Harvard. Completion rates for economics graduate students, 1947-57

 

 

Here is an interesting summary of the spectrum of completion from drop-out through award of the Ph.D. in economics for Harvard University 1947-1957.  Note the labels  “desperate, doubtful, better, safe” for the forecasted prospects of students who had left the gravitational pull of residency.

____________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
1947-57

Comment:

The attached survey shows the history of graduate students in the Department of Economics from 1947-57. The details by years are available in Littauer M-8, but we are not duplicating that part of the report.

You will note that of 525 students (378 Arts and Sciences, 50 Radcliffe and 97 Graduate School of Public Administrations) in these ten years, there were a total of 113 withdrawals, about 55% because of poor grades and 45% despite good grades. Of the remaining 412 students, 40 have had but one year’s residence and have not yet taken the General Examination, while 372 have taken and passed the General Examination for an advanced degree. Of these, 69, or about 16%, were awarded a terminal A.M. largely because they passed for the A.M. only. This leaves 303 who have passed the General Examination for the Ph.D., but so far only 152, or roughly 50% have received their Ph.D. There are 50 students still in residence working on their thesis. Of 101 students no longer in residence, 69 have thesis overdue and 39 have not yet written their thesis but are still within the five year limit.

Further details may be had by glancing at the attached sheet.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
1947-57
SUMMARY

1.	Enrollment 1947-57: (Arts and Sciences 378, Radcliffe 50, Graduate School of Public Administration 97)		525
2.	Withdrawn
a)	with poor grades, in discontent or upon request:
	after one term	20
	after two terms	36
	after four terms	_6_
		62
b)	despite good grades:
	after two terms	48
	after four terms	3
	after more than four terms	_0_
		51
	Total Withdrawals		113
3.	Now in residence before General Examination		40
	Forecast:
	Prospects for withdrawal	6
	Prospects for terminal A.M.	14
	Prospects for Ph.D.	20
4.	Passed General Examination for advanced degree		372
5.	A.M. Awarded as terminal degree		69
6.	A.M. expected as terminal degree	5
7.	A.M. awarded in course toward Ph.D. degree	188
8.	Candidates for the Ph.D. degree	343
9.	Ph.D. degree awarded		152
10.	Students still in residence working on thesis (29 of these, 3 yrs residence; 2, less than 3 yrs)		50
	Forecasts:
	Prospects for completion safe	40
	Prospects for completion doubtful	10
11.	No longer in residence, thesis overdue		62
	Forecasts:
	Prospects for completion desperate (Poor record: thesis overdue 2-5 yrs.)	26
	Prospects for completion doubtful (Fair record; thesis overdue 1-4 yrs.)	13
	Prospects for completion better (Good record; thesis overdue 1-4 yrs.)	23
12.	No longer in residence, thesis within 5 yr. limit		39
	Forecasts:
	Prospects for completion doubtful	5
	Prospects for completion safe	34	___
			525
	Summary:
	Ph.D. prospects safe	117
	Ph.D. awarded	152
	Ph.D. awarded or safely expected	269

 

Source:  Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics. Correspondence and Papers, 1930-1961. General-Exams-Haberler.(UAV.349.11), Box 13.

Image Source: Harvard Album, 1946.