Placement Efficiency: an Alternative Ranking Metric for Graduate Schools

Georgetown Public Policy Review, 2013

3 Pages Posted: 4 Jan 2014 Last revised: 3 Jan 2015

See all articles by Robert Oprisko

Robert Oprisko

Indiana University, Center for the Study of Global Change

Kirstie Dobbs

Loyola University of Chicago

Joseph DiGrazia

Indiana University, Bloomington

Date Written: September 15, 2013

Abstract

Placement efficiency measures the number of tenured and tenure-track placements of Ph.D.-graduates per tenured and tenure-track faculty at a given Ph.D.-granting institution. We believe that the focus on tenured and tenure-track appointments provides both the most accurate control for the size of a department as well as the most appropriate operationalization of placement. We have chosen to utilize a data set that focuses solely on placement in Ph.D.-granting programs because we believe that this gives the clearest picture of competitive-advantage across these peer institutions. Our focus is on 3,709 tenured and tenure-track professors at 136 research-intensive universities that political scientists cite as their Ph.D.-granting alma mater. Our narrow selection is by design so as not to compare institutions with different missions because we are interested in performative variables, not proxies. Therefore, we consider this an intersectional study to determine the relative advantage of the upper echelons of political science education. We do, however, recognize that universities place students within the professoriate in national liberal arts colleges, regional universities, regional colleges, and community colleges.

Keywords: Critical University Studies, Political Science, Methodology, Higher Education, Placement Efficiency

Suggested Citation

Oprisko, Robert and Dobbs, Kirstie and DiGrazia, Joseph, Placement Efficiency: an Alternative Ranking Metric for Graduate Schools (September 15, 2013). Georgetown Public Policy Review, 2013 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2374397

Robert Oprisko (Contact Author)

Indiana University, Center for the Study of Global Change ( email )

201 North Indiana Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47408
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.indiana.edu/~global/staff/facultyProfile.php?id=76

Kirstie Dobbs

Loyola University of Chicago ( email )

25 East Pearson Street
Chicago, IL 60611
United States

Joseph DiGrazia

Indiana University, Bloomington ( email )

Ballantine Hall 744
1020 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States

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