The
UNIVERSITY
of VERMONT
GRADUATE COLLEGE
OFFICE OF THE DEAN
_________________________________________________________________
Graduate Education Report
January 22, 2013
Prepared by:
Domenico Grasso, Dean of the Graduate College and Vice President for
Research
330 Waterman Building, 85 South Prospect St., Burlington, VT 05405-0160, Telephone (802) 656-3160, Fax (802) 656-0519
Introduction
Graduate education serves many roles, from furthering the education of students, to supporting
the undergraduate teaching mission, to creating new knowledge and building the research
enterprise, to supporting economic development.. A landmark report published in 2007 by the
National Academies in response to a bipartisan request from the United States Congress
analyzed America’s current and predicted future competitiveness in the global marketplace.
The report, titled “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for
a Brighter Economic Future”1, was stark in its assessment of the threats our Nation faces and
our preparedness to face them. The report was prepared by a committee of distinguished
corporate, governmental and academic leaders, chaired by Norm Augustine, CEO of Lockheed
Martin. Multiple recommendations were provided as to how government, employers and
universities could best respond to these threats. A second report, issued in 2010 and titled
“Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Rapidly Approaching Category 5”2 looked at the response
to the initial report. The same committee, absent Steven Chu and Robert Gates, who now hold
Cabinet positions and Nobel Laureate Joshua Lederberg, who passed away, was unanimous in
concluding that “our Nation’s outlook has worsened.” Key to the findings of both reports is that
America’s competitiveness depends on quality job creation and that this in turn depends on new
knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship and a highly educated workforce, particularly related
to sciences and technology. Both reports emphasize that graduate education is an important and
critical part of improving America’s competitive posture.
The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), in conjunction with the Educational Testing Service
(ETS) explored the response required by graduate education based on the key assumption that
“the competitiveness of the United States and our nation’s capacity for innovation hinge
fundamentally on a strong system of graduate education”. Their recently released report, titled
“The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States”3, outlined steps
universities need to take to strengthen graduate education as investment in the future. Key
principles are that we must attract talented students to graduate education, increase retention,
decrease time to degree and provide co-curricular training and opportunities such as
partnerships with business to prepare them for a variety of jobs in addition to maintaining the
academy.
The University of Vermont, classified by Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching4 as “Doctoral, High Research”, is the only doctoral granting institution in the state of
Vermont. Thus UVM is uniquely positioned to attract and train the highest level scholars to
meet the needs of an educated workforce that is competitive in a global market, and critical to
the State of Vermont and the region.
Graduate Education at UVM
The first graduate degree at the University of Vermont was awarded in 1807. For more than a
century, graduate education at UVM, as elsewhere, was an occasional, individualized pursuit.
The University of Vermont’s Graduate College was formally established in 1952 to promote
and standardize quality graduate programs at the University.
The College is currently home to 53 academic programs leading to master's degrees and 22
doctoral (Ph.D.) programs, two of which are professional doctorates (Ed.D., DPT). A third
professional doctorate (M.D.) is offered through the College of Medicine (medical students
data are not included this report). Certificates of graduate study have been developed to
provide an additional avenue of graduate training. A list of all programs can be found in
Section 1 of the Appendix. Students apply for admission to these programs through the
Graduate College, and once accepted, work with advisors in their chosen fields/programs. The
range of programs includes natural, physical and biological sciences, the social sciences, the
humanities, and professional training.
Nearly 1,500 graduate students are currently enrolled in these academic programs;
approximately 1/3 of those students are doctoral candidates. Fifty-two percent of the graduate
students are Vermont residents; Vermonters comprise about 2/3 of the students in masters
programs and 1/3 of the students in doctoral programs. The number of graduate students has
increased by approximately 50% in the past decade. Historical trends for student number and
demographics are located in Section 2 of the Appendix.
One of the notable features of a graduate education at UVM is that several of our programs are
interdisciplinary, cutting across departments and areas of study. These interdisciplinary
programs capitalize on the exceptional strengths of UVM faculty. The size of UVM’s
programs and its compact campus promote interdepartmental interactions in many programs.
Graduate College Faculty
While UVM faculty members do not hold their primary appointments in the Graduate College,
faculty members who are active in research and graduate education are eligible to apply for
appointment to the Graduate College faculty. This appointment then gives them the
opportunity to mentor graduate students and serve as Chairs on graduate thesis and dissertation
committees.
The Graduate College faculty comprises more than 600 outstanding tenured, tenure-track and
research faculty. The faculty members of the Graduate College are expected to make
significant contributions to research in their fields while teaching and mentoring the next
generation of scholars, researchers and professionals to successfully pursue their goals after
graduation.
