Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers: Responses to the Student Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study, Part B

Transcription

1 Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers: Responses to the Student Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study, Part B

2 Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers: Responses to the Student Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study, Part B Copyright 2014 by Educational Testing Service and the Council of Graduate Schools. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo and LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING. are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). The CGS logo is a registered trademark of the Council of Graduate Schools. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners

3 Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers: Responses to the Student Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study, Part B This report was prepared by Cathy Wendler, Samantha Wendler, Fred Cline, Jennifer Bochenek, and Jeff Allum. Suggested citation: Wendler, C., Wendler, S., Cline F., Bochenek, J., & Allum, J. (2014). Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers: Responses to the Student Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study, Part B. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

4 Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers: Responses to the Student Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study, Part B Commission on Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers Corporate Leaders William (Bill) D. Green, Chairman, Accenture Stanley Litow, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, IBM and President, IBM International Foundation Joseph Miller Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Corning Russ Owen, President, Strategic Account Development, CSC Ronald Townsend, Executive Vice President, Global Laboratory Operations, Battelle Memorial Institute University Leaders Jeffery Gibeling, Dean, Graduate Studies, University of California, Davis Maureen Grasso, Dean, Graduate School, University of Georgia Freeman Hrabowski III, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Jean Morrison, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Boston University Suzanne Ortega, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs, University of North Carolina Patrick Osmer, Chair and Vice Provost, Graduate Studies and Dean, Graduate School, The Ohio State University Teresa Sullivan, President, University of Virginia Lisa Tedesco, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs Graduate Studies and Dean, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies, Emory University James Wimbush, Dean, University Graduate School, Indiana University Ex Officio Members Kurt M. Landgraf, President and CEO, ETS Debra W. Stewart, President, Council of Graduate Schools

5 Table of Contents Question Content Page(s) Preface 1-3 Postgraduate School Employment 4-13 Question 1 Relation of highest degree field to current position 4 Question 2 Degree requirement for current position 6 Question 3 Degree requirement for highest desired position 8 Question 4 Sector of primary job 10 Question 5 Responsibility of primary job 12 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation Question 6 A-B Knowledge of the field 14 Question 7 A-B ations 18 Question 8 A-B Research skills 22 Question 9 A-B Creativity 26 Question 10 A-B Oral communication 30 Question 11 A-B Writing skills 34 Question 12 A-B Analysis/synthesis of data 38 Question 13 A-B Teamwork 42 Question 14 A-B Resilience 46 Question 15 A-B Planning and organization 50 Question 16 A-B Ethics and integrity 54 Question 17 A-B Technological comfort and savvy 58 Question 18 A-B Teaching and training 62 Job Satisfaction Question 19 A-B Salary 66 Question 20 A-B Benefits 70 Question 21 A-B Job security 74 Question 22 A-B Location 78 Question 23 A-B Opportunity for advancement 82 Question 24 A-B Intellectual challenge 86 Question 25 A-B Level of responsibility 90 Question 26 A-B Degree of independence 94 Question 27 A-B Contribution to society 98

6 Preface Graduate schools in the United States are environments in which students acquire the skills and knowledge needed to compete in the global economy as well as to solve problems of national and global scope. We remain strong in the U.S. because our graduate community has sustained a critical eye on how we do graduate education and on what we need to do to improve it. One area where we have begun to evaluate our own performance lies in the critical juncture between education and the U.S. workforce. While the United States is generally recognized as having the most vigorous and dynamic system of graduate education in the world, little is known at the granular level about what our graduates do, how their work life progresses, and how well the preparation they receive equips them for the careers they pursue. A report published in April 2012, Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers, 1 tackled these questions by examining the views of groups that directly observe and experience this transitional moment from degree completion and into careers students, universities, and employers. The distinct perspectives of these groups offer an unprecedented opportunity to better understand what these important stakeholders seek, where they find success, and where their needs and goals remain unmet. The current data report is one of a series of reports that provide the details behind the analysis presented in the Pathways study. This report provides information from the student perspective. It presents the student responses to the survey by field of study and by degree level. Earlier reports presented student responses at an aggregated level (total group, gender, and race/ethnicity). What s in the report Clear career options for students seeking, or holding graduate degrees are often lacking, especially at the doctoral level. This lack of knowledge may impact students decisions to attend graduate school as well as their views of career opportunities during graduate school and upon degree completion. In order to more fully understand what students know about career opportunities and when they learned it, a sample of students who took the GRE General Test between 2002 and 2011 were surveyed. The survey, administered online, reflects responses from over 5,500 students. Students accessed the survey through a provided link. There are two parts to this report. Only responses from students who indicated their field of study and degree level when they completed the survey are included. 1 Council of Graduate Schools and Educational Testing Service. (2012). Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers. Report from the Commission on Pathways through Graduate School and Into Careers. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. The full report can be retrieved at Page 1

