PhD Program Assessment

Number of students attempting PhD Math Exams: 18
Number of students failing PhD Math Exams: 0

Number of students attempting PhD Stats Exams: 14
Number of students failing PhD Stats Exams: 0

Assessment

Step 1: What was done on assessment this year?

Each PhD program was reviewed according to our Program Assessment plan. The departmental Graduate Committee (henceforth, GPC) convened to deliberate the assessment results and determine if any program changes were needed.

Step 2: What assessment data were collected?

Results from Comprehensive Exams (qualifying, written, oral and defense).

Step 3: What was learned from the assessment?

For the PhD in Statistics, the GPC verified that the requirements that (i) students take 3 credits of Stat 689: Doctoral Reading and Research prior to written comprehensive exam, and (ii) changes made to the written exam component structure several years ago continue to result in very high success rates within each cohort of Statistics PhD students. The changes in the exam structure were primarily modifying the exam to include questions related to the readings in Stat 689, reading and critiquing two new research papers in the student’s research area, and performing a comprehensive data analysis problem that includes a written report. These exam components provide a good assessment and better reflect whether a student is prepared to perform independent doctoral research in Statistics.

In past years, the Mathematics PhD with an emphasis in mathematics education encouraged students to take the Reals-Complex exam for the content component of a trio of comprehensive exams. In the previous assessment period, it was determined that Reals/Complex is not the most appropriate exam for this program because the content is not aligned with the research area of these students. The three doctoral graduates during the current assessment period successfully completed alternate Ph.D. mathematics exams, and evidence confirms the wisdom of this change.

Step 4: How did you respond to the assessment results? 

For the PhD in Statistics, our response is to continue to use our current exam and defense procedures given the success we are enjoying in our completion rate for PhDs and providing current PhD students with a path to success.

Moving forward, the Ph.D. Mathematics with an emphasis in Mathematics Education will maintain the standard of content rigor in terms of completing doctoral-level coursework, but will use a written comprehensive examination in mathematics content that better reflects the needs of future mathematics education researchers and educators. The other two components of the examination (Mathematics Education and Educational Research) will continue to consist of narrative examinations with a writing period of one week.

PDF of PhD Program Assessment