November 15, 2023
Graduate School update on graduate education strategic planning
The Graduate School is working on a strategic planning process to align graduate education with the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. We are building this process on our commitment to innovation and operational excellence, and the knowledge that the graduate education landscape is in continuous evolution. We want to give you an update on the work done and the plans for a move forward, and we invite you to engage with us in this strategic planning process.
Current status of graduate education at K-State: Over the past five years, K-State's graduate programs have experienced an average annual increase of 30 master's students, while the number of doctoral students has remained flat. The number of student credit hours taken by graduate students — degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking — has increased by 15% over the past five years, from 59,509 in academic year 2018 to 68,246 in academic year 2023. The fastest growth demographic in those pursuing graduate degrees is women, who now comprise 62% of master's students and 54% of doctoral students — not including the professional doctoral degree in veterinary medicine.
The number of students obtaining graduate certificates has increased 39% over the past five years and has more than doubled over the past 10 years, mirroring a national trend in students and professionals seeking targeted training. Graduate Council has seen an increase in the number of proposal revisions and new certificates that they process as well as a steady increase in the number of accelerated programs being offered.
In the aftermath of COVID-19, K-State has seen an acceleration in the shift toward online education, predominately at the master's level. This change is uneven across K-State's colleges; this diversity reflects both differences in student demand for online courses and in pedagogy.
In partnership with the Office of Data, Assessment and Institutional Research, the Graduate School released new dashboards to permit administrators and graduate programs to track the admissions process, and the progress of admitted students through the completion of their degrees. An analysis of this data revealed that the time to degree from admissions to graduation has decreased over the past 10 years by nine months for doctoral students — from 6.1 years to 5.4 years — and two months by master's students — from 2.7 years to 2.5 years. These estimates include two-thirds of graduate students who are mostly enrolled full-time and one-third mostly part-time.
Master's programs have the option of requiring a six-credit thesis, a two-credit report, or a course-only option with a culminating experience, although most programs — 58% — give the students a choice of two or three of these options. Students choosing the thesis option average about four months longer to complete their degrees; many of these thesis-option students are receiving their master's on the path toward completing their doctorate. Although the thesis option is available for 63% of all master's programs, it is pursued by only 17% of all master's students; only 7% pursue the report option — of 38% of programs offering it — whereas 76% pursue the course-only option — of 64% of programs offering this option.
Numerous additional changes are underway in the Graduate School and Graduate Council in an effort to increase operational excellence, including working with departments to improve the information in their catalog entries, modifications to online forms, updating the Graduate Handbook based on benchmarking, accessibility of resources to graduate students, website development, and the development of webinars for prospective and admitted students. Our goal is to do everything we can to ensure that student, staff and faculty interactions with the Graduate School demonstrate K-State's commitment to excellence.
Once students complete their graduate degree, data from the K-State Career Center has revealed the benefits of the degree. Of the master's students tracked by the Career Center, 97% are employed with a median salary of $53K or furthering their education; 61% of those employed are working in the five-state region around Kansas. For doctoral graduates, 98% are employed with a median salary of $75K or furthering their education; 39% of those employed are working in the five-state region around Kansas.
The Graduate School discussed this information, along with an analysis of the graduate education landscape, at the first strategic planning session on Oct. 18. Sixty-four graduate constituents generated ideas that set the framework for the strategic plan. The materials for this process can be found in the Graduate School Resources Teams folder under Strategic Plan. A K-State eID is required for log in.
In partnership with the Graduate Council leadership and the Graduate Council, we will continue getting input from our graduate constituents to develop a strong strategic plan. This plan will guide our work as we contribute to the university's Next-Gen K-State plan and the advancement of graduate education at K-State.