Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and Engineers (1995) / Chapter Skim
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C EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES
C EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES
Pages 139-172
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From page 139... ...
CEMPLOY~IENI TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES Michael McGeary Study Director, Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy Contents OVERVIEW EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG RECENT COHORTS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DOCTORATES Employment Status: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Not Employed Employment Sector: Academe, Industry, Government Tenure Status Impact of Employment Choices of Recent PhDs Conclusions Box: C-1 Methodological Note Tables: C-l Scientists and Engineers I-4 Years After Receiving PhD from US Institutions, by Field, Employment Status, and Sector of Employment, 1973-1991 C-2 Science and Engineering 5-8 Years After Receiving PhD from US Institutions, by Field, Employment Status, and Sector of Employment, 1973-1991 ~39 142 142 143 144 145 146 146 148 149 151
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From page 140... ...
140 RESHAPING THE GRADUATE EDUCATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS Employed Doctoral Scientists and Engineers, by Field, 1973-1991 Employed Doctoral Scientists and Engineers, by Employment-Related Characteristics, 1973-1991 (percentage distribution) Figures: C-l Employment of All Science and Engineering I-4 Years After US PI C-2 Employment of All Science and Engineering 5-8 Years After US PhD C-3 1969-1972 Science and Engineering PhD Recipients I-4 and 5-S Years Later C-4 1977-1980 Science and Engineering PhD Recipients I-4 and 5-S Years Later C-5 1983-1986 Science and Engineering PhD Recipients I-4 and 5-8 Years Later C-7 -r - -a -- r C-6 Employment of Physical Scientists I-4 Years After US PI Employment of Mathematicians I-4 Years After US PI C-S Employment of Computer Scientists I-4 Years After US PI C-9 Employment of Physicists/Astronomers I-4 Years After US PI C-IO Employment of Chemists I-4 Years After US PhD C-1 ~ Employment of Environmental Scientists I-4 Years After US PhD Employment of Life Scientists I-4 Years After US PhD Employment of Agricultural Scientists I-4 Years After US PhD Employment of Medical Scientists I-4 Years After US PhD Employment of Biological Scientists I-4 Years After US PI Employment of Social Scientists I-4 Years After US PI Employment of Psychologists I-4 Years After US PI C-~S Employment of Engineers I-4 Years After US PI C-19 Employment of Physical Scientists 5-S Years After US PhD C-20 Employment of Mathematicians 5-8 Years After US PhD C-21 Employment of Computer Scientists 5-S Years After US PhD Employment of Physicists/Astronomers 5-8 Years After US PhD Employment of Chemists 5-8 Years After US PhD Employment of Environmental Scientists 5-8 Years After US PhD Employment of Life Scientists 5-8 Years After US PhD Employment of Agricultural Scientists 5-S Years After US PhD Employment of Medical Scientists 5-S Years After US PhD Employment of Biological Scientists 5-S Years After US PhD 153 154 155 156 158 159 160 161 162 163
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From page 141... ...
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES 141 _ C-29 Employment of Social Scientists 5-S Years After US PhD C-30 Employment of Psychologists 5-8 Years After US PhD C-31 Employment of Engineers 5-8 Years After US PhD EMPLOYMENT OF RECENT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MASTER'S DEGREE RECIPIENTS Tables: C-4 Graduate School Status One Year Later of Recipients of Master's Degrees in Science and Engineering, 1982-1990 C-5 Science and Engineering Master's Recipients Continuing in Graduate School C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 the Next Year, 1982 and 1990 Unemployment One Year Later Among Recipients of Master's Degrees in Science and Engineering, 1982-1990 Employed New Science and Engineering Master's Recipients Working in Field of Degree or in an Science and Engineering Occupation, 1990 Type of Employer One Year Later of Recipients of Master's Degrees in Science and Engineering, 1982-1990 Type of Employer of New Recipients of Master's Degrees, by Field of Science and Engineering, ~ 990 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 ~ 7 ~ 172
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From page 142... ...
tables on the employment activities of those receiving science and engineering PhDs 5-S years before each survey. This type of cohort analysis was apparently last done in response to the "new depression" in academic employment of the middle 1970s (see, e.g., NRC, 19831.
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From page 143... ...
This trend was shown in all science fields, except that part-time employment tripled among new social scientists, from 2% to 6%. Part-time employment did not increase among new engineering PhDs (it has been about ~ % since 1973~.
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From page 144... ...
