Graduate Program Admissions

Approximately 10,000 graduate catalogues are distributed each year in response to inquiries about programs, campus visits, or recruitment activities. Each program determines the number of admissions based upon a variety of factors: availability of faculty mentors, laboratory or clinical resources available, availability of assistantships, and full-time or part-time status of students. The Office of Graduate Studies screens all applications for completion and forwards completed applications to the appropriate Graduate Director for admission review. Program faculty review these applications and make recommendations for admission. The program director, chair of the department, and the dean of the college further review the application and evaluate the faculty decision. If at any level they do not concur the application is sent back to faculty for further review. Recommendations for admission are forwarded to the Office of Graduate Admissions for implementation.

The variety of programs available at the graduate level results in a diverse applicant pool and the need for flexibility in the admissions process. As a result UMD has a rolling admissions process without absolute deadlines. Further, programs can choose to use GRE scores, baccalaureate program GPAs, portfolio presentation, references, essay, personal interview or any combination of the above as their admission criteria. Criteria for each program are published in the Graduate Catalogue. Faculty are responsive to special needs and seek out non-traditional indications of ability. Most programs admit graduate students both in fall and spring terms.

Currently one-quarter of our graduate students are international students. The Office of Graduate Studies has expertise in interpreting transcripts and educational credentials from many countries as well as the various visa statuses. For international students the admission and visa process are interconnected and monitored carefully. International students must demonstrate ability to speak and write in English and the ability to fund their education at UMD.

Data for AY1998-99 indicate that 785 applications were received. Of this number 602 students were accepted (77%) and 286 enrolled (48%). In the same period 170 graduate degrees were awarded. Basic data about admissions, enrollments, and graduations are reported by semester in the UMass Dartmouth Data Book.

Graduate Programs and Requirements

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth offers the following graduate degree programs:

Ph.D.

Master of Science (MS)

Master of Arts (MA)

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Master of Art Education (MAE)

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Some of these programs have specific discipline-related options or tracks. For example the MS in Nursing offers three options; Advanced Practice Adult Health, Advanced Practice Community Health, and Adult Nurse Practitioner. The MA in Psychology has options in General and Clinical Psychology.

All Master's degree programs have been developed by department faculty and have gone through the approval process at the college, university, and system level. Each program has stated academic objectives and requires course work that provides the student with the desired skills and knowledge at an advanced level. Credit requirements vary according to discipline but all require at least 30 semester hours of course credit and a capstone experience either in the form of a thesis or formally submitted original work, a project, or a comprehensive examination. The MFA degree requires 60 credits culminating in a visual thesis, exhibited or presented with an accompanying written thesis. Graduate students may transfer only 6 credits of work done at another accredited institution.

Doctoral degrees require the completion of an approved program of study, qualification for candidacy, passing of comprehensive examinations, and completion of a dissertation with an oral defense. Students in the cooperative Ph.D. programs conducted by Physics and Chemistry with UMass Amherst take all courses at Amherst but do research and receive research assistantships on the Dartmouth campus. Their Dartmouth research professor sits as a member of the UMass Amherst doctoral committee and has adjunct status at that campus. The students in the joint Ph.D. program with UMass Lowell may satisfy residency at either campus and do their research at UMD. This cooperative/joint model is likely to be the model for a number of new cooperative ventures now under discussion. The Office of the President is supportive of the cooperative model and encourages all new programs to consider cooperative arrangements with other campuses.

A description of each program and its course requirements is published in the Graduate Catalogue. The Office of Graduate Studies publishes a Thesis Guide and programs that have a capstone project requirement publish guidelines for that project. Many departments publish supplemental graduate student guides that are specific to that degree.

Governance and Oversight

The Deans of the respective colleges, working with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, have academic responsibility for graduates in their colleges.

Each program has identified faculty who are eligible to teach in the program by virtue of their expertise, experience, and interest. Four programs are maintained across a number of departments and are governed by an interdisciplinary faculty committee. They are the MAT (education, business, English, history, social studies, modern literature and languages, and mathematics), the MBA (accounting/finance, marketing/business information systems, and management), MFA (artisanry, fine arts, visual design), and Nursing (institutional and community). For each graduate program there is a Graduate Program Director, selected either by the chair of the department, or in the case of programs administered across departments, by the dean of the college.

