Lax PhD entry requirements need reform, says study

University sectors have been urged to consider introducing systematic entry arrangements for doctoral education, amid warnings that ad hoc and often lenient PhD admission mechanisms?may be failing to filter out applicants who do not have what it takes.

A compiled by Australian researchers on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 PhD found?that 60 per cent or more of would-be doctoral candidates were being accepted in some departments and faculties.

¡°Such high admission rates raise questions about entry standards,¡± 바카라사이트 report says, suggesting that many incoming PhD students struggle to meet expectations. ¡°Traditional admissions pathways can¡­fail to clarify competence and potential.¡±

The recommendation for admissions reform is among 12 ¡°ideas for improvement¡± stemming from 바카라사이트 project led by 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, which was conceived in 2014 as a ¡°landmark rethinking of 바카라사이트 doctorate¡±. The report offers a doctoral ¡°design architecture¡± in response to widespread recognition that Australia needs a ¡°more coherent approach¡± to PhD training.

The architecture can ¡°help clarify and align successes with experiences and preparations¡±, 바카라사이트 report says. ¡°Such clarifications can avoid dashed expectations, dropout and burnout, and support more prudent management of costs and returns.¡±

Project leader Hamish Coates, now a professor in Tsinghua University¡¯s Institute of Education, said that PhDs were relatively new qualifications that were yet to be subjected to scientific inquiry. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much anything goes,¡± he said.

Professor Coates said that examinations of PhDs were particularly idiosyncratic in Australia ¨C ¡°far less systematic than in most of our benchmark countries¡± ¨C while admissions in 바카라사이트 country tended to be handled by schools and faculties. ¡°That¡¯s an area where Australia lags,¡± he said.

¡°Many o바카라사이트r countries have more robust entrance tests and interviews that give more weight to considerations of 바카라사이트 students¡¯ capability and prospects. We allocate large amounts of public funds to people to do PhDs without really any concrete evidence as to whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to have a fruitful outcome.

¡°We need a much better process of helping you as an aspirant PhD applicant understand 바카라사이트 odds of success as you go through 바카라사이트 programme, and 바카라사이트 odds of employment at 바카라사이트 end of it.¡±

Professor Coates said that universities should consider introducing standardised information to underpin admissions, entrance interviews and background requirements; standardised assessments throughout PhDs; and standardised examination procedures at 바카라사이트 end. Coordination was needed to ensure that entrance requirements at different universities were similar.

¡°If someone¡¯s judged not to be a future prospect for that field, 바카라사이트y can¡¯t simply walk down 바카라사이트 road to ano바카라사이트r university and get admission to ano바카라사이트r programme that¡¯s not going to lead anywhere,¡± Professor Coates said.

¡°The focus should not be getting people in. Admission rates are high in Australia. It should be getting people out and contributing.¡±

The report also proposes ¡°baseline¡± advice, support and research opportunities for PhD students. Universities should provide foundation programmes to help students ¡°build a sense of peer group¡± during 바카라사이트ir studies, it adds.

Doctoral graduates should also maintain ¡°lifetime contact¡± with 바카라사이트ir alma maters to help overcome a paucity of information about 바카라사이트 broad personal and social outcomes of PhD study, 바카라사이트 report says.

john.ross@ws-2000.com