Graduate College Leadership and Governance
The Graduate College is led by Dr. Domenico Grasso, who is also the Vice President for
Research (and former dean and current full professor in the School of Engineering in the
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.) Dr. Cynthia Forehand, the Associate
Dean, is a full professor in the Anatomy and Neurobiology Department of the College of
Medicine.
Additional staff members include an assistant dean, director of admissions, business manager,
and admissions and student support services staff members. Staff members work closely with
the graduate program advisors – faculty members from the schools and colleges – who also
provide important program-related support to the graduate student population.
An Executive Committee comprising 11 members of the Graduate Faculty and a graduate
student member works with the Dean and Associate Dean to develop policies and review
programs and faculty to ensure comprehensive and outstanding programs of study that facilitate
the generation of new and meaningful knowledge. Membership of the Graduate Executive
Committee is listed in Section 3 of the Appendix. The Graduate College leadership works
closely with and regularly consults with the Research, Scholarship and Graduate Education
Committee of the Faculty Senate. New programs approved by the Graduate College must also
be approved by the Curricular Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate, the full Senate, the
Provost, and Board of Trustees. The Curricular Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate also
engages in review of established programs through the Academic Review Process.
Graduate Student Senate
The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) is an organization established in 2005 and recognized by
the Board of Trustees in 2010. The mission of the GSS is “to cultivate both the academic and
non-academic activities of the graduate student body and enhance all aspects of graduate school
life at the University of Vermont.” It considers matters that directly influence or affect the
graduate student body and provide services that directly address the needs of students.
The Graduate College works closely with the GSS, and provides modest financial support in
the form of mini-grants for research advancement. The graduate student population elects
approximately 24 senators, who then elect officers and an executive committee. The GSS
president and vice president meet consistently throughout the year with the graduate college
leadership.
The GSS is currently working on an important proposal to the Board of Trustees that, if
approved, will allow them to raise their own operating budget via a fee structure. The Graduate
College leadership has worked closely with the GSS on this issue and is supportive of their
proposal, which we find to be thoughtful and reasonable.
Graduate College Awards
The Graduate College administers several important awards programs at UVM.
The signature Graduate College award is that of “University Scholar.” This program
recognizes distinguished UVM faculty members for sustained excellence in research and
scholarly activities. Four University Scholars are chosen each year: two individuals in the
Social Sciences and Humanities, and two individuals in the Basic and Applied Sciences
(including Biological, Medical and Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Math).
The scholars are announced in the spring semester and honored at a reception in the late spring
semester. Each Scholar delivers a lecture during the next academic year.
Our 2012-13 University Scholars are:
- Dr. Mercedes Rincon, Professor, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
- Dr. Stephanie Seguino, Professor, Department of Economics, College of Arts and
Sciences
- Dr. Cristina Mazzoni, Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Romance Languages,
College of Arts and Sciences
- Dr. Margaret Vizzrd, Professor, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine
Since the University Scholars award was created in 1980, 128 of UVM’s most distinguished
scholars from across campus have received this award.
The Graduate College also sponsors the Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year Award. This
award recognizes annually the accomplishments of teaching assistants who have demonstrated
unusual excellence and creativity in their teaching and commitment to student learning. As a
group, our teaching assistants contribute significantly to UVM's teaching mission, carrying
important and often complex teaching responsibilities. They merit recognition for their
dedication and for the important contributions they make to the teaching of undergraduates at
UVM.. The next recipient will be announced in the spring of 2013 and a ceremony will be held
to honor all nominees.
Graduate College Diversity
The graduate student population is diverse in gender, age, cultural background and experience.
More than half of the graduate students are women. Approximately 10% of the graduate
students are international, compared with 1% for the undergraduate population. More than 2/3
of the international students are enrolled in doctoral programs.
The University of Vermont uses the acronym ALANA to refer to people who identify as
African, Latino(a), Asian, and Native American. ALANA students comprise 10% of the
graduate students relative to 8% for the undergraduate population. While the percentage of
ALANA students in the graduate population doubled from 2001- 2010, the current 10%
remains below the national norm for high research Universities. A current effort to enhance the
participation of underrepresented students in graduate programs is part of a national initiative
focused on increasing representation in science and math.
The Graduate College also recruits underrepresented minorities to its graduate programs in
partnership with the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) at Phillips Academy-Andover.
The mission of the IRT is to reduce the critical under-representation on school faculties of
certain minority groups, as well as to address the attendant educational consequences of these
disparities.
Though these programs have provided modest success in recruiting a more diverse population
of graduate students, there is clearly more work to be done. A February 2009 report by the
UVM President’s Commission on Racial Diversity outlined a series of best practices and
recommendations for ALANA recruitment. The Graduate College is working to incorporate
these recommendations across graduate programs. In addition, the Graduate College
administers fellowships to increase campus diversity in graduate programs. These Opportunity
Fellowships, which are generally funded at a level equivalent to Graduate Teaching
Assistantships, are available to students in all UVM graduate programs.
