<p>Is is possible for a top program to exist within the confines of a so-so university? I heard anecdotal stories of this occurring in highly specialized, narrow field of studies.</p>
<p>It happens all the time.</p>
<p>Yes. The quality of a program depends entirely on the faculty research , and good researchers could be anywhere. The undergraduate prestige of the school doesn’t really factor in, that’s correlation, not causation.</p>
<p>University of Arizona has a better geology program than Harvard. This is extremely common, so pay attention to the department quality, not the school’s overall reputation.</p>
<p>Yep. Syracuse is a great school, but it’s public admin/affairs/policy school is ranked higher than Harvard’s Kennedy School.</p>
<p>Keep in mind there are also mediocre programs within exceptional schools.</p>
<p>The real question is how much it matters to employers. Does the school’s overall reputation matter more than the quality of a particular program when it comes to employment prospects?</p>
<p>I would say it depends on the field. When it comes to research and academia, the program itself is more important. In the private sector, I would assume the reputation of the school is the first thing recruiters see and probably don’t realize the quality of each program at each particular school. Any other thoughts?</p>
<p>It depends what sort of recruiting is going on at your school. If they’re hiring for a R&D position, the people doing hiring will likely be more aware of the notoriety of individual departments versus other employers of PhDs that are just using the degree as a sort of filter for “smart people.”</p>