Educational Administration doctoral students express satisfaction with program

According to a national survey of students from nine doctoral programs in educational administration, graduates from the UK College of Education's Department of Administration and Supervision (EDA) reported that they finish their degrees quickly and receive top quality mentoring, career guidance, and job placement.

The 2000 National Doctoral Program Survey, conducted by the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students in Washington, D.C., is a voluntary survey of doctoral students in education degree programs. The program asks students to report on their general satisfaction with their doctoral degree program in any of eight different categories.

In nearly every category of measure for EDA programs, UK students reported a higher rate of satisfaction with their education than did students who attended educational leadership programs at nine other universities. Especially gratifying, noted Jane Lindle, Director of Graduate Studies for the College of Education’s Administration and Supervision department, were the high ratings students gave UK in four key categories: career preparation, mentoring, job placement, and time to complete the degree.

"The EDA faculty consider these four categories the most important measures of the overall quality of our department. We are constantly striving to improve in those areas. The results of this survey indicate we are doing an excellent job," Lindle said. In fact, the EDA department at UK received higher scores than four universities which are among those the Kentucky Council for Post-Secondary Education targeted as benchmarks for UK - University of Texas at Austin, The Ohio State University, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In personal accounts, students have commented that the EDA program prepared them well for their career primarily because the department’s faculty had formerly served as school administrators. But most important to them, they were able to complete the program and earn their certification in a reasonable amount of time and still continue to work and support their families.

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