Dissertation Abstract

Predictors of Success in a Graduate Program in Radiologic Sciences

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between admission criteria and student success in a graduate program in radiologic sciences. The study data were obtained from the only graduate program in radiologic sciences. The participants were 119 students who were accepted into the graduate program in radiologic sciences at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Of the 119 subjects, 84 graduated and 35 did not graduate.

The Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlations between the admission criteria of the program and the measures of success. The admission criteria were undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and scores on the Graduate Record Examination in the Verbal and Quantitative sections (GREY and GREQ). These scores were added together (GRET) along with the undergraduate grade point average times a constant to acquire an admission index (AI). These were correlated with the success criteria in the form of graduate grade point average (GGPA) and the student's scores on the Department's Final Competency Examination (FCE).

The findings were not significant, at a p-value of .0768 and .2161 respectively, between UGPA and GGPA or the FCE. The findings were not significant between the GREV and the GGPA at a p-value of .2701. The findings were significant between GREQ, GRET, and AI and the GGPA at levels below .05 for the p-value. The findings were significant between GREV, GREQ, GRET, and AI and the FCE at levels less than .05 for the p-value. The conclusion of this study was that the admissions criteria serve as a useful tool in predicting student success in the Masters of Science in Radiologic Science program at Midwestern State University and the program should continue to utilize these criteria to help ensure student success.

This dissertation citation and abstract are published with permission of ProQuest Information and Learning. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission.