A new report from the Council of Graduate Schools calls for more transparency in admissions in master's programs. The report outlines key factors in master's admissions, including evidence that applicants will succeed in the programs, critical thinking and letters of recommendation.

Institutional racism, White supremacy and anti-Black attitudes fuel underrepresentation of Black students on college and university campuses across the United States, with access a battle constantly being waged in legal courts and the court of public opinion, according to an academic who addressed the 58th annual meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools this week.

The number of international students enrolling in US graduate programmes is falling, according to reports from the US Council of Graduate Schools in Washington DC and the Institute of International Education in New York City.

An intentional and campus wide approach and a holistic evaluation of underrepresented students in the admissions process can help graduate schools cultivate a diverse and inclusive student body and produce degree-holders who are culturally competent.

That was a key takeaway from a panel discussion Friday at the 58th annual meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools. Hosted by Education Testing Service and moderated by Diverse Executive Editor Dr. Jamal Eric Watson, “Diversity in Graduate Education: Looking At, and Beyond, Admissions” explored how graduate schools can increase diversity and inclusion by effectively recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented groups. It followed a webinar on the topic last month and provided some additional insights.

A doctorate degree is the highest traditional academic degree. Earning a Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D. for short, can be a long endeavor, taking anywhere from three to 10 years of study. Doctoral candidates also are expected to conduct research and publish as part of their degree programs.

Doctoral degrees are among the most difficult to earn, with around a third of students dropping out of Ph.D. programs in the 10th year, per a 2008 study from the Council of Graduate Schools.

The drop is something that hasn't been seen since 2004: the first year that the Council of Graduate Schools first began collecting data on international application and first-time enrollment rates in United States graduate programs. According to the American Institute of Physics, which compiled all available data from the International Graduate Admissions Survey administered by the Council of Graduate schools, international applications and first-time enrollment rates rose every year from 2006 through 2016, inclusive, with a tiny decline (~1%) from 2016 to 2017.

International student enrollments for US graduate schools are down for the second year in a row according to a new report, raising concerns as to what’s behind the continuing decline.

The number of first-time international graduate students enrolled in U.S. programs fell 3.7% from the fall of 2016 to the fall of 2017, with their share among first-time grad students falling from 22% to 20.3% during that period, according to a report from the Council of Graduate Schools. There were proportionally more first-time international graduate students at private nonprofits (24.2%) than public colleges (19%) in the fall of 2017. 

In keynote remarks, Dr. Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, stressed the critical importance of developing multiple mentors and advisers rather than relying on one individual.

“Mentoring and advising are way too much for one person to do,” she said. “So, you need a network.”

“Good mentoring is critical to faculty and student diversity,” Ortega added. “Be the kind of mentor you would like to have had.”career path begins or takes you.

Graduate students in the humanities face many challenges. The academic job market keeps getting tighter, student debt loads bigger. A doctorate these days isn’t worth it, critics have argued. But the results of a new survey, released on Thursday by the Council of Graduate Schools, push back a bit against that gloomy narrative.