rate than the national average for employment and were during the worst employment downturn in the 21 st Century. ­ Further, the great majority of UOPX SAS practitioner doctorates are employed in the “Business, Government, Non-Profit” (BGN) sectors as opposed to the “Academy” in higher education. ­ The BGN was hardest hit during the period. Career Path Analysis Inference:

­ 2008: 94.7% indicated the job they held was directly or somewhat related to their degree. ­ 2012: 91.7% indicated the job they held was directly or somewhat related to their degree. ­ While reliable data regarding this same issue in PhD programs is difficult to ascertain, there are few claims backed by datamatching those above. Item: How close current job matches doctoral degree field. Directly related or somewhat related.

­ In 2008 a total of 56.6% of responding doctoral alumni reported they had been promoted and 57.7% indicated that they received a raise. ­ In 2012 a total of 61% of responding doctoral alumni reported they had been promoted and 58.4% indicated that they received a raise. Advancement and Compensation:

­ Substantial majorities have received promotions and raises ­ Employment is very high ­ The data contextualized to the national and international employment conditions over the period (2008 – 2012) add to the positive outcomes Career Indicators appear strong for Practitioner Doctorates.

­ Ensure that items are aligned across career oriented questions each year to allow for trends. ­ Capture identifiers that will allow matching respondents to previous survey responses to create a longitudinal focus. ­ Ensure that data analysis protocols are standardized for career analysis of pertinent outcomes. ­ Take actions to encourage continued participation by Alumni completing practitioner doctorates. How can we improve this sort of analysis?

­ A consistent analytical approach that emphasizes short and long term outcomes. ­ Data that translates directly to potential prospective student recruitment and active student persistence/retention (i.e., empirical support for the benefit of the degrees to those who have completed. ­ Strong data source for use with accreditors and others. Advantages to consider:

Questions?

Aanerud, R., Homer, L., Nerad, M., & Cerny, J. (2006). Paths and perceptions: Assessing doctoral education using career path analysis. In Maki, Peggy L. & Borkowski, Nancy A. (Eds.), The assessment of doctoral education: Emerging criteria and new models for improving outcomes (pp ). Stylus Publishing LLC, Sterling, Virginia. References

Contact Information: ­ Rob Olding, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Assessment, School of Advanced Studies ­ ­ Mercedes Valadez, Ph.D., Assessment Coordinator, Office of Assessment ­