The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation: Reflections on Its Development and First Seven Years

Abstract

Background: The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation (IDPE) program at Western Michigan University (WMU) was designed and developed to address the increasing need and demand for highly trained and skilled evaluators. After only six and a half years, the program’s graduates are serving in important evaluation leadership positions throughout the world. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide readers with a historical overview and up-to-date description of the IDPE and is intended for those who are interested in evaluation curriculum and advances in the profession. Setting: Not applicable. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: In this article each of the program’s current and previous leaders reflect on their role in the IDPE. Findings: The concept, design, and operations of this program should be of interest both to evaluation scholars and to those who administer graduate education programs in evaluation. 

Keywords: evaluation training, doctoral programming, interdisciplinary programming, evaluation history