For-profit Mid-career Programs as a Second Chance for

Disadvantaged Social Groups

Hanna Ayalon and Gila Menahem Tel Aviv University, Israel

Prepared for the Decowe Conference, Ljubljana, September 2009

Some information on the for-profit programs in Israel A new phenomenon Master’s programs aimed at junior

managers with a Bachelor’s degree. Do not train researchers Charge high tuition fees Parallel to existing programs, but less

selective and more intensive Students complete studies in four

semesters (instead of two and more years)

Rational Financial crisis in the Israeli

universities

Part of an international trend

Brief information on Israeli higher education Until the 90th composed mainly of

research universities Traditional universities are divided

into elite and non-elite universities During the 90th – a remarkable

expansion due to the establishment of academic colleges

The colleges are considered the second tier of higher education

Currently, more than 50% of the undergraduate students study in the colleges

Fields of study Differ in attractiveness, prestige and

selectivity (Ayalon and Yogev 2005) Most prestigious – lucrative fields.

Least prestigious – humanities.

Critics of the executive programs Turning higher education into a

business

Enhancing educational inequality

The programs as a second chance Provides junior managers the

opportunity to upgrade their status by winning a Master’s degree from a prestigious university

Previously deprived of this opportunity due to social and / or educational disadvantages.

Convert their self-acquired resources into educational credentials

Research question Do the for-profit programs serve as a

second chance for ethnically and socially disadvantaged groups and / or for educationally disadvantaged members of privileged groups.

Data About 600 students in parallel

executive and regular programs in the social science programs, Tel Aviv University, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Descriptive results

Student’s characteristics according to program

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Mizrachim Arab College Eliteuniversity

Non-elite Humanities Socialsciences

For-profit Regular

Graduation grade by program

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

Grade

For-profit Regular

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

Father's occupational prestige

For profitRegular

Age by program

05

10152025303540

age

For-profitRegular

Income by Program

01000

20003000

4000

50006000

70008000

For profitRegular

Results of the logistic regression

Dependent variable – the odds of enrolling in an for-profit mid-career

versus a regular program

Socio-demographic characteristicsModel 1Model 2Model 3

Female-0.929**-1.097**-0.532

Mizrachim0.502**0.524**0.719**

Parental education

-0.0200.013-0.056

Father’s occupational prestige

-0.011**-0.018*-0.016*

Educational characteristicsModel 2Model 3

Non-elite university

1.215**0.789*

College1.763**2.209**

Humanities1.679**1.701**

Other1.326**-0.916

Graduation score

-0.173**-0.117**

InteractionsMizrachim*”father’s occ. prestige

-1.437**-1.175**-1.923**

Non-elite*humanities

-0.746-0.410

Non-elite*other-1.129*-1.191

College*humanities-0.306**-1.742

College*other-1.422*-1.896**

Age0.159**

Income0.159**

Parental education-0.056

Parental education*income

0.029**

Major results The for-profit programs provide the

opportunity of a prestigious Master’s degree to junior managers with the following characteristics:

Lower graduation scores Graduates of elite universities who did not

major in the social sciences Graduates of non-elite universities and

colleges who majored in the social sciences

The upper stratum of the disadvantaged ethnic groups

The lower stratum of the dominant ethnic group

Concluding remarks The executive programs compensate

members of the dominant ethnic group for social disadvantages

Members of the disadvantaged ethnic group who enroll in the programs have better social background.

Students who use their high income to upgrade themselves are more often children of educated parents.

The executive programs – a second chance for whom?

By using their high income, junior managers use the programs to overcome past social and educational disadvantages.

Still, the programs mainly compensate members of the dominant ethnic group for socioeconomic disadvantages.