|
Introduction
This study is an update on our continuing assessment of the average
research expenditures for master's and doctoral degrees in US colleges
of engineering. Certainly, the costs vary from university to university
and the average cost may not be applicable to any specific university.
Further, the average costs in any specific engineering discipline will
necessarily depart from engineering as a whole.
This study focused on the average master's and doctoral degree
research expenditures since AY1990-91 and the expenditures for
individual disciplines having sufficient statistical data to allow a
valid determination (chemical (ChE), civil (CE), computer (science and
engineering - Cmp (AY2003-04 only)), electrical (EE) and mechanical (ME)
engineering.)
Method of Analysis
A graph of research expenditures per faculty member as a function of
the number of doctorates per faculty member has a slope that is the
average expenditure per doctoral degree. Such a graph for engineering
colleges reporting data for faculty (fall of academic year), master's
degrees, doctoral degrees and research expenditures for AY2003-04 is
shown below. Data shown in the remainder of this report is from
universities reporting these four data categories in the academic years
indicated.
The intercept on the graph shown above is the expenditure per faculty
member for activities not related to doctoral research. This value is
assumed in this report to be expenditures for master's degree research.
It is recognized that such expenditures include undergraduate research.
Thus, the expenditures indicated for master's degrees in this report
should be considered as the maximum associated with master's degree
research.
The intercept on the graph above, when divided by the ratio of
master's degrees per faculty member yields expenditures per master's
degree. All data on master's degree expenditures were determined in this
manner.
Research Expenditures
For Engineering As a Whole
The average research expenditure for engineering doctoral degrees has
increased from about 300k$ in the mid-1990s to over 600k$ in AY2003-04
as shown in the graph below. Expenditures per master's degree are
currently declining. This new trend may be due to factors such as the
growth of non-research master's degree programs.
Research Expenditures in Several Engineering Disciplines
The graph below shows the variation of research expenditures per
master's degree for CE, ChE, Cmp, EE and ME determined in the manner
described previously. The research expenditures for CE, ChE and ME
master's degrees have doubled since AY1990-91. For EE, the expenditures
have essentially tripled. Scatter in the input data for Cmp limited the
expenditure determination to only AY2003-04.
The spread in data among the five disciplines, about a factor of
four, is noteworthy. It is also noteworthy that all five disciplines
exhibit master's degree expenditures greater than that of engineering as
a whole (20.7k$ per master's degree in AY2003-04 and 38.4k$ in
AY2001-02, the maximum expenditure in the years studied).
The graph below shows the research expenditures per doctoral degree
in CE, ChE, Cmp, EE and ME. Only one data point is presented for Cmp.
CE, ChE, EE and ME expenditures increased by two to three times over the
period shown. EE doctorates had the largest expenditures per doctorate,
but had the smallest expenditures per master's degrees (graph above).
ChE, which had the largest expenditures per master's degree, currently
has one of the smallest expenditures per doctoral degree.
It is noteworthy that all five of these disciplines have
significantly lower expenditures per doctoral degree than engineering as
a whole (635k$ per doctoral degree in AY2003-04).
Summary
Research expenditures for master's and doctoral degrees in
engineering and in several engineering disciplines (CE, ChE, EE and ME)
have increased significantly since AY1990-91, the period covered by this
study.
The average research expenditures for engineering as a whole were
20.7k$ and 635k$ for master's and doctoral degrees, respectively, in
AY2003-04. CE, ChE, Cmp, EE and ME had larger expenditures than overall
engineering for master's degrees and smaller expenditures for doctoral
degrees.
Acknowledgments
The data used in this study originated from the annual surveys of the
American Society for Engineering Education. Engineering Trends
acknowledges the efforts of this organization in providing credible data
and expresses its gratitude for their services to the engineering
profession. Persons seeking further information about their surveys and
the availability of survey data should visit the ASEE Web site (www.asee.org).
Footnotes
Engineering Trends data are compiled mainly from information
submitted by universities to the annual surveys of EWC and ASEE. On the
very rare occasions where errors in data appear, Engineering Trends
corrects the error, if possible, or deletes the data if the error is
large enough to alter significantly the trend of the university or the
US total.
|
