A large majority of humanities Ph.D.s believe that their graduate programs prepared them well for their eventual jobs, academic or not, especially over time. And all those jobs appear to require many of the same kinds of skills, according to a new report from the Council of Graduate Schools.

PRESS RELEASE

EMBARGOED UNTIL: October 18, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Contact: Katherine Hazelrigg
(202) 461-3888 khazelrigg@cgs.nche.edu

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools today released a research brief that reports on humanities PhD holders’ perceptions of the relevance of their doctoral programs to their current jobs. The brief, which draws on data from the CGS PhD Career Pathways project, indicates that the vast majority of humanists, regardless of employment sector, believe their doctoral education prepared them well for their current jobs.

Key Findings:

• Three years post-PhD, humanists working in non-academic jobs saw their training less aligned with their jobs than did those in academia; 52% of those in non-academic jobs reported that their PhD prepared them well for their current job, as compared to 77% of those in academia. For humanities PhDs eight- and 15-years postgraduation, however, there was no statistical difference in perception of preparation between those working in academia and those working elsewhere.
• Most humanities PhDs would pursue a PhD in general or in the same field, if they had to start over again.
• Between humanities PhDs working in academia and those working elsewhere, there are more similarities than differences in key skills and attributes important for successfully performing work. Attributes such as “leadership,” “adaptability and flexibility,” and “analytical thinking” were rated as almost identically important across both groups.

The findings are based on survey responses from 882 doctoral degree recipients from 35 institutions; fields included Anthropology and Archeology, English Language and Literature, Foreign Language and Literature, History, Philosophy, Religion and Theology, and Arts and Humanities. The data were collected as part of the project Understanding PhD Career Pathways for Program Improvement and represent a small subset of the data available.

“While these findings represent the first wave of our data, they provide a strong indication that humanities PhDs find their training relevant to diverse career contexts,” said CGS President Suzanne Ortega. “Perhaps the most intriguing finding is that people eight and 15 years out of their PhDs find their training more relevant to their jobs than the earlier cohort.”

It’s not clear whether alumni views grow more positive over time because they have had the time to find a job that is a better fit for their skills, or whether those eight- and 15-years post-graduation come to have a different appreciation of their preparation. “Whatever the reason,” said Ortega, “this is good evidence that recent PhDs can use extra support in finding a job that’s right for them.”

This phase of PhD Career Pathways builds upon a decade of CGS initiatives dedicated to illuminating PhD career pathways and encouraging universities to value diverse career options for graduate students. Previous research from the Council of Graduate Schools conducted in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities indicates that humanities programs can successfully broaden options and opportunities for humanities PhDs by choosing vocabulary that supports the goals of PhD career diversity (e.g., using the term “flexible career paths” instead of “Plans A and B”); actively listening to and engaging important voices (such as students, alumni, and faculty); developing external partnerships; and removing administrative roadblocks.

CGS plans to release additional research briefs this fall that will include all fields of study, and in early 2019, the first results from a survey of PhD students in their second and fifth years of study.

About the project:

CGS PhD Career Pathways is a coalition of 65 doctoral institutions working to better understand and support PhD careers across all broad fields of study. Universities collect data from current PhD students and alumni using surveys that were developed by CGS in consultation with senior university leaders, funding agencies, disciplinary societies, researchers, and PhD students and alumni. The resulting data allow universities to analyze PhD career preferences and outcomes at the program level and help faculty and university leaders strengthen career services, professional development opportunities, and mentoring. Additionally, participating universities are able to compare their data on PhD career preferences and outcomes with CGS’s national dataset.

This project is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (grant #31600612) and the National Science Foundation (grant #1661272).

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https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/10/03/report-says-international-graduate-enrollments-were-down-second-straight-year-last

First-time international graduate enrollments in U.S. institutions fell 3.7 percent from fall 2016 to fall 2017, according to a new report from the Council of Graduate Schools. While the council isn’t certain what caused the drop, it’s hard for it -- or anyone else -- not to think of the Trump administration’s stance on immigration.

https://www.chronicle.com/article/International-Students-/244706?cid=wcontentlist_hp_latest

Graduate enrollment by international students in the United States has decreased for the second time since 2003, according to an annual report by the Council of Graduate Schools.