Graduate Student Experience
Graduate students live at the interface between undergraduates and faculty and are vital to the
research and teaching missions of the University. They themselves are often both students and
employees of UVM. Of the almost 1,500 current graduate students, ~650 receive stipends for
teaching or research. Approximately 1/3 of these receive stipends and tuition scholarships from
the Graduate College, half are supported by extramural research or training grants and the
remainder receive funding from individual school or college sources. Support for graduate
students is an increasing need for UVM as our stipends are well below the national norms. Data
collected by the National Science Foundation in its Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)5
indicates that 47.2% of graduate students at High Research Institutions incur no debt during
graduate training; at UVM only 32.3 percent of graduate students finish debt free. On the other
hand, for those that do incur debt, the national average debt load for students at high research
universities is higher than for our students. In addition to the effect on student debt, our
relatively low level of student support means that we chronically lose many of our best
candidates to schools with better support packages. The quality of our research programs and
faculty productivity depend on excellent students, thus warranting an increased investment in
individual student support. More focused allocation of resources may be needed to be more
competitive in our funding.
Support for graduate students is derived from multiple sources with considerable variability in
levels of support, expectation of work required of the support, the inclusion – or not – of tuition
scholarships, fees and health care support. A brief description of the types of funding
mechanisms is in section 4 of the Appendix. Some of this variability is market driven, but some
is simply an outcome of a lack of systemic planning and tracking. As the complexity of
graduate education at UVM has grown and its student body has increased, a more systematic
approach supported by the Graduate College is needed. In many cases, the institutional support
of students in our graduate programs is based on the need for teaching assistants for the
undergraduate population, rather than on the quality of the graduate program or its students, per
se. These teaching needs make it difficult to re- allocate resources to enhance graduate
education and/or to align resources with the university priorities for graduate education and
research.
To ensure best use of resources, the Graduate Executive Committee is currently working on
developing a comprehensive understanding of all the ways in which students are currently
deployed and supported. A concomitant analysis of program quality, including outcomes (e.g.
graduation rates, funding levels, placements) will allow evaluation of the efficacy of resource
utilization.
The Graduate Student Senate has identified clarification of funding mechanisms as an issue
high on their priority list. A related concern is the business practices associated with stipend or
fellowship support. A university-wide committee has been working to clarify and simplify
these processes, as well as making readily available resources to help programs, business
managers and students aware of the policies. As part of the group’s work, areas of concern that
complicate students’ relationship to their educational and employment missions have been
identified and solutions are being sought. As an example, students supported as teaching
assistants by the Graduate College to do not get their first paycheck until after their fees and
health care premium must be paid. In order to delay having to pay the fees until they get paid,
they may not register for classes until nearly the end of the drop/add period. This then puts an
additional stress on a system in which under-enrolled courses may be withdrawn. A simple
solution may be to alter the date payments are due for graduate students.
A number of issues present challenges for our graduate students. Issues reported by the GSS
include low stipend levels and the different rules that apply when they are students vs. when
they are in the role of staff. Poor public and university transportation to the Apartment and
Family Housing at Fort Ethan Allen is a concern for the many international students and
students with families who live there. Another issue is the distribution of comprehensive fees
for graduate students whose needs are different from those of the undergraduate population. For
example, graduate students depend more on library resources than connectivity in the dorms.
Despite these issues, graduate students value their experience at the University of Vermont.
They particularly like the practical, hands-on experience associated with many programs and
the diverse research opportunities with faculty. They also like the close connection to faculty
and staff that results from a compact campus and small cohort sizes for many programs. And,
of course, Burlington and the Vermont experience are major draws for graduate students.
Graduate Program Quality
A critical measure of the graduate student experience is the quality of our programs. Program
quality is formally assessed through the Academic Program Review (APR) process initiated by
the Faculty Senate in 2001. As originally deployed, the APR process was not geared towards
graduate education and had no metrics included specifically for graduate programs. The
relative emphasis on graduate programs in departmental self-studies was low. Thus programs
that were stand alone graduate programs received more scrutiny than those that were one of
several degrees offered by a unit. In the revision of the APR process coming through the Senate
this year, graduate program evaluation has been given more prominence. Moreover, specific
components of the APR process for graduate programs will include Graduate College review of
the programs and will include external bench marking. This change in the APR process is
welcome and will serve UVM well in the future. In the meantime, the Graduate Executive
Committee will begin an internal review of all programs within the next academic year to
provide a current snapshot of our programs.
