Abstract
Little’s Law is applied to enrollment management in part-time degree programs. Using institutional data by program, on number of graduates per year, as well as number of credits taken and number of active students per semester, the calculated average time to graduation is compared to the average flow time predicted by Little’s Law. Despite significant variability among students who enter with varying transfer credits and take varying credits per semester, Little’s Law provides a simple model for measuring program growth trends, student productivity, and persistence to graduation. Implications for marketing, admissions, advising, course scheduling, and curriculum design are discussed.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2010
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2010 University of South Carolina Upstate. This article first appeared in Palmetto Business and Economic Review 13 (2010), 38-52.
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Recommended Citation
Walk, Ellen M., and Lewis A. Litteral. "The Application of Little's Law to Enrollment Management: Improving Student Persistence in Part-Time Degree Programs." Palmetto Business and Economic Review 13 (2010): 38-52.
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Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Commons, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons