RELATIVE PRESTIGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 59363
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (SUMMER 1979) Pages: 135-145
• Author(s): D FABIANIC
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Pergamon Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A SURVEY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF ACADEMIC CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS REGARDING THE RELATIVE PRESTIGE OF 21 CRIMINAL JUSTICE DOCTORAL PROGRAMS AND THE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF SUCH PROGRAMS IS DOCUMENTED.

Abstract

QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO A RANDOM SAMPLE OF ACADEMY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCIENCES MEMBERS AND TO ALL OFFICERS OF REGIONAL AND STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS. RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED FROM 204 OF THE 281 PERSONS CONTACTED. RESPONDENTS RATED 21 DOCTORAL PROGRAMS AS DISTINGUISHED, STRONG, ADEQUATE, MARGINAL, INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE ACCEPTABLE TRAINING OR INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO JUDGE AND INDICATED THE FACTORS THEY CONSIDERED GERMANE TO A DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. OF THE ORIGINAL LIST OF 21 PROGRAMS, 9 WERE JUDGED BY AT LEAST HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS. HIGH RATINGS WERE ACCORDED CONSISTENTLY TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, AND FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND SOMEWHAT LESS CONSISTENTLY TO SAM HOUSTON UNIVERSITY. RESPONDENTS REGARDED LIBRARY FACILITIES AND FACULTY ATTRIBUTES (TEACHING AND RESEARCH COMPETENCE, ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, MORALE) AS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL DOCTORAL PROGRAM. PLACEMENT SERVICES AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS WERE CONSIDERED LEAST IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE ASSESSMENTS AND THE ATTRIBUTION OF PRESTIGE TO SPECIFIC PROGRAMS IS UNCLEAR; I.E., IT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT ELEMENTS OF A PROGRAM ACCOUNT FOR ITS PERCEIVED PRESTIGE. HIGH-PRESTIGE DOCTORAL PROGRAMS ARE LIKELY TO EXERT CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION BY PROVIDING MODELS FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS, PERSONNEL TO STAFF SUCH PROGRAMS, AND STANDARDS BY WHICH HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION WILL BE DEFINED. THE SURVEY RESULTS SUGGEST WAYS IN WHICH CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRADUATE PROGRAMS MIGHT ENHANCE THEIR PRESTIGE. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)