PRESS RELEASE

EMBARGOED UNTIL:   October 3, 2018, 12:01 a.m. EDT

Contact: Katherine Hazelrigg / (202) 461-3888 / khazelrigg@cgs.nche.edu

Washington, DC — Today the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported that growth in first-time graduate enrollment remains flat, according to its most recent data, while the number of graduate applications to U.S. universities has decreased. Between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, first-time graduate enrollment dropped by -0.1% and the number of applications for admission to U.S. graduate schools decreased -1.8%. Although the overall number of applications for admission declined, several broad fields of study saw increases, including business (4.5%), public administration and services (1.9%), education (1.8%), and mathematics and computer sciences (1.7%). The data is part of the latest CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment & Degrees: 2007-2017 report.

Decrease in International Enrollments

First-time graduate enrollment for U.S. citizens and permanent residents increased 1.1% between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017. In contrast, first-time graduate enrollment of international students decreased -3.7%, but the five-year (4.7%) and ten-year average annual increase (5.6%) rates remain strong. Universities with an R1 Carnegie Classification, or highest research doctoral institutions, saw no negative impacts, posting a 3.0% increase between Fall 2017 and Fall 2017.

“The decrease in application and flat first-time enrollment rates are not unexpected given the robust economy and job market. After years of steady growth, the slow down aligns with typical cycles in the economy,” said CGS President Suzanne Ortega. “What is worrisome, however, is the decline in the number of international students pursuing graduate education in the U.S. The 3.7% drop in first-time enrollment between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017 is the second consecutive decrease we’ve seen since 2003. While it is difficult to pinpoint what caused the decline, the current policy climate around U.S. visas and immigration may be a contributing factor.”

Enrollments Align with Fastest Growing Fields

Enrollment trends by broad field of study are consistent with last year. The largest one-year gains in first-time enrollment by broad field of study were in mathematics and computer sciences (3.8%) and business (3.7%) between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017. The largest five- and ten-year average (2012-2017) percent changes by broad field were in mathematics and computer sciences (12.8%, 12.1%) and the health sciences (4.0%, 6.9%). In contrast, the one-year change in first-time graduate enrollment in engineering was -3.8%, compared to -0.9% between Fall 2015-2016; engineering also posted the biggest application decline in the one-year period (-7.3%). These results are consistent with CGS’s International Graduate Applications and Enrollment: Fall 2017, indicating that the decline in engineering enrollment is largely driven by a decrease in international students.

“The continued growth in applications and first-time enrollment in the health sciences indicates graduate education is aligning with the increasing workforce demand for advanced degree holders,” said Ortega. “According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data on employment projections, many of the fastest growing fields are in mathematics and computer sciences and the health sciences, including physician assistants, occupational therapists, mental health and substance abuse social workers, mathematicians, and computer and information research scientists. These jobs all require at least a master’s degree for a typical entry-level position.”

Institutions responding to the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees for Fall 2017 enrolled more than 1.8 million graduate students. Nearly three quarters (74.0%) of total graduate enrollment was in master’s programs. Over one million of those graduate students, or 57.9%, were women. Academic year 2016-17 marked the eighth consecutive year in which women earned the majority of degrees awarded. However, in many STEM fields, men still earned the majority of graduate degrees and certificates.

Other report findings are summarized below. 

Findings by Broad Field

• The three largest broad fields of study: business, education, and health sciences, were also the fields with the largest proportions of part-time graduate students.
• Graduate applications decreased in engineering (-7.3%), arts and humanities (-1.8%), physical and earth sciences (-0.6%), and biological and agricultural sciences (-0.4%) between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017.
• The largest one-year increases in graduate applications occurred in the broad fields of business (4.5%), public administration and services (1.9%), education (1.8%), and mathematics and computer sciences (1.7%).

