The Cavalier daily :: Friday, March 1, 1968 :: University of Virginia Library

"We have lagged behind other
schools in the past in Ph.D. production,
certainly, but at present
we are expanding our graduate
education at a faster rate than
comparable schools such as
Brown University, or Duke,"
Dean of the Graduate School of
Arts and Sciences, Edward F.
Younger stated yesterday.

Dean Younger explained that
we were hampered in the past by
many things, but lack of finances
were the main reason. It costs
much more to educate a graduate
student than an undergraduate.
The former need professors with
more education and experience
whose salaries are naturally higher.

Also, graduate students meet
in smaller groups because their
needs are more diverse.

Dean Younger pointed out
that since the space ago our production
of Ph.D. students has
doubled. In the academic year
1959-60 the University awarded
41 Ph.D. degrees. Seven years
later, in the academic year 196667
81 such degrees were awarded.

There have been significant
changes in the number of degrees
departments have awarded.
Since World War II more Ph.D.'s
have been awarded in physics
(178) than any other department.
Following the degrees in physics
are those in chemistry, 166; history,
106; economics, 105; English,
68; and biology with 65
Ph.D. degrees awarded.

Changes In The 60's

But during the seven years of
the 1960's there have been
changes in this order. Physics
still leads with 88 degrees, followed
by history with 61, economics
with 61, chemistry with
58, and English with 41.

Dean Younger stated that
"there is a good correlation between
good graduate work and
undergraduate work. Good departments
encourage students to
go on to graduate schools."

Some Exceptions

He clarified this, saying there
are exceptions. While the mathematics
department has long been
one of our most prestigious departments
their production of
Ph.D. candidates is relatively
low, he explained.

Dean Younger noted an interesting
trend in the basic medical
sciences. In former years most
students in such subjects as biology,
anatomy, and pharmacology
had gone on to medical school,
but in recent years these students
have been continuing their studies
in the College instead of at medical
school.

Inflexible In Past

When asked whether he
thought Ph.D. requirements were
antiquated and inflexible, a
charge that has been leveled
against graduate schools recently,
Dean Younger said that in the
past this might have been true,
particularly in the humanities.

"Recently, though, a good
many of the Ph.D. requirements
have been streamlined. Here at
the University many candidates
receive their degrees after only
three or four years of study," he
explained. "This has been especially
true in the economics,
English, and history departments."

He said that there has been
much improvement recently in
our astronomy and romance
language departments. While they
have not produced a great many
of our Ph.D.'s so far, they will
probably account for a greater
percentage in the future.

More Degrees

In the next year or so, there
ought to be some graduate degrees,
M.A.'s, awarded in two of
our departments, religion and art
history, which have awarded none
in the past.

At present, only 6 of our 29
departments have no graduate
degrees awarded.

To date, the University has
awarded 922 Ph.D. degrees since
the war. In the future, the number
of these degrees should increase
substantially.