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With Honors. Without Options?
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Fact: According to the National Postdoc Association, between 1972 and 2003, the percent of recent Ph.D. holders hired into full-time faculty positions fell from 74% to 44%.
Fact: During the same period, the number of post docs in science and engineering has increased from 13% to 34%.
Fact: The probability that a Ph.D. recipient
under 35 will obtain a tenure-track job has fallen from 10% in 1993 to
7% in 2003.
Seven percent.
Unfortunately, these numbers just don't add up to my satisfaction... So what's going on?
In
the 21st century, we're producing more Ph.D. graduates than ever while
the traditional academic trajectory affords fewer and fewer options.
We know the ivory towers are getting crowded as we become a more
educated society and therefore, institutions of higher learning must
branch
out and move beyond more traditional assembly line paradigms if today's
graduates are to become tomorrow's competitive leaders.
Many who do not go onto teach or run laboratories have made it
through the pipeline equipped with valuable tools and resources to
contribute to science in very necessary ways. However, without a clear
sense of how to do
so after graduation, it's easy to move toward a different path as real
world family and social pressures often change priorities. The thing
about science however, is it influences and percolates through every
aspect of culture. Thus, students would benefit from an education that
incorporates fundamental concepts in law, science writing,
sociology, media, and yes, policy into the curriculum.
The
question then for readers to consider: Are graduate programs today
equipped to provide appropriate alternative opportunities for a growing
scientifically-literate work force? Further, are the nation's
education funding priorities in line
with reality?
Tags: education, graduate career, post doc, professor
5 Comments
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May 22, 2008 11:08 AM
Philip H.
Sheril,
I guess it depends on what we want our scientists to do. If we want them to do "pure" or basic research, especially in universities, hten you are right, we're running out of room faster then we are running out of graduates.
Much to my chagrin, may Ph.D.s in the sciences seem to think that other outlest for their knowledge and expertise are beneath them. Yet if you look at our colleagues in the marine sciences, many end up in some form of state or federal governement natural resources agency. They become, for want of a metter term, scientific managers of our nation's ecological resources. Some embrace it, some fight it,and some then veer off elsewhere.
Perhaps what all univerisyt science programs need to do is develop and teach courses titled "so, you have a great science degree -now what." At least it would get those new scientists thinking about where and how they might fit better into our scientifically infused colture.
May 22, 2008 1:42 PM
John
As a graduate student slated to graduate in 2010, this article scares the daylights out of me. Still, I'm glad you wrote about it. Someone needs to stick up for us in the policy world because we don't know how.
May 23, 2008 7:23 AM
Marcos
Really, most if not many departments just admit too many grad students. And most departments treat them all like they'll be tenured professors some day, with limited exposure to other options.
Fortunately, I think career-centers in universities are fairly savvy with helping out Ph.Ds. look outside academia, but ... I don't know well distributed info on career-services filter down to most grad students inside their departments. And, I think that most grad students don't think much about their future employment until very close to defending/graduating.
May 29, 2008 7:30 PM
James Haughton
Check out How The University Works (http://howtheuniversityworks.com/wordpress/) for an understanding of the dynamics behind the figures here.
June 16, 2008 12:44 PM
Adam
>> The question then for readers to consider: Are graduate programs today equipped to provide appropriate alternative opportunities for a growing scientifically-literate work force?
No. Science graduate programs are currently doing a TERRIBLE job of preparing students for non-academic career paths.
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