National Research Council

Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs

In 2006-2007, the University of Pittsburgh participated in the National Research Council (NRC) assessment of research-doctorate programs. The NRC conducted its last assessment of doctoral programs in 1995. The assessment will provide benchmarking data on graduate programs throughout the United States and will result in ratings of graduate program quality. The data will be published in an online, searchable database available to all. Graduate students may have a special interest to review these findings.

The NRC assessment requires the collection of specific data from the institution, academic programs, faculty members, and admitted-to-candidacy doctoral students.

Over 200 participating institutions and programs submitted data to the NRC about their programs.

In July 2009 the NRC’s Committee to Assess Research Doctorate Programs released A Guide to the Methodology of the National Research Council Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs. Download the Guide free of charge.

This report is only a description of the methodology and is intended mainly for university members who wish to understand how the assessment was conducted. It is not the final report and is not the assessment itself. 

The scheduled release of the report has not been announced.

For more information about the NRC Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs at the University of Pittsburgh, please contact Stephanie Hoogendoorn.