Research degree completion rates

What We Have Found

Indicator Description

Doctoral degree completion rate per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) academic staff members.

Why This Is Important

New Zealand Government, like other governments, has recognised the crucial role played by the innovation system in the creation of a knowledge-based society and economy and hence in economic and social development.  It has also recognised the critical part played by the tertiary education sector in the innovation system.

The primary roles of tertiary education research activities are to:

• support degree-level teaching and ensure that degree graduates are of high quality and informed by up-to-date developments in the knowledge base
• train New Zealand’s future knowledge-creators and innovators
• contribute to improving the knowledge base through high-quality research that generates new knowledge, and
• disseminate knowledge through technology transfer.

One traditionally important contribution of the universities to the national research effort is in the area of pure basic research, which involves exploring and expanding the frontiers of knowledge.  The formal training of researchers is mainly carried out through postgraduate research degrees.  The doctoral degree completion rate per FTE academic staff members, therefore, provides a proxy measure of the ability of universities in training researchers for the future.

How We Are Going

The ratio of doctoral degree graduates to FTE academic staff has increased fairly steadily since 2000.  In 2009, there were 10.5 doctoral degree graduates per 100 FTE academic staff members in New Zealand universities.  This compares with 6.4 graduates per 100 FTE academic
staff members in 2000, an increase of  65%.

Between 2000 and 2009, the number of doctoral degree completion per 100 FTE academic staff members has dropped in University of Waikato (-4.8%). All other universities recorded an increase in doctoral degree completions.  
 
Massey University and University of Auckland experienced the biggest increase in the number of doctoral degree completions per 100 FTE academic staff members between 2000 and 2009, 131% and 113% respectively.  The number of doctoral degree completions per 100 FTE academic staff members since 2000 also increased in Victoria University of Wellington (62%), University of Canterbury (54%), University of Otago (48%), and Lincoln University (30%).

Figure 1: Doctoral degree completions per 100 FTE academic staff members (2000 to 2009)



The number of doctoral degree completions increased from 499 in 2002 to 865 in 2009. The five most common broad areas of study for doctoral degrees completed in 2009 were: Natural and physical sciences with 286 doctoral degree completions in this field (33%), Society and culture (20%), Physical sciences (13%), Health (12%), Management and commerce (11%), Engineering and related technologies (10%), Education (6%), Information technology (4%), Creative arts (3%), Architecture and building (1%) and Agriculture, Environment and Related Studies (15%). 

References

• Ministry of Education (2010). Profile & Trends 2009: New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Sector. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
• Ministry of Education (2008). Tertiary Education Strategy 2007-2012 - A Framework for Monitoring.  Wellington: Ministry of Education.
• Scott, D. (2008). A Closer Look at Completion in Higher Education in New Zealand.  Wellington: Ministry of Education.