The Highest Education: A Study of Graduate Education in Britain (Routledge Library Editions: Higher Education)

Hardcover, x + 198 pages, NOT ex-library. Fine internally, clean and bright throughout with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Boards show faint shelfwear, gentle handling wear; torn tip of the upper outer corner of the rear panel. Issued without a dust jacket. -- The book provides an empirical analysis of the postgraduate landscape in the United Kingdom during a period of significant institutional expansion. Originally published in 1975, this is the first thorough study of the growth of students at British universities from the 1940s to 1975. Ernest Rudd employs extensive survey data and a substantial series of interviews with students and university staff to deconstruct the transition to advanced study, examining the structural differences between research-based doctorates and taught master's programmes. The text explores the core challenges of the postgraduate experience, specifically the conflicts between student aims and university staff provision. Rudd provides a detailed look at the different needs of full-time and part-time students, investigating the socio-economic and institutional factors that contribute to the success of their studies. A significant portion of the work is dedicated to the financial underpinnings of graduate life, examining the policies and costs involved in higher education institutions. The analysis also extends to the world at large, evaluating whether advanced degrees provide a commensurate return on investment in terms of career progression and professional status. The book offers the historical data required to understand the origins of current debates regarding degree inflation, student wellbeing, and the professionalisation of the PhD. By documenting the experiences of an earlier generation of students, Rudd provides a framework for assessing how the challenges of supervision and funding have evolved.…