An important measure of graduate program success is the time to degree for its students. UVM
doctoral students graduate with a median time of 6.2 years relative to a national median of 8.7
years.5 Another measure of success is retention; nationally, the attrition rate for doctoral
education is 40-50%.3 UVM has not systematically tracked retention for all graduate students
in the recent past, but plans to do so again beginning this year to ensure wise allocation of
resources to enhance retention rates. Another area that UVM has not systemically tracked is the
post graduation activities of our students. However, national data indicate our doctoral students
do well in this regard with only 16.1% of our 2009 graduates still seeking additional study or
employment opportunities at graduation compared with 30.3% for high research institutions
and 27.3 for all doctoral institutions5. These data also show that more of our students are taking
positions outside the academy, a result congruent with the recommendation of the Council on
Graduate Schools to enhance the expertise of the workforce outside the academy.3 Both
retention and outcomes tracking were key needs identified by the CGS Path Forward report3;
identifying the resources and tools to effectively gather these data is a current priority of
graduate schools nationwide. UVM is doing the same.
NRC Report
A variety of external sources evaluate graduate programs and university reputation. On
September 28, 2010, a much-awaited analysis of more than 5,000 doctoral programs in 61
fields at 212 institutions in the United States by the National Research Council (NRC)6 , A
Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States, was released.
The report covers such characteristics as faculty publications, grants, and awards; student GRE
scores, financial support, and employment outcomes; and program size, time to degree, and
faculty composition. Measures of faculty and student diversity are also included; however the
report stops short of a definitive ranking of programs. The report offers data for each program
in the following 20 characteristics in three general areas (1) Research Activity, (2) Student
Support and Outcomes, and (3) Diversity and Academic Environment:*
1. Publications per
allocated faculty member
2. Citations per publication
3. Percent faculty with
grants
4. Awards per allocated
faculty member
5. Percent interdisciplinary
faculty
6. Percent non-Asian
minority faculty
7. Percent female faculty
8. Average GRE scores
9. Percent 1st-yr. students
with full support
10. Percent 1st-yr. students
with external funding
11. Percent non-Asian
minority students
12. Percent female students
13. Percent international
students
14. Average PhDs, 2002 to
2006
15. Average completion
percentage
16. Median time to degree
17. Percent students with
academic plans
18. Student work space
19. Student health insurance
20. Number of student
activities offered
The NRC assessment indicated that faculty members ranked “Research Activity” as the most
important factor in determining the strength of a program. The four measures included in this
category were
 percentage of faculty with research grants,
 number of publications per faculty per year,
 number of citations per paper, and
 percentage of faculty receiving prestigious awards.
For each program, the 95% confidence intervals for two types of “rankings” were reported.
§ The S (or survey-based) rankings were based on a survey that asked faculty
members to rate the importance of the 20 different program characteristics in
determining the quality of a program. Based on their answers, each characteristic was
assigned a weight; these weights varied by field. The weights were then applied to
the data for each program in the field, resulting in a range of rankings for each
program.
§ The R (or regression-based) rankings were more of a reputational ranking and
based on an indirect way of determining the importance faculty attach to various
characteristics. First, groups of randomly selected faculty were asked to rate the
quality of a sample of representative programs in their field. Based on the sample
program ratings, weights were derived for each of the 20 characteristics using
statistical techniques; again, these weights varied by field. These weights were
applied to the data about each program, resulting in a second range of rankings.
Independent websites such as PhDs.org, or the Chronicle of Higher Education have developed
user-friendly tools to navigate the NRC data. Users of the PhD.org website can choose the
weights assigned to the program characteristics reported in the NRC study, and rank graduate
programs according to their specific priorities.
An important consideration for the relative ranking ranges provided is that small programs are,
in general, disadvantaged by the metrics used. Eleven of our twenty non-professional research
doctoral programs were of sufficient productivity (graduate 5 doctoral students over 5 years) to
be included in the rankings. The NRC report provides a wealth of bench-marking data that is
being used to assess relative strengths of our programs. Section 5 of the Appendix includes
some of comparative data for the 11 UVM programs that were included in the NRC database.
We continue to collect relevant data to judge our other programs against these benchmarks.
As we assess the overall quality of all programs at UVM, other metrics will be considered as
well. Although rankings in and of themselves are often not accurate or instructive, categories
that are used to develop these ranking can offer insights as to what are considered important
characteristic of high performing universities. For example, Times Higher Education World
University Rankings8 (THE) recently published the rankings of the top 200 universities in the
world. One parameter in the learning environment defined by THE is the critical role of
graduate programs in the learning environment for undergraduate education. The THE teaching
category considers the ratio of PhD to bachelor's degrees awarded because they reason that
institutions with a high intellectual density of research students are more knowledge-intensive.