Even that is difficult to interpret, because the survey procedures were changed in 1991 and the response rate was much higher.) Employment Sector: Academe, Industry, Government Figure C-l shows where all science and engineering PhDs were employed I-4 years after receiving their doctorates, and Figure C-2 shows where they were 4 years later (5-S years after receiving their doctorates.~; Tables C-!
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From page 145... ...
In fact, as noted above, more than 9% of biologists were still in postdoctoral positions 5-S years after receiving their PhDs. That in turn might be part of the explanation for the low and falling percentage of principal investigators under 35 years of age applying for National Institutes of Health research project grants, as reported in the recent National Research Council study of funding of young investigators (NRC, 1994a)
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From page 146... ...
With 14,000 a year being added to a stock that was relatively young in 1973, the total number of employed science and engineering PhDs increased from 220,000 in 1973 to 437,000 in 1991. Although the percentage in academe (four-year colleges, universities and medical schools)
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From page 147... ...
The percentage of those 5-8 years out, in postdoctoral positions, especially in biology, is increasing, indicating perhaps a lengthening of such positions or an increase in the practice of taking multiple postdoctorates. Those trends might account in part for the decreasing percentage of PhDs with tenure 5-8 years out, because it postpones beginning of an independent faculty career.
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From page 148... ...
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From page 149... ...
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES 149 TABLE C-l Scientists and Engineers {-4 Years After Receiving PhD from US Institutions, by Field, Employment Status, and Sector of Employment, 1973-1991 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Total Population 58,121 59,618 57,343 55,075 53,518 54,119 55,324 56,227 58,825 63,010 (percentage) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Postdoctoral Study 4,652 6,315 7,280 7,307 7,725 7,956 8,919 9,390 10,978 8,803 (percentage)
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From page 150... ...
. SOURCE: Special runs of data on employment status and employment sector of US doctoral scientists and engineers from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients.
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From page 151... ...
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AIVD ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES 151 TABLE C-2 Scientists and Engineers 5-8 Years after Receiving PhD from US Institutions, by Field, Employment Status, and Sector of Employment, 1977-1991 Year of Survey: TOTAL 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Total Population 58,334 59,514 57,456 55,734 53,985 54,013 54,812 55,598 (percentage) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Postdoctoral Study 1,179 1,208 1,153 1,185 1,355 1,228 1,651 1,325 (percentage)
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From page 152... ...
. SOURCE: Special runs of data from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients on employment status and employment sector of US doctoral scientists and engineers.
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From page 153... ...
field were categorized by their field of employment when that information was available. When it was not, or when the employment field was other than science or engineering, doctorate holders were categorized by their field of degree.
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From page 154... ...
8.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.3 7.0 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.3 State/Local government 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Hospitals/Clinics 2.1 2.9 3.0 3.1 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.8 3.2 Other non-profits 3.6 3.3 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.2 3.4 3.7 3.6 3.6 Other/No response 1.2 1.0 1.5 1.5 1.1 1.1 .9 1.0 .9 1.4 Primary work activity Research and development 32.4 32.2 32.8 31.7 34.9 33.8 33.1 36.8 37.1 36.0 Basic research 15.5 14.9 15.3 15.2 16.0 15.5 15.3 15.1 15.1 14.0 Applied research 13.0 12.9 12.8 11.7 13.5 12.8 12.3 17.2 17.4 16.4 Development 3.9 4.4 4.7 4.8 5.3 5.5 5.5 4.5 4.7 5.6 Management/Administration 20.9 20.2 21.3 23.0 17.6 16.7 17.4 16.2 16.4 15.6 of Research and Development 11.9 11.2 10.8 13.7 9.5 8.5 8.7 8.1 7.9 7.6 of Other 9.0 9.0 10.5 9.3 8.1 8.2 8.7 8.1 8.5 8.0 Teaching 36.3 35.6 31.9 29.4 30.6 29.3 27.9 26.2 25.1 22.7 Professional services 3.3 4.0 4.7 5.8 6.7 7.1 7.9 7.8 8.2 9.1 Reports/Statistics/ Computer activity 1/ 1/ 1/ 1/ 1/ 1/ 1/ 2.8 2.9 3.6 Consulting 1.8 2.2 2.2 2.9 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.7 4.4 Other/No response 5.2 5.8 7.2 7.2 6.7 10.2 10.2 6.9 6.6 8.5 Federal support Receiving support 45.2 43.0 42.0 40.3 36.9 32.3 32.3 43.7 44.2 40.7 Not receiving support 50.3 53.5 53.7 54.4 46.8 52.3 52.3 52.7 53.0 55.7 Status unknown/No response 4.5 3.5 4.2 5.3 16.3 15.4 15.4 3.6 2.7 3.5 1/ This category was first introduced in 1987 to conform to other data series produced by NSF. NOTE: All numbers in the table are estimates derived from a sample.
