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From: matloff@bizet.Berkeley.EDU (Norman Matloff)
Newsgroups: comp.edu,soc.college
Subject: Re: Foreign Students in Tax Supported Schools
Message-ID: <18244@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 13 Dec 88 22:10:28 GMT
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Reply-To: matloff@iris.ucdavis.edu (Norm Matloff)
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In article <613@wucs1.wustl.edu> conrad@wucs1.UUCP (H. Conrad Cunningham) writes:

>Why are American doctoral programs in technical fields dominated by
>non-American students?

>(3) Many good American students don't see the value in pursuing a
>doctorate and/or are not willing to make the "necessary" personal and
>financial sacrifices.

>(3) I think this is the primary reason.

I agree.

[Concerning the motivation of foreign students for American graduate
study, Conrad says:]
>Or perhaps it is the "ticket" that gives
>them admission to a country with a "higher standard of living". 

Yes, this is true.  As I said, the foreign students get hired by 
American companies who sponsor them for immigration.  The INS will 
in most cases not grant this request if the person only has a
Bachelor's degree (especially a foreign one), so graduate study is 
indeed this "ticket."

Furthermore, since many universities will not give financial support
to M.S. students, a number of foreign students opt for the Ph.D.
program when all they really want is an M.S.  It is common for such
a student to leave after getting the M.S. (in programs in which one
"automatically" picks up an M.S. after a year or two in the Ph.D.
program).

However, there is certainly the cultural aspect too:

>Possessing a doctoral degree doesn't necessary confer much social
>prestige in American society.  I don't know, but perhaps it does in
>other countries.  

Yes it does, particularly in Asia, where most of the foreign students
come from.

I might note that even a disproportionate number of DOMESTIC students
in doctoral programs are relatively "new" Americans, e.g. children or
grandchildren of immigrants, and thus retain part of the respect that
other cultures give to a Ph.D.

    Norm