Admission, curriculum, evaluation of student progression, and awarding of assistantships all fall under the purview of the graduate committee for each program. Policy or curricular changes are recommended by this committee and forwarded to the appropriate department and/or college committee for approval and follow the university's curriculum approval process. Official award of assistantships is made by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students' course work is evaluated by faculty teaching the course and is based on achievement of the course objectives. In both the Masters and Doctoral programs students have a thesis, capstone project, or dissertation requirement. Students work with a faculty advisor to develop a research or project proposal. The proposal is presented to the department faculty (or a graduate committee in the department). Once the proposal is approved, students form a review committee and commence work on their project. Each project has two or three readers who must approve the final product. The work is then submitted to the College Dean and then to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies for final approval. Once the project is approved, all course work is complete, and any other departmental requirements are met, the student is certified for the degree.

While each program faculty is responsible to their respective colleagues and dean for quality programming there are some issues that cross all programs. The Graduate Council was created as a forum for the discussion of these broad issues and to recommend policy and/ or procedural changes to the Provost. The Graduate Program Directors comprise the Graduate Council. One of the program directors is elected by the group to serve as Chair of the Graduate Council. The Associate Vice Chancellor serves as a non-voting ex-officio member. When recommendations are received by the Provost they are discussed by the Council of Academic Deans and then forwarded to the Chancellor. Minutes of the Graduate Council meetings are on file.

The Office of Graduate Studies handles administrative functions such as recruitment and admissions, assistantships, contracts, special academic approvals and appeals, international students, and final approvals of theses and dissertations. This office publishes the Thesis Guide and the Graduate Catalogue. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies has responsibility for this office and provides leadership in the development and oversight of graduate programs for the university.

Financial Resources

The major source of financial support for graduate students are Graduate Assistantships. These may be as a Teaching Assistant (TA) where students teach a section of a course or engage in activities in support of instruction, Research Assistant (RA) where students work with faculty on research-related activities, or Graduate Assistant (GA) where students work with a department or office on campus in a special assignment. An Assistantship offers the student waiver of tuition and a stipend. Students are responsible for paying in-state fees. Assistantships range from half-time (10 hours per week) to full-time (20 hours per week).

The source of funding for assistantships varies. RA funds are often part of a faculty's research grant. Faculty are encouraged to include RAs in their grant requests both as a way of facilitating their work, providing experience and research training to the student, and to provide funding for assistantships. TAs are paid from a department or college's operating funds. GA funds come from a variety of departments and divisions within the university. Graduate students are hired to assist on a number of projects such as Web design, self-studies, newsletter production, design projects, tutoring, and counseling. These assignments provide excellent experience for students as well as financial support.

Other sources of financial aid are limited. There are loans available and some state aid grants (tuition waivers). There are also a few scholarships available in some disciplines. Because many students work full-time they are not candidates for financial aid.

Over the past ten years graduate programs have increased and enrollments have risen 80%. Many departments have handled this growth by increasing faculty workloads, shifting some resources from undergraduate to graduate programs, or through the increasing use of part-time faculty to either teach at the graduate level or teach at the undergraduate level, releasing tenure-track faculty for graduate teaching. While the situation varies for each program, most graduate programs find further growth impossible without additional resources. Recent self-study assessment reports emphasize three areas of concern: faculty workload, financial support for students, and space for faculty and graduate student research projects.

The current Faculty Federation contract addresses faculty workload by establishing a "standard" teaching load per semester at 9 units for tenure-track faculty. This acknowledges the increased need for scholarship as well as the increased workload of teaching graduate students. In some departments this contract change has resulted in the need for more part-time faculty. A few graduate courses are offered through the Division of Continuing Education, mainly because they are offered in off-campus locations. Thus, many graduate faculty teach these courses as an overload (with additional compensation). The limiting factor for enrollment in many of the current graduate programs is the availability of faculty as mentors and advisors for student theses and projects.

