Here is a link to the paper. (I will make my point after quoting from the paper.)
Here is an important conclusion quoted from the paper.
“…At the majority of the departments ranked in the top ten, 60 percent of their students fail to meet…a…standard…[that would be] ...enough to count as “research-active” in most departments, much less to result in…tenure…”
Well, should they meet that standard? This is from Vanderbilt, and is typical.
“…The doctoral dissertation is an original and penetrating treatment of a significant economic problem…In most cases, they provide a basis for scholarly output in the early years of the career of an economist…”
(Italics and boldface are all mine for emphasis.)
I recommend that readers of this blog now go to the following posts to see how this PhD give-a-way (I’m afraid that is what it is – even though many of these PhD’s would meet rigorous standards for a Masters degree.) plays out in practical terms – and thus damages, not only the students, but all of education.
Depends on what your mean by phd
You don’t have to be good at math to get a phd
Can finally tell when it’s wrong
Added 9/20/2014
It just struck me that since this is economics, the universities are pawning off unqualified people (at least not meeting the qualifications that they are “certified” to meet) to advise the unsuspecting. The professors who do this should be held responsible.
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