Summary
This short report only scratches the surface of graduate education at UVM. As the nation strives
to enhance educational and technical skills of its workforce and create new innovative
knowledge to better compete in the global environment, UVM is poised to play a major role
supporting that effort for Vermont and the Nation. We are in the process of critical review of
our educational programs and student support at the graduate level. Important steps in this
process were defined in Standard 4 of the Self-Study9 for our recent NEASC accreditation:1)
enhance current mechanisms for tracking applicant, admitted, and enrolled student information
at both the institutional and program level, 2) require program tracking of student outcomes
including placement into career opportunities or further education, 3) enhance academic
program review of graduate programs at the university level and 4) establish structures and
processes to align graduate programs with the vision and mission and link resource allocation
with current or anticipated performance on agreed upon metrics of quality, national distinction,
and institutional priorities. Key to our success will be the identification of new resources from
training grants, partnerships with industry, and philanthropy.
Our graduate programs have a variety of strengths and fit particular niches important to UVM
and Vermont. Cursory examination of available data at the national level show that we have
some solid programs but that there is room to grow in terms of both quality and size. Resources
for student support will be critical for enhancing the quality of our programs. We have many
small programs that are challenged to compete effectively with large nationally prominent
programs. Our recent launch of the Transdisciplinary Research Initiative or Spires of
Excellence is designed to take advantage of opportunities that exist to develop larger
interdisciplinary nationally visible programs that will improve research activity, and attract the
best students, and contribute to the overall economic well-being of Vermont and the Nation.
References
1. NAS/NAE/IOM, Rising above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for
a Brighter Economic Future, National Academies Press, 2007. The initial report release was in
2005, with the final, edited book issued in 2007.
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11463&page=1
2. NAS/NAE/IOM, Rising above the Gathering Storm: Rapidly Approaching Category 5,
National Academies Press, 2010.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12999.html
3. CGS/ETS – The Path Forward, 2010
http://www.fgereport.org/
4. Carnegie classification of institutions
http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/descriptions/basic.php
5. NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2010 (data from 2009)
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showsrvy.cfm?srvy_CatID=2&srvy_Seri=1
6 NRC Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United State, 2010
http://www.nap.edu/rdp
7. NRC Guide to the Methodology of the National Research Council Assessment of the
Doctorate Programs, 2010
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12676#toc
8. Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2010
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/
9. New England Association of Schools and Colleges UVM Self-Study for 2010 Accreditation.
Graduate Program Evaluation in Standard 4 can be found on pp 43-49 in the web document, or
pp 29-34 in the printed document.
http://www.uvm.edu/~accredit/UVM_Self_Study_2009-final.pdf
APPENDIX:
This appendix includes 5 sets of data:
Section 1. List of graduate programs
A list of the degree and certificate programs currently offered is included.
Section 2. Student data and trends
Each year, the staff members of the graduate college compile an annual report. While the full
report is too long for inclusion here, we are providing some data that you might find interesting.
The report can be found in its entirety on the graduate college website:
http://www.uvm.edu/~gradcoll/?Page=welcome.php
Section 3. Graduate Executive Committee Membership
This list includes the membership of the 2010-11 Graduate Executive Committee.
Section 4. Description of funding mechanisms
A description of the major mechanisms of funding graduate students is included.