As noted above, financial support for graduate students is highly dependent upon assistantships. Few of these are research assistantships. Faculty with funded research grants are encouraged to include RA positions in their funding proposals. Funded research has increased over the last ten years, but RA positions have not increased proportionally. The Office of Grants and Contracts is now reviewing grant proposals and suggesting the addition of RAs in grant applications. Teaching assistantships are funded through CSF budgets. There is also a delicate balance to be maintained between support for graduate students and providing quality teaching to undergraduates. The university prides itself on quality undergraduate programs and has no desire to turn over undergraduate instruction to TAs as many research universities have done. The balance has to be maintained by each department according to its goals and needs. (See Standard Five, p.46.)

Scholarship support is sorely needed for graduate students. Because of our long history as an undergraduate teaching institution most private scholarships support the undergraduate student. All levels of the university--department, college and central administration--need to make graduate student support a priority.

Space for graduate student research is a pressing need at UMD, and reflects the general space shortage on this campus. Science labs and studios for graduate students are virtually non-existent. Faculty research space is pressed to the limit and the inclusion of graduate students in labs is difficult. The recent addition of CMAST has helped ease this situation somewhat, and the planned renovation of the Star Store in New Bedford for the College of Visual and Performing Arts will improve studio space for MFA programs. Office/study space for graduate students is needed as well.

Future growth of graduate programs is expected, although at a slower rate than in this decade. Natural growth in enrollment can be anticipated as more of the area's residents complete their baccalaureate degrees and economic growth in the region demands professionals with advanced knowledge and skills. Existing programs continue to work to keep program options and curricula responsive to the region. New marketing research efforts may well include this area of opportunity. New options can be added to existing degree programs through the on-campus approval process. The President's office encourages multi-campus cooperation for all new programs and is concerned about program proliferation and duplication. Enrollment management planning, through the Office of Graduate Studies, will begin to project graduate enrollments and manage growth.

Some new graduate programs are in the planning stages:

III. Research and Scholarship

Research and scholarship are central to the mission of the university. Both students and faculty actively engage in a wide range of creative work, as one would expect in a university with a large College of Arts and Sciences, four professional schools, and a number of academic centers. Faculty and students have full academic freedom to pursue their scholarly interests and research.

Undergraduate students participate in scholarship in a variety of ways. First, many faculty include undergraduate students on their research teams. Promising students are often invited to participate in faculty research either on an informal basis or as a designed learning experience. Upper division undergraduate students have the opportunity to enroll in an Independent Study option. In this option student research is guided and supervised by the faculty in an area outside of the established curriculum. Students in the Honors program must complete an independent honors project which is also supervised by a faculty member and must meet quality standards of scholarship. As noted above, a number of undergraduate students from UMD participate in the University Undergraduate Research Day presentations, and many have won awards in their division. The UMD chapter of Sigma XI sponsors an annual poster session where students (as well as faculty) are encouraged to present their work. Samples of undergraduate research products will be on display for the visiting team.

Graduate students are engaged in research and scholarly activities by virtue of their curricular program as well as the opportunity to work as Research Assistants (RAs). All graduate programs require students to complete a thesis, a capstone project, or a dissertation. Capstone projects go through a review, but are frequently focused on the application of knowledge rather than the discovery of knowledge. All graduate projects must be approved by the departmental faculty and are guided by a faculty advisor or reader. Theses and dissertations become part of the permanent library collection. Samples of theses and projects will be on display for the visiting team.

Graduate students are often invited to participate as RAs in faculty research, especially in funded projects. This participation provides the graduate student with a rich experience through which they can participate in the furthering of the project, as well as gain comprehensive knowledge of the research process. Close relationships with faculty mentors are often helpful in guiding the student to doctoral-level study or career opportunities.

Faculty participation in research and scholarly activities has steadily increased over the past five years. Faculty are supported in their efforts in a number of ways. There are a number of internal sources of small-grant funding available to full-time faculty. These funds are used to seed new projects, or to provide support for the dissemination of results. The Office of Grants and contracts assists faculty in identifying potential funding sources, preparation of grant applications, and post-award grant management. In the fall of 1999 the position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs was restored. Under this new leadership it is expected that increased support will be available to both junior and senior faculty.