Findings by Degree Level

• About 70% of the applications received for Fall 2017 were to master’s/other programs. The large majority of all first-time graduate students in Fall 2017 were enrolled in programs leading to a master’s degree or a graduate certificate (83.4%).
• The number of doctoral degrees awarded increased 1.7% and the number of master’s degrees awarded increased 4.6% between 2015-16 and 2016-17.
• The largest one-year percent increases in master’s degrees were in mathematics and computer sciences (13.6%), health sciences (4.7%), and “other fields” (4.7%).

Findings by Student Demographics

• In Fall 2017, approximately 23.9% of all first-time U.S. citizens and permanent resident enrollees were underrepresented minorities. American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino first-time graduate students remain particularly underrepresented in STEM fields.
• In Fall 2017, the majority of first-time graduate students at all degree levels were women – 59.2% at the master’s degree and certificate level and 53.5% at the doctoral level.
• Among first-time graduate enrollment, 79.7% were U.S. citizens and permanent resident graduate students in the Fall of 2017 and about 20.3% were international.
• International students comprised the largest share of first-time graduate students in mathematics and computer sciences (56.3%), followed closely by engineering (52.9%).

About the report

Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2007 to 2017 presents the findings of an annual survey of U.S. graduate schools, co-sponsored by CGS and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board. It is the only annual national survey that collects data on graduate enrollment by all fields of study and is the only source of national data on graduate applications by broad field of study. The report includes responses from 619 institutions and presents statistics on graduate applications and enrollment for Fall 2017, degrees conferred in 2016-17, and trend data for one-, five- and ten-year periods.

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Media Kit

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/30/mla-study-english-and-other-modern-language-phds-1996-2010-mostly-working-academe

Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, said in an emailed statement that MLA's and AHA's recent studies "are filling big gaps in our understanding of the careers of humanities Ph.D.s." 

Their information is "critical for current and future Ph.D.s trying to understand the career options available to them, and to humanities Ph.D. programs working to improve the preparation of their students," Ortega said, noting that CGS will be ready to release data from its own Andrew W. Mellon Foundation- and National Science Foundation-funded study of career pathways in the fall. Preliminarily, she said of the forthcoming data, "I think we can safely say that the first wave of findings point to greater diversity of career options than many humanities Ph.D. students would imagine."

https://eos.org/opinions/preparing-graduate-students-for-stem-careers-outside-academia

Current graduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) prepare students for a career that most of them will never find themselves in. These graduate programs have traditionally been apprenticeships that prepare students to become researchers at academic institutions [Hancock and Walsh, 2016]. However, more than 50% of all doctoral degree holders do not work in academia or even do research as their primary job (Figure 1).

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/07/18/nonprofit-national-university-system-makes-moves-acquire-profit-institution

There is a growing demand for graduate degree holders in the work force, and officials at National University System are looking to meet it.

https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/letters/universities-are-up-to-challenge-of-gathering-data-about-ph-d-s/

At the same time, it is important to note that in recent years, U.S. universities have demonstrated that they are up to the challenge of gathering and reporting data about their Ph.D.s. As members of the Ph.D. Career Pathways project, we are part of a network of 64 universities working with the Council of Graduate Schools to collect data on the career pathways of STEM and humanities Ph.D.s with support from the National Science Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/317857 

Our nation's global lead in technology and economic success is thanks, in part, to bold immigrant innovators who sought to seize the opportunities our nation affords. Preventing them from staying here does nothing to strengthen the U.S. job market. If anything, it weakens it.

Moreover, it means handing over top talent to international competitors. A 2015 survey conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools found that temporary residents made up over 63 percent of first-time graduate students in math and computer science programs at U.S. universities. Gutting programs such as IER forces students to leave right after they graduate, at which point other countries will happily accept them. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and France all are bringing in this kind of foreign-born tech talent that we're willing to forfeit, even at a time when the American job market is booming.