Characteristics and perceptions of doctoral graduates and students in educational leadership at the University of Georgi

The purpose of this study was to identify the personal and professional characteristics and perceptions of the doctoral graduates from 1986 through the summer of 2000 and the current doctoral students in the Department of Educational Leadership at The University of Georgia. Questionnaires were sent to 400 doctoral graduates and 189 doctoral students. Two hundred thirty-nine (60%) graduates and 106 (56%) students responded to the study. The results of this study were compared with the data obtained in a previous study of the doctoral graduates from 1940 through 1986 in the Department of Educational Administration at The University of Georgia.;The data revealed that there were more male graduates from 1940 through 1986 and more female graduates from 1986 through 2000. Additionally, the ages of doctoral graduates upon completing their degrees has increased. The mean age from 1940 through 1986 was 39.5 years and from 1986 through 2000 was 43.1 years old. The majority of doctoral graduates continued to be employed throughout their doctoral study and most did not receive financial support. More graduates have chosen to become building level administrators and college professors than previously, when more graduates chose central office administration. One contributing factor found in this study was that more females than males aspired to these positions. The majority of doctoral graduates continued to maintain that self-satisfaction was the primary reason they chose to pursue doctoral study. The mean time to complete the degree has also increased. The average length of time the graduates from 1940 through 1986 took to complete their degrees was 36 months. The graduates from 1986 through 2000 took an average of 50 months to complete their degrees.