A review of funded grants and contracts indicates a rise both in number of projects as well as support dollars. For example, research and development expenditures per FTE student (a measure of grants activity in science and engineering, scaled to institutional size) have increased from $11,888 in FY98 to $17,210 at present. Scholarship is now a mandatory category for evaluation in promotion and tenure. (See also Standard Five.)

In the 1990s, the institutional emphasis on research and scholarship, both for faculty and students, has increased. An expanded Honors program has set a high standard of achievement and scholarship for more students. Graduate enrollment has also increased with a concomitant increase in substantial research among students, and related faculty involvement as mentors and advisors. The research requirements of AACSB accreditation for the College of Business and the general new contractual requirement that research and scholarship be included in every faculty evaluation, have raised the level of research activity and funded research, much of which directly involves students.

The university will continue to emphasize research associated with programs and instruction, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Arriving at an optimum balance between undergraduate and graduate programs, and the recognition of their interconnectedness, will be an important feature of the university strategic plan and of resource-allocation decisions in the next five years.

IV. Instruction

UMass Dartmouth defines itself as a teaching institution and takes care and pride in all instructional activities. Within the classroom most faculty employ active learning strategies, educational technology, laboratory, studio, and clinical activities, as well as e-mail "chat" groups and Internet assignments. The university does offer a few Web-based courses which have been very successful.

A variety of teaching methods are employed that facilitate the student's achievement of learning objectives. As noted above, student scholarship and creative endeavors are encouraged and highly valued. UMD utilizes a minimum number of teaching assistants and most undergraduate (as well as graduate) teaching is done by tenured or tenure-track faculty. Students in all colleges are exposed to a wide range of faculty in general education courses, support courses, electives, as well as courses in the major.

A number of support systems are in place to assist students to achieve their learning objectives. These supports, more fully described in other sections of this report (especially Standard Six), include the Writing and Reading Center, the Science and Engineering Center, Math and Business Center, Academic Advising Center, and the Counseling Center. Individual and group tutoring is available as well as special sessions on study skills, examination preparation, and stress reduction.

Faculty development related to instructional activities is supported in a variety of ways. All full-time faculty, by contractual agreement, receive Professional Development funds. These funds support the purchase of research or teaching related materials, attendance at conferences, etc. Faculty members choose how to use their allotted funds within the university guidelines. Additional professional development money is available, by contractual agreement, at the College level and is known as the Deans' Professional Development Fund. These funds are dispersed by a College committee set for this purpose.

The Center for Teaching and Learning is a new resource on campus to assist faculty in improving their teaching efforts. The major thrust of this center is to support a wide range of K-16 development and outreach activities. Through the efforts of the Center in supporting UMD faculty and area K-12 teachers the university supports the systematic reform embodied in the Massachusetts Educational Reform Act. UMD faculty both participate in outreach as well as benefit from the many activities of the Center.

The College of Engineering has recently engaged in a major curriculum effort that employs a new teaching approach: The IMPULSE program uses active learning and technology- based education to integrate written, oral, and graphic communication skills. Faculty teaching activities are evaluated each semester by students utilizing a standard course evaluation tool, to which the faculty may add additional questions. The results of these evaluations are sent to the department chair and are discussed, as a formative evaluation technique, with the faculty member. These evaluations are also used in the annual evaluation of faculty by their departmental evaluation committee. (See Standard Five.) Faculty may also voluntarily request assessment of their teaching through the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Teaching has always been regarded as the single most important activity at UMass Dartmouth. The university enjoys a good faculty-student ratio and considers the accessibility of its full-time faculty to undergraduates to be one of its greatest strengths and attractions. In fact, the university presents itself as an institution whose size and wide array of programs offer students exceptional choice and curricular enrichment, along with access to full-time faculty. Our ratio of full-time to part-time faculty (see Standard Five) is a good one in most all departments, thus further promoting the accessibility to students of full-time, fully-committed junior and senior faculty in both their teaching/advising and research roles.

