Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and Engineers (1995) / Chapter Skim
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3 THE EDUCATION OF GRADUATE SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS
3 THE EDUCATION OF GRADUATE SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS
Pages 47-64
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From page 47... ...
. Most of the recent increase in the number of science and engineering PhDs awarded annually can be accounted for by an influx of foreign students (discussed later in this chapter)
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From page 48... ...
. Soc/Behavioral Science Life Sciences Sciences Engineering o 1 992 To FIGURE 3-1 Science and engineering graduate student enrollment, by broad field, 1982-1992.
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A properly structured requirement for demonstrated ability to perform independent research continues to be the most effective means to prepare bright and motivated people for
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Because of the recent trend toward large group projects in some disciplines in which a research topic is divided among a number of students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty—a PhD candidate can become so focused on a particular technique that there might be little opportunity for independent exploration of related fields or career options. When a graduate student becomes essential to a larger research project, completion of the degree can be unduly delayed.
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From page 51... ...
3.4 TIME TO DEGREE The average time to complete a doctoral degree has increased for graduate students in all science and engineering fields. Over the last 30 years, the average time it takes graduate students to complete their doctoral programs, called the "time to degree" (TTD)
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Registered time is the amount of time actually enrolled in graduate school (thus, it might be less Can He time elapsed from entry into graduate school and completion of the PhD)
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reports that lack of financial support during the dissertation phase substantially extends TTD, as do difficulties in topic selection, unrealistic expectations for the amount of work that can be completed in a dissertation, and inadequate guidance by advisers. Still other reasons are poor undergraduate preparation, student reluctance to leave the congenial life of academe, and postponement of graduation in the face of uncertain employment prospects (CGS, 1990~.
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54 ._ en o ._ C~ en Sin o Cal o o o U)
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One is that the pressure to produce new research results extends to graduate students, who easily gain the impression that hard, goal-oriented work on a specific project is the most important aspect of graduate education. As already noted, PhD students can become so involved in the work of the faculty investigators under whose grants they conduct their dissertation research that little time is left for independent exploration or other educational activities.
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Teaching Assistantship FIGURE 3-3 Incidence of research assistantships and teaching assistantships among US PhDs, by broad field, 1993. SOURCE: NRC, 1995:Table A-5.
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THE EDUCATION OF GRADUATE SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS 57 12 10 En co = 8 Rae ~0 6 o CD ~ 4 o .
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~ ~ .. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1975 1 980 Fiscal Years 1985 1990 1992 Other S&F \ Suppod Grad Fellow/ Trainee R&D Project Funding FIGURE 3-5 Mix of federal support for academic scientists and engineers, 1966-1992 SOURCE: NSF, 1994c:Table 5 NOTES: Research assistantships are included as part of R&D projects.
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3.6 CAREER INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE Graduate students do not routinely receive accurate, timely, and complete information on the array of available careers in science and · ~ englneerlng. Several government agencies and private organizations collect and publish information relevant to the careers of graduate students, including the National Science Foundation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Research Council.
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That might be true when it comes to advising students who will enter academic careers, but many (if not most) faculty members have little experience with or awareness of nonacademic job opportunities and so cannot be effective advisers for other students.
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Entry into science and engineering graduate schools is lowest among minority-group students. The percentage of science and engineering doctorates awarded to members of underrepresented minorities increased from only 4.1% in 1982 to only 5.5% in 1992 (see Appendix B
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The issues raised by the increase in the number of foreign students in American graduate schools and earning US doctorates are discussed in Chapter 4 (Section 4.21. As discussed in Chapter 4, the decision of an increasing number of those students to seek permanent jobs in the United States increases the talent available to our country, although it adds to the employment-related pressures on advanced scientists and engineers.
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From page 63... ...
One measure of the impact of employment-market problems on the growth of the postdoctoral pool would be an increase in the length of postdoctoral time before a permanent position is found or an increase in the percentage of scientists and engineers who take second or third postdoctoral positions. Another indication would be an increasing percentage of scientists and engineers taking postdoctoral appointments at the institutions where they received their doctorates; this would indicate that professors are retaining their former students as RAs when they cannot find regular jobs.
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From page 64... ...
64 RESHAPING THE GRADUATE EDUCATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS Regardless of the proportion of postdoctoral appointees who are in a vocational "holding pattern," their numbers are rising, and each year they vie with the new class of graduating PhDs for available positions. The postdoctoral appointees have an advantage in being able to offer more research experience and publications in competing for available research positions.
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