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Journal of Business Economics
Erschienen in: Journal of Business Economics 9/2016

21.03.2016 | Original Paper

Does the curricular structure affect doctoral enrolment?

A European comparison

verfasst von: Annika C. Froehlich

Erschienen in: Journal of Business Economics | Ausgabe 9/2016

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Abstract

This paper examines whether the curricular structure affects the decision to pursue doctoral studies after completing the highest degree at college level. Prior to the Bologna Process, most curricula in Europe’s higher education were either organized in a one-cycle structure (e.g. the German Diplom) or in a two-cycle structure (e.g. Bachelor/Master). Based on Spence’s signalling theory I hypothesize that due to the existence of a second degree at college level as in the two-cycle system, the incentive to enrol in doctoral studies is smaller in these higher educational systems. This hypothesis is put to an empirical test based on data from 23 European countries between 1995 and 2005. Random effects estimations reveal that enrolment rates in doctoral studies are significantly higher if curricula are organized in a one-cycle structure instead of a two-cycle structure, after controlling for factors of educational institutions, labour market conditions and socio-economic characteristics of a country’s population.
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Fußnoten
1
Educational ministers of all the countries participating in the Bologna Process agreed to “commit themselves to having started the implementation of the two-cycle system by 2005” (Bologna Follow-up Group 2005: 18).
 
2
The distinction is based on, and should emphasize, the prevailing orientation of teaching and education at each level: While college level education is mainly “built on structured and course-based programmes and examinations”, the “most predominant and essential component of the doctorate is research […] without an emphasis on structured courses” (European University Association 2005: 35).
 
3
To improve readability I will refer to the individual as male and to the employer as female. Doing so should enhance readability and does not refer to any possible gender specific attributes.
 
4
Especially in US literature, the concept of graduate education subsumes second-cycle studies as well as doctoral studies (e.g. Mullen et al. 2003; Zhang 2005).
 
5
Difference between expected earnings with and without further education.
 
6
Changes at certain educational levels might affect educational choices at higher as well as lower levels. While Lang and Kropp (1986) argue that a rise of minimum years of schooling to a certain level might affect enrolment decisions of students at higher levels, Bedard (2001) shows that the relaxation of college enrolment constraints not only enhances enrolments at college level but also increases the number of high school dropouts.
 
7
Based on information on ISCED 5A first- (e.g. Bachelor) and second-degree graduations (e.g. Master) retrieved from Eurostat (2014a) transition rates from first- to second-degree studies were calculated for two-cycle countries. The mean transition rate between 2004 and 2005 was 32.64 %, i.e., second-degree studies were not obtained on a regular basis. I therefore assume second-degrees to be a valid mean to distinguish from the less productive first-degree group.
 
8
See Ryan (2001) for similar considerations regarding changes in minimum years of schooling.
 
9
Given that any more productive individual (i.e., more productive than the individual who is indifferent between attaining and not-attaining a doctoral degree) rationally chooses to attend doctoral studies and given that wages are paid according to the average marginal productivity of all individuals with a doctoral degree.
 
10
Difference between the wage that is offered to a person who holds a doctoral degree and the wage offered to a person with the highest degree at college level.
 
11
There seems to be no reason to believe that durations of doctoral studies differed significantly across the two higher educational systems (Westerheijden et al. 2012; European University Association 2005).
 
12
Di Pietro (2012), for example, argues that reducing study durations from five to three years might make college level education more attractive to individuals who would like to continue their education beyond high school education but lack, e.g. the ability or willingness to do so for another five years of study.
 
13
Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK.
 
14
In three one-cycle countries, the two-cycle system was already the predominant curricular structure before 2006. Predominant in this case means that more than 50 % of students were enrolled in two-cycle studies. Thus, in the dataset the Netherlands are only represented until 2003, and the Czech Republic and Italy until 2004 (Bologna Follow-up Group 2005; Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research 2003; Eurydice 2003).
 
15
The standard timeframe for completion of full-time studies in doctoral education is three to four years (European University Association 2005) with a normal duration of three years being the most frequent answer (Westerheijden et al. 2012). However, a robustness check using a four year duration of studies was run, as well (Model 1 in Table 4 in the Appendix). The results are robust.
 
16
In an alternative operationalization, ISCED 6 graduations in \(({\text{t}} + 3)\) were put in relation to graduations from first college level studies (i.e., ISCED 5A first-degree) of the corresponding cohort. In this context, ISECD 5A first-degree graduates in one-cycle countries (e.g. Diplom) are assumed to be able to directly enrol in doctoral studies. In contrast, ISCED 5A first-degree graduates in two-cycle countries are assumed to attend another two years of second-degree studies before they can decide whether they want to attend doctoral studies. A robustness check using this operationalization of the Ph.D. rate is shown in the Appendix (Table 4, Model 2). The results are robust.
 
17
According to Eurostat (2014b), an educational institution is called private if the ultimate control over the institution rests on non-governmental organizations, such as business enterprises or a church.
 
18
Other indices, such as the Global Corruption Barometer and the Bribe Payers Index were considered, too (Transparency International 2014a, c). However, data on the Global Corruption Barometer is not available before 2003. The Bribe Payers Index started collecting data in 1999. From there on, data are collected every second to fourth year. Thus, both indices only provide data for two to three years between 1995 and 2005. I chose CPI, as it provides data for all years between 1995 and 2005 (Transparency International 2014b).
 
19
Both ISCED 5A and ISCED 5B studies (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 2006).
 
20
Incl. mathematics and computer sciences.
 
21
Regressing mean Ph.D. rates on the curricular structure using a simple OLS-Regression with robust standard errors indicates a significant difference of mean Ph.D. rates between one- and two-cycle countries (b = 0.609, p = 0.08).
 
22
Additionally, one might be interested in a t-statistic version of the Hausman test regarding the variable one-cycle system (Wooldridge 2002: 290). As this is not possible due to the nature of the variable of interest (one-cycle system), a further estimation approach using a two-stage fixed effects model to test for robustness was used. In a first step the model specification is estimated based on a fixed effects estimation. Due to its time-invariance the variable of interest (one-cycle system) is omitted from the regression results and the effect is included in the country effect of this model specification. By predicting the country effect in a second step and regressing it on the variable one-cycle system using a between estimator, its effect on the dependent variable Ph.D. rate can be estimated. The result is robust (b = 1.079, SE = 0.335).
 
23
The correlation coefficient is 0.84. Due to the high correlation between GDP and CPI, model specifications controlling separately for these two variables were estimated, as well. The results regarding the effect of interest are qualitatively robust.
 
24
According to Hakala (2009), about half of the academic staff in Finnish universities in 2004 were doctoral students. Although the author suggests that the Finnish higher education system might not represent the average European teaching situation, it might still give an impression of the relevance of doctoral students in academic teaching.
 
25
See Brosi and Welpe (2015) for a discussion of employer branding attributes that attract post-doctoral talents for academic positions.
 
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Metadaten
Titel
Does the curricular structure affect doctoral enrolment?
A European comparison
verfasst von
Annika C. Froehlich
Publikationsdatum
21.03.2016
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in
Journal of Business Economics / Ausgabe 9/2016
Print ISSN: 0044-2372
Elektronische ISSN: 1861-8928
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-016-0812-x

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