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From page 155... ...
, not seeking work, retired, otherwise not working, or not reporting employment status. Other employment includes other education (junior colleges, 2-year colleges, technical institutes, and elementary, middle, and secondary schools)
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From page 156... ...
Study 1973 1977 Year of Survey FIGURE C-3 1969-1972 science and engineering PhD recipients 14 and S-S years later.
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From page 158... ...
50 rL 40 30 20 10 o 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Year of Survey FIGURE C-6 Employment of physical scientists I-4 years after US PhD 100 ~0 80 70 60 0 ~ 50 ri 40 30 20 10 5_ 1989 1991 FIGURE C-8 Employment of computer scientists I-4 years after US PhD.
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From page 159... ...
nor :. _ ~ _ :., _ _ _ _ 1973 1915 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Year of Survey FIGURE C-12 Employment of life scientists 14 years abler US PhD.
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From page 160... ...
T.- .. 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 Year of Survey 1985 1987 1989 1991 FIGURE C- ~ 6 Employment of social scientists I-4 years after US PhD.
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From page 161... ...
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES 161 100 90 80 70 60 Ad (I 50 40 30 20 10 o lo ~ ~F ~ ~ ~ 11 hif~ 1~1 I .~] ~ ~1~ ::i 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 Year of 1983 1985 Survey 1987 1989 1991 FIGURE CATS Employment of engineers 14 years after US PhD.
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From page 162... ...
Mono _ Empbyed Other ~ Empbyment 1~ Government so 1~1 Business/ I ~ Industry E jAcademe 1~3 Study _ 1931 1983 1965 1987 1989 1991 Year of Survey tool Empbyed m Other ~~' Empbyment 1 Pus I .0 Government n Business I ~ Industry ~ 3 Acacleme Fop Postdoctoral :~ Study FIGURE C-22 Employment of physicists/astronomers 5-8 years after US PhD. 100 ~ 19B1 1983 1985 1987 1989 Year of Survey 1991 ~ Empbyed Evoker BUS bawl Government All Business/ I I Industry OAcademe m r~tdoctcral a ~1 Study FIGURE C-24 Employment of environmental scientists 5-8 years after US PhD.
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From page 163... ...
.~-1 1 i.-..] 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Year of Survey In Not l ~ .1 Employed smoother PI Employment 683 Government nBusinessl ~ I Industry Academy 1~\~ Postdoctoral K\NStudy FIGURE C-26 Employment of agricultural scientists 5-8 years after US PhD.
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From page 164... ...
..... ~ ~ ~ ~: ~ _ ~ 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Year of Survey Not i:: ~ Employed ~3 Other HI Employment - 1 US 10 Government HI Business/ I I Industry Academe HI Postdoctoral 1~1 Study FIGURE C-29 Employment of social scientists 5-8 years after US PhD.
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From page 165... ...
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WITH GRADUATE DEGREES 165 100 90 80 70 60 (I 50 a) CL 40 30 20 10 o ~ ~ F A: 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 Year of Survey FIGURE C-3 ~ Employment of engineers S-S years after US PhD.
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From page 166... ...
A more recent survey was fielded in 1993 and is scheduled to be published shortly. The NSF survey of recent college graduates and master' s-degree recipients collects information on demographic and education characteristics and on early career-development experiences, such as employment status, reasons for unemployment, and attributes of employment including occupational classification, major activity, and salary.
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From page 167... ...
The proportion of new master'sdegree recipients going to graduate school part-time also varies from field to field but has gone down since 1982. The ratio of full-time to part-time graduate students a year after receipt of master's degrees also varies by field.
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From page 168... ...
168 RESHAPING THE GRADUATE EDUCATION OF SCIENTISTS Al ENGINEERS TABLE C-5 Science and Engineering Master 's-Degree Recipients Continuing in Graduate School the Next Year, 1982 and 1990 (percentages) Master's Received in 1981 Full-T~me Part-Time Student Student Master's Received in 1989 Full-Time Part-Tune Student Student All science and engineering master's 21.0 9.2 23.0 7.0 Physical sciences 33.3 11.1 43.5 6.5 Physics/Astronomy 50.0 a 60.0 16.7 Chemistry 33.3 13.3 43.8 a Other Physical sciences 25.0 25.0 11.1 a Mathematics/Statistics 17.1 9.8 21.6 7.8 Computer sciences 8.0 10.0 7.1 7.1 Environmental sciences 17.6 5.9 20.0 8.0 Life sciences 27.9 9.3 32.0 4.1 Agricultural sciences 25.0 9.4 27.8 8.3 Biological sciences 29.1 9.1 36.1 1.6 Social sciences 23.9 8.5 27.5 7.3 Psychology 33.3 16.7 41.9 7.0 Engineering 15.2 7.2 17.3 7.7 a Too few cases to report.
