Ph.D. Career Paths

Executive Summary

Full Report

Appendixes

A. Supporting Tables & Figures

B. University/College PhD Employment

C. Sample PhD Survey

References & Notes

Introduction:

In recent years, concern has been raised regarding employment prospects for PhD recipients.  Although, historically, PhDs have had the lowest unemployment rates of any group in the U.S. workforce, a number of studies as well as reports in the popular press suggest that the increased production of PhDs has not been matched with a corresponding increase in available tenure track faculty positions.   The reported consequence is that a) PhDs are finding employment in business and other "non-traditional" settings or b) in an attempt to secure faculty positions, are holding successive or long-term postdoctoral appointments or other temporary or part-time work.

In 1997, the Graduate School conducted an employment survey covering persons who received PhD degrees from the UW between 1986 and 1996.  This report summarizes key findings from that survey.