This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Attrition in Economics Ph.D. Programs

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Wendy A. Stock () (Department of Economics and Agricultural Economics, Montana State University)
T. Aldrich Finegan () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)
John J. Siegfried () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University and AEA)

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Information about 586 individuals who matriculated into 27 economics Ph.D. programs in Fall 2002 is used to estimate first and second year attrition rates. After two years, 26.5 percent of the initial cohort had left, equally divided between the first and second years. Attrition varies widely across individual programs. It is lower among the most highly rated 15 programs, for students with higher verbal and quantitative GRE scores, and for those on a research assistantship. Poor academic performance is the most cited reason for withdrawal. About 15 percent transfer to other economics programs because they are dissatisfied with some aspect of the particular program where they first enrolled.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/wparchive/workpaper/vu06-w08.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: First version, 2006
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University in its series Working Papers with number 0608.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Mar 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:0608

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Box 1819, Station B, Nashville, TN 37235
Fax: 615-343-8495
Email:
Web page: http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/econ/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Diana Weymark).

Related research
Keywords: Attrition; dropouts; economics Ph.D. programs;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Pantelis Kalaitzidakis & Theofanis P Mamuneas & Thanasis Stengos, 2001. "Rankings of Academic Journals and Institutions in Economics," Discussion Papers in Economics 01/8, Department of Economics, University of Leicester. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. van Ours, J. C. & Ridder, G., 2003. "Fast track or failure: a study of the graduation and dropout rates of Ph D students in economics," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 157-166, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Alan B. Krueger & Stephen Wu, 2001. "Forecasting Job Placements of Economics Graduate Students," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 31(1), pages 81-94. [Downloadable!]
  4. Ronald G. Ehrenberg & Panagiotis G. Mavros, 1995. "Do Doctoral Students' Financial Support Patterns Affect Their Times-to-Degree and Completion Probabilities," NBER Working Papers 4070, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Booth, A.L. & Satchell, S.E., 1991. "The Hazards of Doing a PhD: An Analysis of Completion and withdrawal rates of British PhDs in the 1980's," Papers 234, Australian National University - Department of Economics.
    Other versions:
  6. Anne D Boschini & Matthew J Lindquist & Jan Petterson & Jesper Roine, 2004. "Learning to Lose a Leg: Casualties of PhD Economics Training in Stockholm," Econ Journal Watch, Atlas Economic Research Foundation, vol. 1(2), pages 369-379, August. [Downloadable!]
  7. John J. Siegfried & Wendy A. Stock, 2006. "The Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists," Working Papers 0611, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. KimMarie McGoldrick & Gail Hoyt & Dave Colander, 2008. "The Professional Development of Graduate Students in Economics," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0811, Middlebury College, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. John J. Siegfried & Wendy A. Stock, 2006. "The Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists," Working Papers 0611, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Wendy A. Stock & John J. Siegfried, 2006. "Time-to-Degree for the Economics Ph.D. Class of 2001–2002," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 467-474, May. [Downloadable!]
  4. Wendy A. Stock & T. Aldrich Finegan & John J. Siegfried, 2006. "Matriculation in U.S. Economics Ph.D. Programs: How Many Accepted Americans Do Not Enroll?," Working Papers 0609, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? All top Economics journals are listed on RePEc.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-14.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.