Support services of several kinds have increased and become more integrated with instruction during the 1990s. The Academic Resource Center, with its centers for Writing and Reading, Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Business, and the Disabled Student Services Office, is more centrally involved in the instructional mission of the university. Newer resources like the Academic Advising Center and the Teaching and Learning Center provide a secure base for academic advising and new opportunities for faculty development and innovation in teaching.

In assessing its strengths, the university will continue to emphasize the advantages of its size and program array as these translate into small class size, curricular choice, and regular student contact with full-time faculty. These strengths will exist in some tension with the desire of the university to increase the size of the student body and maintain its emphasis on excellence in teaching and the quality of student-faculty interactions.

The university will continue to build on its reputation for excellent undergraduate teaching as it expands its support of graduate studies and graduate students. The growth of graduate enrollments will remain an important goal, along with the growth of the undergraduate student population both in numbers and quality.

V. Admissions and Retention

The university has a long history of an orderly and ethical program of recruitment and admissions that seeks to retain and ultimately graduate the students who matriculate. The Admissions Office is responsible for the recruitment and admission of undergraduates, both freshman and transfer students. Admission to the university is selective. (See section II of this Standard for details regarding graduate admissions).

In 1998 the university committed significant resources to improve the admission and retention of new students. The position of Assistant Chancellor for Enrollment Management was created along with the recruitment of a new undergraduate Admissions Director. The work of the admissions staff was re-organized, all university admission publications were revised and improved, and fall Open Houses and spring Discovery Days were instituted. In consultation with the deans, the Provost, and the Chancellor admission targets for each program were set, and a concerted effort was developed to improve SAT scores. The Admission Office recruiting initiatives include attendance at college "fairs", high school visits, open house, campus tours, and a variety of special programs. Special meetings for high school counselors have been held locally, in the Boston area, and in Providence, Rhode Island.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth admits students into one of five colleges, and into a specific major. Admission standards follow the guidelines set by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education which oversees all higher education programs in the Commonwealth. Within these guidelines, which set minimum levels of achievement, the university uses a number of indicators to assess applicants' potential for university level work and success in their chosen major. High school grades, grade point average, SAT or ACT scores, essays, and college-level grades for transfer students are all used in making the admission decision. Specific admission requirements are published in the General Catalogue, The Admissions Viewbook, and in a variety of other recruitment materials.

Decisions are based on individual achievement. Quotas or formulas are not used. Students are admitted on a "rolling" basis until programs are filled. Freshman applicants who have strong high school grades and SAT scores may apply for Early Decision Admission.

Especially talented high school students with superior high school records may apply for admission without a secondary school diploma. These students take one or two semesters of university courses and receive their secondary school diploma upon successful completion of this program. Students must be recommended by their high school and a written agreement is developed which outlines the completion program.

The university also participates in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Dual Enrollment program where high school students may enroll in one or two university courses while concurrently enrolled in high school courses. Procedures which guide this type of admission are available from the high school's college guidance counselor.

Following the evaluation and notification of students accepted for admission a series of yield enhancement activities occurs. Phone calls to accepted students from deans, faculty, and students in the program of choice are made to answer questions that the applicant may have and to invite them to an on-campus program in the spring, Discovery Days. Discovery Days serve as further introduction to the university and provide in-depth information about student services, financial aid, housing, athletics, student activities, etc.

Access to higher education is a major part of the mission of UMD. The Office of Admissions employs a number of strategies to ensure that the university maintains its diverse student body. Using data from the College Board Enrollment Planning Service (EPS) schools and communities with diverse student populations are identified. The Office of Admissions, in collaboration with the Office of Minority Recruitment and Retention, visits the major urban areas of Massachusetts, specifically Boston, Brockton, Springfield, Cambridge, Worcester, and New Bedford. Outside of the region we are represented at schools and programs in Northern New Jersey, New York City, Hartford, CT, and Providence, RI. The university has established a relationship with the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) in the Boston suburban schools.

Admissions office staff all engage in the full range of recruitment and admission activities, however, each has a special "population" assignment. In addition to general recruitment, there are staff who work closely with the Office of Minority Recruitment and Retention to identify and cultivate students of color; a second works principally on the recruitment of transfer and adult students; and a third concentrates on international student evaluation and communications.