7 Part A provides responses from students who are either currently enrolled in graduate school or who have completed a graduate degree. It covers questions related to perceived value of graduate school, behavior prior to entering graduate school, and the graduate school experience. Part B provides responses to questions related to postgraduate school experiences, workplace skills importance and preparation, and job satisfaction. Only students who indicated they have completed their graduate degree and are working are included in this part. Results are provided by two degree levels (master s and doctorate) and 11 fields of study. Fields of study were captured using Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes 2 which were then further collapsed into 10 categories and one category. Note that these results do not distinguish among types of degrees (professional versus research) nor do they separate master s degrees that are terminal from those that are considered en route to the doctorate. Table 1 below provides the number of students responding to the survey by degree level and field of study. Student Status Enrolled in Graduate School Completed Master s Degree** Completed Doctoral Degree** Table 1. Number of Students Responding to Survey by Degree Level and Field of Study Biological/ Agricultural Sciences Physical/ Earth Sciences Fields of Study* Mathematics/ Computer Science Engineering Health Arts/ Humanities (77) 61 (48) Behavioral/ Social Sciences 25 (16) 39 (30) Education 121 (100) 47 (41) Business 174 (150) 31 (24) istration 164 (130) 28 (23) 166 (113) 27 (12) Total Group Enrolled in Graduate School ,585 Completed Master s Degree** 245 (180) 297 (218) 95 (73) 112 (84) 157 (113) 1,671 (1,254) Completed Doctoral Degree** 73 (67) 77 (64) 3 (3) 4 (1) 11 (11) 401 (324) *Counts include only respondents who provided their degree level and field of study. Results are not presented if the sample size for a group is less than 25 respondents. **Numbers in parentheses include only respondents who indicated they were employed and provided their degree level and field of study. 2 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes support the tracking and reporting of fields of study at postsecondary institutions. CIP was originally developed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Page 2

8 How to use the report This report provides information based only on the students who responded to the survey. While this data source does not capture all individuals who attended, or plan to attend, graduate school during this time period, it does provide access to a large number of students from a variety of demographic groups, fields of study, and institution types. Responses to the survey provide interesting student perspectives regarding career knowledge, but because it is based on a sample of convenience, the results may not accurately represent all graduate students. In addition, caution must be used when interpreting results based on relatively small sample sizes, especially as seen with the field of study categories. 3 The data tables for the survey questions indicate the number of students who responded in a particular manner to each question. Each survey question has two sets of data tables, one for students who have completed their master s degree and one for students who have completed their doctoral degree. Each table provides responses for the total group of students belonging to a particular category and responses by field of study. Students who did not respond to a question are not included in the corresponding table; therefore, the total number of students responding varies for each question. Only students who indicated they have completed a graduate degree and are working are included in this report. For questions that asked students to choose all that apply, the total percentage will not add up to 100%. For all other questions, percentages are based on the total number of students responding to the question, not the overall number of students. For these questions, the total percentage should be close to 100%, depending on rounding. 3 Results are not presented if the sample size for a group is less than 25 respondents. Page 3

9 Postgraduate School Employment How related is your highest degree field to your current position? Question 1 Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1251 N = 77 N = 100 N = 150 N = Closely related 65% 64% ** 62% 63% 85% 2 Somewhat related 25% 23% ** 29% 31% 12% 1 Not related 10% 13% ** 9% 6% 2% Mean SD Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 112 N = 180 N = 217 N = 73 N = 84 N = Closely related 64% 44% 62% 63% 85% 60% 2 Somewhat related 23% 50% 29% 31% 12% 31% 1 Not related 13% 6% 9% 6% 2% 9% Mean SD The majority of students (65%) who have completed their master's degree believed their degree was closely related to their current work position. However, some students (10%) indicated their degree and position were not related. Responses across fields of study were similar although Health (85%) and istration (85%) majors indicated their position was closely related to their degree more frequently than other majors. Page 4

10 Postgraduate School Employment How related is your highest degree field to your current position? Question 1 Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 322 N = 48 N = 28 N = 41 3 Closely related 84% 88% 86% 85% ** ** 2 Somewhat related 12% 8% 7% 12% ** ** 1 Not related 4% 4% 7% 2% ** ** Health Mean SD Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 67 N = 64 Business 3 Closely related ** 85% 84% ** ** ** 2 Somewhat related ** 9% 14% ** ** ** 1 Not related ** 6% 2% ** ** ** Mean SD Most students (84%) who have completed their doctoral degree believed their degree was closely related to their current work position. Very few students (4%) indicated their degree and position were not related. Responses across fields of study were similar. Page 5

11 Postgraduate School Employment What degree is required for your current position? Question 2 Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1251 N = 77 N = 99 N = 150 N = Doctoral or professional degree 1% 0% ** 0% 1% 2% 2 Master's degree or certificate 47% 51% ** 36% 39% 74% 3 Bachelor's degree 45% 44% ** 59% 57% 21% 4 Associate's degree 1% 1% ** 0% 0% 2% 5 No degree requirement 7% 4% ** 5% 3% 1% Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 112 N = 180 N = 218 N = 73 N = 84 N = Doctoral or professional degree 0% 1% 1% 3% 2% 0% 2 Master's degree or certificate 29% 56% 45% 49% 39% 45% 3 Bachelor's degree 51% 32% 50% 41% 50% 44% 4 Associate's degree 2% 1% 1% 0% 1% 0% 5 No degree requirement 18% 10% 3% 7% 7% 11% Most students who have completed their master's degree felt that either a master's (47%) or bachelor's (45%) degree were required for their current position. Responses across fields of study were similar although a higher percentage of Health majors (74%) indicated a master's degree was required compared to other majors. Page 6

