Abstract

This article compares the hireability of doctoral graduates of online and traditional public affairs programs in the United States. In this context, “hireability” refers to the measure of how likely it is that someone may be hired. There has been an expansion in the number of awarded doctoral degrees, particularly through online degree programs, yet there has not been a commensurate expansion in the number of academic positions. This is especially true in applied fields such as public administration in which online, for-profit institutions are producing 36.2% of doctoral degrees. Furthermore, COVID distancing measures have forced degree programs to shift to mediated instruction, magnifying the importance of comparing program outcomes. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding perceptions of hireability of doctoral program graduates despite the importance for accountability in the higher education marketplace. For this study, we surveyed faculty search committee chairs, program directors, and others involved in hiring for public affairs faculty positions in the U.S. Results indicate substantial differences between the perceived hireability of candidates from online doctoral programs compared to traditional ones. Furthermore, a review of dissertation data shows a stark contrast by type of institution in the subjects researched within the same degree awarded.

摘要

本文比较了美国在线和传统公共事务项目博士毕业生的就业能力。在这种情况下，“可雇用性”是指衡量某人被雇用的可能性。授予博士学位的数量有所增加，尤其是通过在线学位课程，但学术职位的数量并未相应增加。在公共管理等应用领域尤其如此，在这些领域，以营利为目的的在线机构产生了 36.2% 的博士学位。此外，COVID 疏远措施已迫使学位课程转向中介教学，从而放大了比较课程结果的重要性。然而，尽管在高等教育市场中问责很重要，但文献中关于博士课程毕业生可雇用性的看法存在差距。在这项研究中，我们调查了教师搜索委员会主席、项目主管和其他参与招聘美国公共事务教师职位的人员。结果表明，在线博士项目的候选人与传统项目的候选人的可雇佣性存在显着差异。此外，对论文数据的审查显示，在授予相同学位的研究科目中，机构类型形成鲜明对比。和其他参与招聘美国公共事务教师职位的人 结果表明，在线博士课程的候选人与传统候选人相比，在可雇佣性方面存在显着差异。此外，对论文数据的审查显示，在授予相同学位的研究科目中，机构类型形成鲜明对比。和其他参与招聘美国公共事务教师职位的人 结果表明，在线博士课程的候选人与传统候选人相比，在可雇佣性方面存在显着差异。此外，对论文数据的审查显示，在授予相同学位的研究科目中，机构类型形成鲜明对比。