An alternative admissions program, College Now, is also active on campus to increase diversity at UMD. The College Now mission is to empower Massachusetts' disadvantaged students by providing them an opportunity to pursue a college education through intensive, pro-active, support for both academic and personal development. College Now recruits students who are identified as economically/socially disenfranchised. It has been shown that this targeted population typically does not respond to college fairs. The target population consists of: (a) low income and/or first generation, not less than 55%; (b) ethnic minority, not less than 50%; (c) English as a second language, not less than 20%; and (d) students with disabilities, not less than 8%. Students admitted to the College Now program are provisionally accepted into the university and are required to participate in a program of support and instruction that determines their suitability for continued matriculation in the second semester. No credit toward the baccalaureate degree is awarded for College Now support courses.

Undergraduate students may transfer up to 60 credits from accredited two-year institutions, and 75 credits from four-year programs. Content of courses taken at other institutions is evaluated and if found equivalent to UMD courses, transfer credit will be awarded. The university publishes a Transfer Guide which lists the equivalency courses from area community colleges. Students may also transfer advanced placement courses and CLEP credits. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers a Joint Admission program for students transferring from Massachusetts public community colleges to Massachusetts public colleges and universities. UMass Dartmouth encourages applications from community college students.

Retention efforts start with the admissions process and are then expanded through programs which help support student learning and socialization, including connections with individual faculty. A retention management team of faculty, administrators, and students promotes quality learning experiences and services that will enhance the retention of students. In addition to orientation, advising, tutoring, and support services described elsewhere in this report (see especially, Standard Six), a number of projects addressing freshman issues have been initiated to improve retention. These include: faculty colloquia on active learning and learning disabilities; voluntary early academic warning program for freshmen; a pilot program to identify at-risk freshmen, surveys to determine why students leave; student satisfaction surveys, college programs to address transitional issues, and increased career counseling. Faculty mentoring is promoted through the packet system for freshman orientation and registration, and departmental advising of majors.

Freshman admissions have increased since 1997. Transfer admissions did not increase until 1999 when we saw a 10% increase between fall 1997 and fall 1999. SAT scores have slowly risen (see table on p. 41). The admission of students of color has slowly risen from a low of 54 in 1992 to 121 in 1999. Students of color progress at a comparable rate of success as all other students.

Students progress and complete degree requirements at rates comparable to our peer institutions. The five-year graduation/persisting rate for the 1990 entering cohort was 57%. It fell to 49% for the 1991 and 1992 cohorts. The 1993 cohort had a five-year graduation/persistence rate of 46%. First to second year progression has increased from a decade low of 71%, to 76% for the 1995 cohort, and 78% for the 1996 and 1997 cohorts (the most recent available data). The attrition rate for freshmen has decreased from 29% to 22% over the last 5 years. We believe these improvements have occurred because of a number of activities; a re-focused academic freshman orientation, focus on the freshman year experience, and an active academic advising program. Students of color persist at rates comparable to those for all students. However, they move more slowly toward graduation.

Source of Data Admissions summary report September of each year. Compiled in University Data Book.

The university administration feels that we can continue to accommodate and manage moderate growth with our current infrastructure. Based on that approach each program will continue to set program openings at maximum level, dependent upon the resources and requirements specific to that program. Growth must be carefully planned since the university cannot accommodate many large lecture sections or large lab/clinical/studio sections. Additionally, there are limitations of available dormitory space, so the mix of students becomes additionally important as we attempt to grow.

Enrollment management efforts are now underway to develop program-specific plans that respond to this issue, along with service-course impact statements. These plans are being cooperatively developed by the Admissions staff and college deans.

As standards continue to rise, and admission becomes more competitive, the university will carefully guard its commitment to diversity and increase its efforts to attract and enroll talented students of color. A major effort toward increasing the number of Early Decision students will be made so that we can better predict space availability later into the recruitment season. Retention efforts and support services will continue to be developed and improved as part of the university's strategic plan.

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