Ph.D. turnout low in Nevada

Jennifer Knight

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001 | 11:21 a.m.

Nevada's universities ranked a paltry 44th nationally in the number of doctoral degrees it produced in 1999, according to a University of Chicago study.

But UNLV bucked the national trend by graduating more Ph.D. students than the year before, while the rest of the nation saw a dip in its production.

UNLV and University of Nevada, Reno -- the state's two doctorate granting institutions -- handed out 85 degrees in 1999, according to statistics provided by the "Survey of Earned Doctorates," an annual study released by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center.

The lion's share of the degrees came from UNR, which handed out 62 doctorates. UNLV conferred about 23.

"Should the number be higher? Sure," Paul Ferguson, UNLV's dean of graduate studies, said. "But, if you look at the snapshot and compare us to someone like UC-Berkeley, that's not a fair comparison because they have the infrastructure. So far, Nevada is fairly new to the institution of research doctoral programs."

The state's ranking was low, even compared with those of similar size. Out of eight states on the list with populations between 1 million and 1.9 million, only two placed lower on the list than Nevada: Idaho and Maine.

The study noted that nationally Ph.D. completion rates have slipped to their lowest point in 14 years, down 3.6 percent from 1997-98. Nevada is poised to buck that trend.

UNLV increased the number of doctorates awarded from 19 in 1998 to 23 in 1999, and graduated another 30 doctoral candidates last spring.

UNR handed out 72 doctorates in '98, dipped in '99 to 62, but grew again last spring, granting the top degree to 84 candidates.

The nation's booming economy has played a factor.

"If you've got a booming economy that doesn't rely heavily on doctorate- degreed candidates, you will see a dip," said Tom Hoffer, an education researcher who co-authored the study for National Opinion Research Center.

UNLV's low Ph.D. production rate is due largely to its relatively new foray into doctoral programs, Ferguson said. Most of the programs began in the early 1980s and 1990s. The other reason is not enough funding.

But perhaps the biggest hurdle that the university has to overcome is its lack of defined mission for what it wants to become.

University system officials are trying to do just that. A new study has been commissioned to take a hard look at the institutional infrastructure of the state's university and college system.

The preliminary report, authored by Rand Corp., points out the role that doctoral programs play, stating, "graduate programs and research capabilities are both extremely important for the development of intellectual talent and economic growth."

But Rand also warned against trying to become all things to all people.

"We're not sure if the state, given its size, should have two large, widespread research programs trying to emulate the big 10 research institutions," Richard Hersh, an education expert for Rand, said. "More important is how good are the doctoral programs. I would rather have relatively few doctoral students but everyone who comes out of the program is recognized nationally."

Last year UNR garnered $87 million in outside support, a large amount of which will go toward research, said Linda Brinkley, UNR's vice president for research and dean of the graduate school. UNLV managed to secure $28 million, Ferguson said.

The two institutions have also just received upgrades in their research status by the Carnegie Foundation, a designation that will bring in more funding.

"I think UNR has made significant gains," Brinkley said. "But it's an older institution that's had time to establish its niche. I presume that UNLV will do same."