Academic Inflation
Encyclopedia
Academic inflation is the process of inflation
of the minimum job requirement, resulting in an excess of college
-educated individuals with lower degrees (associate and bachelor's degrees) competing for too few jobs that require these degrees and even higher, preferred qualifications (master's or doctorate degrees). This condition causes an intensified race for higher qualification and education in a society where a bachelor's degree today is no longer sufficient to gain employment in the same jobs that may have only required a two- or four-year degree in former years. Inflation has occurred in the minimum degree requirements for jobs, to the level of master's degrees, Ph.D.s, and post-doctoral, even where advanced degree knowledge is not absolutely necessary to perform the required job.
The institutionalizing of professional education has resulted in fewer and fewer opportunities for young people to work their way up from artisan to professional status (e.g., as an engineer) by "learning on the job". Academic inflation leads employers to put more and more faith into certificates and diplomas awarded on the basis of other people's assessments.
The effect has a particular impact in arts and music fields. In 1950, not a single institution for example offered a doctorate in conducting. Nowadays, such degrees are routinely required for community chorus conductors working less than full time.
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
of the minimum job requirement, resulting in an excess of college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
-educated individuals with lower degrees (associate and bachelor's degrees) competing for too few jobs that require these degrees and even higher, preferred qualifications (master's or doctorate degrees). This condition causes an intensified race for higher qualification and education in a society where a bachelor's degree today is no longer sufficient to gain employment in the same jobs that may have only required a two- or four-year degree in former years. Inflation has occurred in the minimum degree requirements for jobs, to the level of master's degrees, Ph.D.s, and post-doctoral, even where advanced degree knowledge is not absolutely necessary to perform the required job.
Etymology
Academic inflation is similar to inflation of paper currencies where too much currency chases too few commodities.Effect
Academic inflation occurs when university graduates take up work that was not formerly done by graduates of a certain level, and higher-degree holders continue to migrate to this particular occupation until it eventually becomes a field known as a "graduate profession" and the minimum job requirements have been inflated academically for low-level job tasks.The institutionalizing of professional education has resulted in fewer and fewer opportunities for young people to work their way up from artisan to professional status (e.g., as an engineer) by "learning on the job". Academic inflation leads employers to put more and more faith into certificates and diplomas awarded on the basis of other people's assessments.
The effect has a particular impact in arts and music fields. In 1950, not a single institution for example offered a doctorate in conducting. Nowadays, such degrees are routinely required for community chorus conductors working less than full time.
See also
- Education economicsEducation economicsEducation economics or the economics of education is the study of economic issues relating to education, including the demand for education and the financing and provision of education...
- Educational devaluationEducational devaluationEducational devaluation is the process whereby educational degrees, for sociological and occupational purposes, become less valuable over time....
- Grade inflationGrade inflationGrade inflation is the tendency of academic grades for work of comparable quality to increase over time.It is frequently discussed in relation to U.S. education, and to GCSEs and A levels in England and Wales...
- Open admissionsOpen admissionsOpen admissions is a type of unselective and non-competitive college admissions process in the United States in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a General Educational Development certificate.This form of "inclusive" admissions is used by many public junior...
- Widening participationWidening participationThe widening participation in higher education is a major component of government education policy in the United Kingdom and Europe. It consists of an attempt to increase not only the numbers of young people entering higher education, but also the proportion from so-called "under-represented...