Doctoral Faculty Rated Most Productive Among Peers

The faculty of DePaul University’s doctoral programs was recognized as the most productive and distinguished in the country among universities with fewer than 15 doctoral programs, according to a new ranking unveiled this week.

The Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, which rates the scholarly output of faculty in more than 7,000 doctoral programs across the nation, ranked DePaul first among universities in its category. Harvard University was ranked first among universities with 15 or more doctoral programs.

The index is the first attempt to rank advanced degree academic programs based on the scholarly contributions of faculty members to their fields of study. Among the factors examined were faculty books and articles published, journal citations, awards, honors and grants received in 2005.

The review examined more than 7,000 doctoral programs in 104 separate disciplines at universities around the country. DePaul offers doctoral programs in clinical psychology, philosophy, computer science and education.

“We are honored by this recognition,” said DePaul President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. “We were pleased when the nation noticed our tremendous growth and our recognition of having the happiest and most diverse students in the U.S. But we are especially gratified that the country has begun to notice that DePaul has been aggressively raising its academic quality as well.”

The study was financed by the State University of New York at Stony Brook and produced by Academic Analytics, a for-profit company. The complete results of the survey are published in the Jan. 12 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“This ranking shows that a university that makes teaching its primary mission can also excel in faculty research,” said DePaul Provost Helmut Epp. “Although DePaul has a relatively small number of doctoral programs, we are gratified that those programs and the faculty who guide them are nonetheless recognized for their outstanding quality and scholarly contributions.”

This is the second recognition DePaul has earned this academic year for programs associated with its doctoral faculty and students. The university’s clinical psychology program, which trains psychology doctoral students, was ranked the best in the country by the American Psychological Association in August.

DePaul University offers highly respected, flexible, practical programs of study in a student-focused learning environment. With 23,149 students, it is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the 10th-largest private, not-for-profit university in the nation. Among those 10, all except DePaul are classified as “research extensive” universities, making DePaul the nation's largest university with a primary mission of teaching and service.

Editor’s Note: The full list of universities recognized in the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index is published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The methodology for the ranking is listed on the Academic Analytics Web site.