Examining the Relationship between Cognitive Selection Criteria for Admission and Noncognitive Performance Outcomes in a Professional Graduate Degree Program

Author

Rosalie MaiorellaFollow

Date of Award

Summer 8-2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD Higher Education Leadership, Management, Policy

Department

Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Advisor

Robert Kelchen, PhD

Committee Member

Rong Chen, PhD

Committee Member

Jody Kulstad, EdD

Committee Member

John Smith, EdD

Keywords

selection, academic admission criteria, clinical evaluations, graduate education, online education, virtual education, clinical outcomes, higher education

Abstract

The admission processes in higher education have been the topic of considerable discussion and study at all levels of the institution from undergraduate to graduate and professional education. This study focused on graduate students who completed their master’s degree in Counseling and School Counseling from 2010 to 2018. Students completed their degree fully online and from a distance. The goal was to determine if admission criteria were predictive of end of program clinical fieldwork evaluations. Independent variables looked at were Undergraduate GPA (UGPA); GRE: (V)erbal, (Q)uantitative, and (W)riting; First Semester Graduate GPA (GPA1), and Cumulative Graduate GPA (GPAEP). End of program clinical evaluations were used as the dependent variable and represented site supervisor scores on two constructs¾Professional Skills and Counseling Skills from three fieldwork courses: Practicum (n=220), Internship I (n=220), and Internship II (n=214). Multiple Linear Regression showed that UGPA, GREQ, GREV, GREW, GPA1, and GPAEP did not significantly predict clinical scores in Professional Skills or Counseling Skills for Practicum, Internship I, or Internship II. Traditional academic admissions criteria and academic measures during the program do not predict clinical performance. These results indicate that the academic strength of a student on admission may not predict their performance in their clinical courses, and traditional academic admission criteria may not be the best criteria to use in the selection process for students with a clinical performance component. Reliance on alternative admission criteria such as recommendations and interviews may be better predictors of a student’s clinical performance.

Recommended Citation

Maiorella, Rosalie, "Examining the Relationship between Cognitive Selection Criteria for Admission and Noncognitive Performance Outcomes in a Professional Graduate Degree Program" (2020). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 2791.
https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2791