Section 5. Database comparisons for NRC ranked programs.
Selected data for the 11 UVM programs included in the NRC database are included here along
with the national benchmarks for the relevant programs in those areas.
Combined Enrollments and Degrees Awarded detailed by Area of Study
Area of Study
BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
Anatomy and Neurobiology
Masters
Doctorate
Animal Sciences
Masters
Doctorate
Biochemistry
Masters
Doctorate
Biology
Masters
Doctorate
Biomedical Technologies
Masters
Doctorate
Botany (also Field Naturalist)
Masters
Doctorate
Clinical & Translational Sciences
Masters
Doctorate
Dietetics
Masters
Doctorate
Pathology
Masters
Doctorate
Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Masters
Doctorate
Nutritional Sciences
Masters
Doctorate
Pharmacology
Masters
Doctorate
Cell and Molecular Biology
Masters
Doctorate
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Masters
Doctorate
Neuroscience
Masters
Doctorate
Psychology
Masters
Doctorate
Plant Biology
Masters
Doctorate
Total
Masters
Doctorate
Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Biomedical Engineering
Masters
Doctorate
Biostatistics
Masters
Doctorate
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Masters
Doctorate
Electrical Engineering
Masters
Doctorate
Mechanical Engineering
Masters
Doctorate
Mathematics
Masters
Doctorate
Biostatistics
Masters
Doctorate
Statistics
Masters
Doctorate
Computer Science
Masters
Doctorate
Materials Science
Masters
Doctorate
Chemistry
Masters
Doctorate
Geology
Masters
Doctorate
Physics
Masters
Doctorate
TOTAL
Masters
Doctorate
Enrollments
FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
0
13
7
11
3
14
3
31
0
7
7
11
1
15
3
32
5
6
12
1
14
7
29
3
5
12
1
15
7
27
15
4
28
13
9
12
11
10
10
2
10
3
6
2
5
12
3
4
0
0
4
15
0
0
7
3
40
0
27
0
6
1
52
3
0
0
4
17
0
0
6
1
43
1
29
0
10
0
50
49
214
45
218
0
1
2
2
0
1
1
2
0
3
6
1
0
2
1
5
1
5
4
6
13
7
1
6
2
4
5
2
14
2
7
3
42
1
6
1
38
4
8
18
1
5
1
39
23
26
1
3
1
3
2
3
1
25
0
0
0
0
4
0
1
1
2
4
0
4
3
2
11
1
0
0
0
5
0
0
1
1
8
0
5
4
2
1
14
2
48
19
25
54
10
2
60
212
59
13
2
53
234
0
12
5
4
1
8
4
5
2
11
1
17
33
25
26
23
28
27
28
26
35
55
210
3
2
FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
2
0
6
0
Degrees Awarded
FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
6
6
4
4
4
7
11
17
12
9
14
16
8
6
0
5
0
13
11
3
11
8
34
13
0
3
0
7
15
19
15
10
13
13
9
4
0
9
0
15
14
2
11
6
30
9
0
3
0
12
13
18
14
13
14
15
11
3
14
11
19
15
17
15
15
9
19
14
23
10
15
14
14
15
6
9
17
1
11
3
36
13
7
20
13
1
40
10
7
17
2
10
3
38
13
4
3
4
102
101
103
107
111
116
111
123
117
109
6
17
4
1
1
2
5
2
3
1
2
3
3
1
3
3
4
2
2
1
3
5
5
3
1
6
5
1
1
1
6
2
4
8
6
2
1
8
FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
4
0
1
0
1
3
4
6
2
9
0
5
0
2
1
1
0
4
0
7
1
1
0
2
5
3
0
1
0
5
1
9
3
3
0
6
0
2
0
2
0
5
0
3
0
3
7
4
0
1
0
1
3
4
3
5
1
8
1
1
1
1
7
1
3
2
6
1
5
2
5
3
1
8
8
1
1
2
2
4
4
5
8
1
45
9
44
11
39
15
3
2
4
4
1
2
5
4
2
5
3
2
30
10
47
14
1
Area of Study
Environmental and Ecological PrograMasters
Natural Resources (F,NRP,WR,WFB)
Historic Preservation
Plant and Soil Science
TOTALS
Educational Leadership
Educ Leadership and Policy Studies
Educational Studies
Higher Ed and Stud Affairs Admin
Interdisciplinary
Reading and Language Arts
Special Education
TOTAL
Degrees Awarded
FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
80
31
28
0
11
5
72
32
28
0
17
6
64
35
24
68
40
24
63
39
24
15
7
16
9
Masters
Doctorate
119
36
117
38
103
42
108
49
Education
Curriculum and Instruction
Enrollments
24
8
8
0
2
0
33
5
14
18
2
11
22
8
10
14
10
27
5
7
0
5
2
2
2
3
3
3
1
101
49
39
7
34
8
49
7
32
5
35
9
FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
109
0
28
0
0
74
3
0
36
0
18
0
15
0
35
0
68
0
13
0
0
69
1
0
32
0
17
0
12
0
31
0
112
137
132
16
25
20
71
2
61
3
56
2
32
32
32
25
31
27
6
3
33
38
47
Masters
Doctorate
244
74
174
69
226
71
269
61
260
56
FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
56
0
14
0
0
12
0
0
16
0
8
0
4
0
24
0
67
0
29
0
0
12
1
0
21
0
8
0
9
0
23
0
48
47
65
18
8
10
24
1
18
19
15
16
15
1
10
11
9
4
20
16
20
122
12
158
12
112
24
101
18
121
19
Humanties and Social Sciences
Classics
FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
English
French
Geography
German
History
TOTAL
Masters
Doctorate
Area of Study
Applied and Professional Program Masters
Accounting
Comm. Develop. & Applied Econ.