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From page 169... ...
a Masterts Received in 1980- 1982- 1984- 1986- 1988 Field of Degree 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 All science and engineering master's Physical sciences Physics/Astronomy Chemistry Other Physical sciences Mathematics/Statistics Computer sciences Environmental sciences Life sciences Agricultural sciences Biological sciences Social sciences Psychology ~ · ~ engineering 3.7 3.0 b b 2.0 6.3 b 2.7 1.1 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 5.6 2.7 3.0 0.6 6.9 2.5 1.6 3.0 6.8 9.3 2.1 a Full-time graduate students are excluded. 3.5 2.1 3.6 1.4 b b 1.3 b 3.1 b 1.5 1.1 0.4 1.1 6.1 1.9 4.2 1.3 4.6 0.3 4.0 1.9 3.4 3.2 4.4 2.5 1.2 1.7 b No rate computed for groups in which labor force is smaller than 1,500.
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From page 170... ...
This split varied by field, however, with 7.5% of engineers and 8% of computer scientists working outside science and engineering, compared with 37% of social scientists and 46% of psychologists. Only onefourth of physicists and astronomers were working in their fields (25% were working in computer science and "other physical sciences," and 25% in engineering occupations)
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From page 171... ...
Engineering, 1982-19902 Master's Received in 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 EmploYer All employed science 34,100 34,400 45,600 43,700 51,700 and engineering master's 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Educational institutions 6,000 4,900 6,800 7,400 9,300 17.6% 14.2% 14.9% 16.9% 18.0% 4-year college/ 4,000 4,600 university 9.2 % 8.9 % Other educational 3,400 4,600 institution 7.8% 8.9% Business and industry 20,000 20,000 25,400 25,200 30,700 58.7% 58.1 % 55.7% 57.7% 59.4% Nonprofit organization 900 1,700 1,600 1,400 1,000 2.6% 4.9% 3.5% 3.2% 1.9% Federal government 2,200 2,500 3,900 2,300 3,600 6.5% 7.3% 8.6% 5.3% 7.0% State/local government 2,500 2,800 4,100 2,900 2,900 7.3% 8.1% 9.0% 6.6% 5.6% Other 2,300 2,400 3,600 4,400 4,200 6.7% 7.0% 7.9% 10.1 % 8.1 % No report 100 100 200 100 b 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% a Full-time graduate students are excluded. b Too few cases to report.
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From page 172... ...
TABLE C-9 Type of Employer of New Recipients of Master's Degrees, by Field of Science and Engineering, 1990~ Mathe- Environ Physical matics/ Computer mental Life Social Psych- Engineer EmploYer Sciences Statistics Sciences Sciences Sciences Sciences olo~y ine ALL 2,400 3,800 10,100 2,000 6,100 7,500 2,400 17,300 Educational 800 1,600 800 200 2,300 2,400 700 600 institutions 33.3% 42.1 % 7.9% 10.0% 37.7% 32.0% 29.2% 3.5% Four-Year college/ 300 400 500 200 1,200 1,200 300 500 university 12.5% 10.5% 5.0% 10.0% 19.7% 16.0% 12.5% 2.9% Other educational 400 1,100 300 100 1,100 1,200 400 100 institution 16.7% 28.9% 3.0% 5.0% 18.0% 16.0% 16.7% 0.6% Business and 1,200 1,700 7,800 1,200 1,900 2,700 900 13,200 industry 50.0% 44.7% 77.2% 60.0% 31.1 % 36.0% 37.5% 76.3% Nonprofit 100 100 100 h 100 300 100 100 organization 4.2% 2.6 1.0% 1.6% 4.0% 4.2% 0.6% Federal 100 200 400 200 600 700 100 1,400 government 4.2% 5.3 % 4.0% 10.0% 9.8% 9.3 % 4.2% 8.1 % State/local 100 h 200 200 700 1,000 100 600 government 4.2% 2.0% 10.0% 11.5% 13.3% 4.2% 3.5% Other 100 300 800 200 600 400 400 1,400 4.2% 7.9% 8.0% 10.0% 9.8% 5.3% 16.7% 8.1 % No report b h h h h h h h a Full-time graduate students are excluded. h Too few cases to report.
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