University of Pennsylvania Executive Doctorate

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by SteveFoerster, Jan 9, 2006.

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Is Penn's Executive EdD worth considering?

  1. Yes, it is.

    16 vote(s)
    64.0%
  2. No, it's not.

    9 vote(s)
    36.0%
  1. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Fascinating.

    The Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania has an "Executive" Doctor of Education in Higher Education Management:

    http://www.gse.upenn.edu/hem/homepage.html

    It's a blended program that requires an initial week in Philadelphia and one weekend a month there thereafter. It's a two year program in which one writes the dissertation while doing the coursework, meaning that almost all students are done, start to finish, in two years. Penn is one of only three Ivy League schools with an education grad school, and theirs is ranked seventh by U.S. News and World Report.

    Not too shabby. So what's the catch? It costs a hundred thousand bucks.

    So, does anyone have any experience with this program? Any thoughts? I have to admit that it's tempting....

    -=Steve=-
     
  2. aic712

    aic712 Member

    Cost

    It is very interesting, but wayyyy out of my price range.
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Le ROI est morte?

    In the brochure, they explain that they're committed to finding prospective students the funding they need to participate. I presume that means they have private loan partners to try to cover that portion that exceeds the amound one can put on Stafford loans. Let's assume it's possible to borrow the money.

    The question for me, then, is whether the prestige and presumable higher quality of the program would lead to more opportunity such to justify the tuition rate. Put succinctly, it makes sense to spend a hundred thousand dollars on a program that will help make one competitive for jobs that are sufficiently highly compensated. (I understand many other factors apply in that kind of situation.) My question is whether this is such a program.

    -=Steve=-
     
  4. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Well, I guess the relevant question here is: Will your $100,000 education doctorate from UPenn cause you to either be four times as likely to get hired or get you paid four times as much money as your $25,000 education doctorate from NCU?
     
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    It's not the tuition ratio that matters, it's the difference. The question is what additional earning you're likely to enjoy over the span of your productive life that you can attribute to spending the additional $75,000. See what I mean?

    -=Steve=-
     
  6. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    I suppose that depends on whether you're looking at dollar value return on investment or percentage return on investment.
     
  7. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    This is a very specialized and selective program. It's basically for current senior-level college officials (mostly vice-presidents) who want to take the next step, and become college presidents. It may be unique.

    There was a story about it, called "The Making of the College President", in the Chronicle of Higher Education 02/07/03. Unfortunately, it may not be readily available online unless you are a Chronicle subscriber.

    According to the Chonicle story, the program has far more applicants than can be accepted, and about half the students get tuition paid by their institutions.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 9, 2006
  8. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    It's those weekends in Philadelphia...
     
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I'm looking at dollar value. After all, if a program cost just a dollar and had ten thousand times the return, it would still be less useful than a program that cost ten thousand dollars and offered three times the return.

    -=Steve=-
     
  10. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Well, I'm not a vice president here, but at least I'm in an institution where I could do relevant research. It's selective in that one fourth of those who apply end up starting the program. Those aren't terrible odds, and it doesn't say whether that includes applicants who were accepted but decided for whatever reason not to start.

    I'm looking at programs like this one and Columbia's AEGIS program because I don't want to fail to consider something just because it may be expensive or exclusive. I find here we're always delighted to find low cost programs, and rightly so, but that's not necessarily the best criterion.

    -=Steve=-
     
  11. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The Chronicle story claims that the program got 138 applicants for 38 slots in its first two years. It also states that "So far, everyone accepted has enrolled". The implication is that nearly three out of every four applicants (72.5 %) are rejected. However, the Chronicle story is now three years out of date.
     
  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Their brochure still suggests that ratio is about right. Well, that is pretty competitive. Not to say I don't think I might get in, but I suppose I can just as well stay at George Washington and do an EdD in International Education Policy if they didn't like me, or if the cost ends up turning me off.

    -=Steve=-
     
  13. Tom H.

    Tom H. New Member

    Those weekends in Philadelphia remain one of the best-kept secrets around. :p

    The UPenn program is an outstanding niche program offered by one of the finest institutions in the U.S. but, like everything associated with UPenn, for a stiff price. I can't imagine that many students are paying the expenses out of their own pockets.
     
  14. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Those weekends in Philadelphia remain one of the best-kept secrets around. :p

    What happens in Philly stays in Philly? :)

    The UPenn program is an outstanding niche program offered by one of the finest institutions in the U.S. but, like everything associated with UPenn, for a stiff price. I can't imagine that many students are paying the expenses out of their own pockets.

    I agree, and I suppose I don't really expect I'll be the exception that proves that particular rule, especially when there are excellent EdD programs here in Washington that cost half as much and have opportunities for fellowships and so forth. Still, I hadn't seen any discussion of the program here ever, so I thought it might warrant a thread.

    -=Steve=-
     

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