An analysis of B.S.E.E. degree completion time at Ohio University

Journal of Engineering Education, Jul 2003 by Giesey, Jeffrey J, Manhire, Brian

The remaining increase in the time-to-degree appears to come from factors that did not have a large effect on the whole population but did significantly delay particular groups of students. Most affected were those students who transferred from another college. These 17 students lost an average of 30.8 credit-hours each or almost two quarters. Despite this, the group averaged 5.24 years and 16.5 quarters, only slightly longer than the average student.

Also affected in this manner were the 13 students who took ESL credits. They averaged 16.6 credit-hours of ESL, which accounted for almost one quarter of additional study. They were still able to finish close to the average time even though they took almost two additional quarters. As a group they had the highest average of quarters enrolled per year at 3.27 (17.5/5.35) as compared to the average value of 3.03 (15.6/5.15) by taking summer courses.

The 10 students who changed majors lost an average of 13.2 credit-hours. While this would account for increasing their program by less than a quarter, they actually took 1.15 years and 1.8 quarters longer than average. This group did have a much higher number of failed course free elective credit-hours, and had the second lowest average number of credit-hours attempted per year.

The seven students who "stopped-out" averaged 7.7 extra quarters, or two and a half years off. Since they averaged 9.18 years to earn their degree, more than four years above the average, other factors also appear to be delaying this group's graduation. They are characterized by low GPA and a high number of failed courses, voluntary repeats, and withdrawals. These factors bring into question their ability and motivation for engineering study.

It should be noted that the 19 students who did not repeat or drop a course averaged only 4.5 years and 13.2 quarters. This group included 9 of the 20 students who finished in four years or less and 6 of the 10 who finished in 12 quarters.

In the positive direction, those students in the upper quartile were able to finish significantly earlier than average. While they had the normal number of not applicable credits they had an exceptionally low number of hours attempted but not earned, 3.9 (240.4 - 236.5). On the other hand, students in the bottom quartile had an above average number of hours attempted but not earned, 44.2 (277.4 - 233.3). While they took significantly more quarters to graduate, their time-to-degree was only slightly above average.

Those students who entered college with credit from advanced placement or simultaneous secondary/post-secondary school enrollment did not finish significandy sooner. These 22 students averaged 14.8 credits or about one quarter of pre-college work, however, they took a significantly greater number of free electives during their program.

Surprisingly, cooperative education did not have a major effect on the time-to-degree for the average student. The average student had 0.8 quarters on co-op assignment. Assuming that half of these quarters were done in the summer or made up with summer classes, this would increase the time-to-degree by only about 0.4 quarters or 0.1 year. In addition to this, co-op quarters were not counted as quarters of study so it has no effect on the overall average of 15.6 quarters. Even more surprising was the lack of effect on the co-op students. The 28 students (or 25.2 percent) who did participate in co-op averaged 3.0 quarters of co-op assignments. Again, assuming that half of these quarters correspond to summers, the expected delay in graduation would be about 0.5 years. However, co-op students averaged a time-to-degree of 5.00 years, slightly less than the average student. Their quarters enrolled were only 15.0 as compared to 15.6.