Public Administration
Physical Therapy
Business
Nursing
Counseling
Social Work
Communication Sciences
Movement Science
TOTAL
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
Masters
Doctorate
4
0
35
0
5
0
1
0
2
0
23
0
70
0
8
0
33
0
4
0
1
0
2
0
23
0
71
0
9
6
6
29
37
29
5
3
2
18
61
0
2
2
21
21
69
0
60
0
FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
1
0
14
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
9
0
27
0
0
0
9
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
13
0
2
1
2
8
13
12
3
1
2
1
15
26
0
10
29
0
6
21
Enrollments
Degrees Awarded
FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
7
12
22
0
35
0
27
12
56
0
42
0
52
0
65
0
31
0
20
0
32
0
11
36
56
0
64
0
42
0
63
0
24
0
23
28
28
37
41
35
77
58
93
45
97
58
72
88
80
39
42
36
55
65
62
28
45
43
330
12
312
36
312
77
361
93
354
97
4
6
0
16
0
13
0
15
0
7
0
14
0
24
0
7
0
7
0
17
0
16
0
19
0
9
0
18
0
26
0
13
0
102
0
125
0
6
10
3
17
9
20
10
20
19
23
28
16
7
4
23
21
14
17
34
24
31
7
14
9
112
10
98
19
123
28
Program
Accounting
Animal Sciences
Animal, Nutrition and Food Sciences
Biochemistry
Biology
Biomedical Engineering
Biostatistics
Business Administration
Cell and Molecular Biology
Chemistry
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Clinical and Translational Science
Degrees/Certificates Offered
MACC
MS
PhD
MS, PhD
MS, MST, PhD
MS
MS
MBA
MS, PhD
MS, PhD
MS, PhD
MS, PhD
Certificate of Graduate Study
Communication Sciences and Disorders
MS
Community Development and Applied Economics
MS
Complex Systems
Certificate of Graduate Study
Computer Science
MS, PhD
Counseling
MS
Curriculum and Instruction
MED
Teacher Licensure MAT
Dietetics
MSD
Ecological Design
Certificate of Graduate Study
Ecological Economics
Certificate of Graduate Study
Educational Leadership
MEd
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
EdD
Educational Studies
MEd
Electrical Engineering
MS, PhD
English
MA
Field Naturalist (Plant Biology)
MS
French
MA
Geology
MS
German
MA
Greek and Latin
MA, MAT
Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration MEd
Historic Preservation
MS
History
MA
Interdisciplinary
MEd
Interdisciplinary Study of Disabilities
Certificate of Graduate Study
Materials Science
MS, PhD
Mathematical Sciences
PhD
Mathematics
MS, MST
Mechanical Engineering
MS, PhD
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
MS, PhD
Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Natural Resources
Neuroscience
Nursing
MEPN
Nutrition and Food Sciences
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physical Therapy
Physics
Plant and Soil Science
Plant Biology
PsychologyGeneral/Experimental or Clinical
Public Administration
Reading and Language Arts
Social Work
Special Education
Statistics
MS, PhD
MS, PhD
PhD
MS
MS
MS
MS, PhD
DPT
MS
MS, PhD
MS, PhD
PhD
MPA
MEd
MSW
MEd
MS
Section 2. Student data and trends
Annual Graduate Applications, Admissions, and Enrollment
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Applicants
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Admits
Enrolls
Total Graduate Enrollment Data
Total Enrollment
1097 1082 1106
2000
2001
2002
1312 1273 1300 1351 1290 1384
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
1516 1490
2009
2010
Total Graduate Student Enrollment by Area of Study
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
% Change from Previous Year
1097
4%
1082
-1%
1106
2%
1312
19%
1273
-3%
1300
2%
1351
4%
1290
-5%
1384
7%
1516
10%
1490
-2%
BIOLOGICAL AND
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
% Change from Previous Year
230
-4%
209
-9%
216
3%
232
7%
227
-2%
248
9%
263
6%
263
0%
265
0%
272
3%
287
6%
ENGINEERING,
MATHEMATICAL AND
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
% Change from Previous Year
197
5%
195
-1%
191
-2%
224
5%
228
1%
227
0%
203
-9%
210
3%
227
8%
234
3%
226
-3%
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
ECOLOGICAL PROGRAMS
% Change from Previous Year
91
-2%
104
14%
116
12%
128
10%
135
5%
159
17%
155
-10%
155
0%
145
-7%
157
8%
150
-4%
EDUCATION
% Change from Previous Year
201
-2%
195
-3%
194
-1%
312
61%
306
2%
283
-8%
318
12%
243
-24%
297
17%
330
316
11%
-4%
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL
SCIENCES
% Change from Previous Year
77
-4%
70
-9%
87
24%
78
-10%
58
-25%
62
7%
70
12%
71
0%
61
-13%
69
60
13%
-13%
301
21%
309
3%
302
-2%
338
12%
319
-6%
321
0%
342
3%
348
5%
389
5%
454
451
17%
-1%
Total Enrollment
APPLIED AND PROFESSIONAL
PROGRAMS
Total Graduate Degrees Awarded by Degree Level
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
Total
2005
2006
Masters
2007
Doctoral
2008
2009
2010
Graduate Degrees Awarded by Gender
500
400
300
222
271
245
309
277
243
293
205
318
Female
267
Male
200
100
144
144
138
166
180
179
170
152
160
130
