Posts
 |
| Stanford doctoral graduates' career paths can be traced into a wide
variety of fields thanks to a new website developed by the Office of the
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and the Office of Institutional
Research and Decision Support. Photo: Stanford University News |
A new website is giving the Stanford community a remarkably in-depth understanding about where PhDs go after leaving the Farm.
The website reflects a study completed in 2014 that found the career landscape for people with doctorates is much more varied across the disciplines than assumed and extends far beyond traditional faculty positions at colleges and universities. By studying two groups of alumni – those five and 10 years post-PhD – as well as their initial and current employment, the study also illuminates how career paths may be changing. The data are displayed in a publicly accessible, interactive, graphical website that allows users to drill down into the data by academic field.
The data were collected in a massive study of Stanford PhD employment by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support.
The study involved the systematic mining of publicly available, Internet-based information about the careers of 2,420 graduates who earned doctorates either between 2002 and 2004 (10 years post-PhD) or between 2007 and 2009 (five years out). The study identified the initial employment of the two cohorts within one year of graduation and their employment in 2013, considered their "current" employment. Researchers were able to locate public information on current employment data for 81 percent of the 2,420 alumni in the study, as well as initial employment information for 74 percent.
"This is an unprecedented study for us, and the website
is a powerful tool that enables anyone to access the results based on
what's of most interest," said Patricia Gumport, vice provost for
graduate education...
John Boothroyd, professor of microbiology and immunology
and associate vice provost of graduate education, said the data allow
faculty members to make informed decisions about the content of their
doctoral programs and the skills needed by graduates.
"These data have been super-helpful for faculty and staff in the biosciences," he said. "They clearly show something we had suspected but didn't know for sure before this study, which is that our more recent doctoral students are taking their initial positions outside of academia, suggesting a major shift in the careers that PhDs in the life sciences are choosing."
He added, "Having reliable data about what our alums are doing with their degrees is crucial if we are to provide the best training possible to our PhD students and prepare them for a variety of career paths."
The same is true for faculty in the humanities, according to Russell Berman, professor of German and of comparative literature. Berman said STEM PhDs have long been seen as entering the private sector or government positions. While humanities PhDs are still taking academic positions, many are employed in a wide range of jobs outside academia.
"It is very important for today's graduate students to be able to understand the flexibility of the PhD on the job market, just as it is crucial for society to have trained humanists working in many sectors, public, private and non-profit, as well as in higher education."
Gumport said the data also help underscore why Stanford
provides resources that support PhDs in whatever career path they
choose.
 |
| The Graduate Professional Development Framework |
Read more...
Source: Stanford University News