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Total International Graduate Student Enrollment
Total International Graduate Student Enrollment
2001
Total University
Enrollment
International
Enrollment
2002
1082
1106
108
% Change from
Previous Year
% of Total University
2003
10%
2004
2005
2006
2007
1312
1273
1300
1351
112
136
144
153
4%
21%
6%
6%
10%
10%
11%
12%
2008
2009
2010
1290
1384
1516
1490
161
160
-1%
141
12%
153
5%
9%
137
10%
12%
12%
10%
10%
9%
Total ALANA Graduate Student Enrollment
Total University
Enrollment
ALANA Graduate
Enrollment
African American
Asian American
Latino
Native American
% Change from Previous
Year
% of Total University
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
1097
1082
1106
1273
1300
1351
1290
1384
1516
1490
55
58
58
59
56
63
65
100
131
155
19
20
20
23
18
17
8
24
29
22
16
19
17
15
14
23
12
37
54
49
17
18
18
16
16
13
13
30
33
53
3
1
3
4
7
7
2
5
9
8
####
5%
5%
5%
0%
5%
2%
5%
-5%
4%
13%
5%
3%
5%
54%
7%
31%
9%
18%
10%
Total ALANA Graduate Student Enrollment
for 2010
Caucasian 78%
International 9.2%
African American
1.5%
Latino 3.6% Asian American
3.3%
No Reply 2.4%
Multi-Racial 1.5%
No Ethnicity
Reported .5%
Native American
0.5%
Section 3. Graduate Executive Committee Membership 2010-2011
Domenico Grasso, Domenico.Grasso@uvm.edu
Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies
Dan Harvey, Dan.Harvey@uvm.edu
Assistant Dean, Graduate College
Cynthia Forehand, Cynthia.Forehand@uvm.edu
Associate Dean, Graduate College
Ralph Swenson, Ralph.Swenson@uvm.edu
Director of Admissions
Lisa Aultman-Hall, Lisa.Aultman-Hall@uvm.edu
Director, Transportation Research Center; Professor, School of Engineering
Mark Bouton, Mark.Bouton@uvm.edu
Psychology
Dustin Evatt , Dustin.Evatt@uvm.edu
President, Graduate Student Senate
David Brock , David.Brock@uvm.edu
Rehab & Movement Science
Thomas Hudspeth, Thomas.Hudspeth@uvm.edu
Natural Resources
Susan Hughes, Susan.Hughes@uvm.edu
Business Administration
David Jenemann, David.Jenemann@uvm.edu
English
Kieran Killeen, Kieran.Killeen@uvm.edu
Integrated Professional Studies
Christopher Koliba , Christopher.Koliba@uvm.edu
Community Dev. & Applied Economics
Karen Lounsbury, Karen.Lounsbury@uvm.edu
Pharmacology
Jeffrey Marshall, Jeff.Marshall@uvm.edu
School of Engineering
Mary Tierney, Mary.Tierney@uvm.edu
Plant Biology and Cell and Molecular Biology
Section 4. Description of some of the funding mechanisms for graduate students
1. Graduate College Teaching or Research Assistantships
a. $15,200 9-month or $21,180 12-month stipend for 20/hour per week service
i. Some units increase the stipend amount
b. 24 credit/year tuition scholarship
c. 75% of single person health care policy
d. Student pays all fees and remainder of health care
2. Tuition Scholarships (24 credits/year) for students in specific programs with stipend
support through university resources
a. Funding sources are Higher Education and Student Affairs Admistration,
Experiment Station and College of Medicine
b. Stipend set by program providing the reources
c. Students have the same effort commitment as Graduate College GTA/GRA
d. Healthtcare and fee coverage varies
3. Graduate College Tuition remission (20 credits/year) for students supported as Research
Assistants on extramurally funded awards with full Facilities and Administrative cost
recovery
a. Applies to research credits for work supported by the award
b. If student has completed all program requirements other than research credits, 3
credits of an elective coruse may be included
4. Graduate Program Scholarships for Out of State Students
a. $5000 tuition scholarships for out-of-state students in professional programs
5. Graduate College Fellowships
a. $7500 stipend competitively avilable to students in the Social Sciences and
Humanities. Those programs include: English, CDAE, MPA, Classics, Natural
Resources
b. 24 credit/year tuition scholarship
6. Opportunity Fellowships
a. $15,200 9-month stipend for 10/hour per week work
b. 24 credit tuition scholarship
c. One year support only
d. Targeted to increase pool of underrepresented students (including ALANA, low
income and first time college)
7. Sustainability Fellows
a. $24,000 stipend 12-month
b. 24 credit/year tuition scholarship
8. Writing in the Disciplines Fellow
a. $16,700 stipend 9-month
b. 24 credit/year tuition scholarship
9. Tuition differential
a. Out of state students tuition scholarship to bring to in-state rate
b. Available to students funded by departmental base-budget funds and extramural
sources with full Facilities and Administrative cost recovery, or training grants
Section 5. Database comparisons for NRC ranked programs.
Selected data for the 11 UVM programs included in the NRC database are included here along
with the national benchmarks.