12 Postgraduate School Employment Question 2 What degree is required for your current position? Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 324 N = 48 N = 30 N = 41 1 Doctoral or professional degree 66% 88% 80% 76% ** ** 2 Master's degree or certificate 20% 2% 7% 10% ** ** 3 Bachelor's degree 12% 10% 13% 12% ** ** 4 Associate's degree 0% 0% 0% 0% ** ** Health 5 No degree requirement 2% 0% 0% 2% ** ** Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 67 N = 64 Business 1 Doctoral or professional degree ** 70% 33% ** ** ** 2 Master's degree or certificate ** 19% 48% ** ** ** 3 Bachelor's degree ** 4% 16% ** ** ** 4 Associate's degree ** 0% 0% ** ** ** 5 No degree requirement ** 6% 3% ** ** ** The majority of students (66%) who have completed their doctoral degree felt that a doctoral or professional degree was required for their current position. Results across fields of study were similar although Education majors indicated that either a doctoral (33%) or master's (48%) degree was required for their current position. Page 7

13 Postgraduate School Employment What degree is required for your highest desired position? Question 3 Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1247 N = 77 N = 100 N = 149 N = Doctoral or professional degree 32% 39% ** 23% 23% 27% 2 Master's degree or certificate 53% 49% ** 50% 48% 68% 3 Bachelor's degree 11% 9% ** 17% 25% 3% 4 Associate's degree 0% 0% ** 0% 0% 1% 5 No degree requirement 5% 3% ** 10% 5% 1% Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 112 N = 178 N = 218 N = 72 N = 84 N = Doctoral or professional degree 39% 37% 47% 26% 26% 17% 2 Master's degree or certificate 40% 53% 45% 61% 62% 59% 3 Bachelor's degree 13% 3% 7% 10% 7% 16% 4 Associate's degree 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5 No degree requirement 8% 7% 1% 3% 5% 7% The majority of students (53%) who have completed their master's degree felt that a master's degree was required for their highest desired position. Compared to other majors, a higher percentage of Education (47%) majors felt that a doctoral degree was required for their highest desired position. Page 8

14 Postgraduate School Employment What degree is required for your highest desired position? Question 3 Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 324 N = 48 N = 30 N = 41 1 Doctoral or professional degree 83% 88% 83% 88% ** ** 2 Master's degree or certificate 12% 6% 10% 7% ** ** 3 Bachelor's degree 3% 6% 3% 5% ** ** 4 Associate's degree 1% 0% 3% 0% ** ** 5 No degree requirement 2% 0% 0% 0% ** ** Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 67 N = 64 Business 1 Doctoral or professional degree ** 78% 81% ** ** ** 2 Master's degree or certificate ** 16% 16% ** ** ** 3 Bachelor's degree ** 0% 2% ** ** ** 4 Associate's degree ** 1% 0% ** ** ** 5 No degree requirement ** 4% 2% ** ** ** Health The majority of students (83%) who have completed their doctoral degree felt that a doctoral degree was required for their highest desired position. Results across fields of study were similar. Page 9

15 Postgraduate School Employment Which of these sectors best describes your primary job? Question 4 Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1233 N = 77 N = 99 N = 147 N = Business/corporate 31% 21% ** 63% 72% 15% 2 Faculty/teaching 22% 9% ** 12% 2% 12% 3 Research 9% 29% ** 12% 12% 9% 4 Nonprofit 13% 13% ** 2% 1% 16% 5 Community/public service 11% 1% ** 0% 2% 35% 6 Government 11% 23% ** 10% 8% 8% 7 Entrepreneurial 2% 4% ** 0% 0% 3% 8 Military 1% 0% ** 1% 3% 2% Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 110 N = 179 N = 212 N = 73 N = 83 N = Business/corporate 32% 19% 4% 63% 22% 34% 2 Faculty/teaching 28% 8% 74% 7% 2% 18% 3 Research 4% 11% 2% 4% 8% 6% 4 Nonprofit 19% 27% 10% 8% 19% 9% 5 Community/public service 5% 21% 5% 4% 14% 14% 6 Government 5% 11% 5% 7% 33% 15% 7 Entrepreneurial 5% 1% 0% 4% 1% 4% 8 Military 3% 1% 0% 3% 0% 1% The two top work sectors for students who have completed their master's degree included business/corporate (31%) and faculty/teaching (22%). A higher percentage of Engineering (72%), Mathematics and Computer Science (63%), and Business (63%) majors indicated having a position in the business/corporate sector compared to other majors. Page 10

16 Postgraduate School Employment Question 4 Which of these sectors best describes your primary job? Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 320 N = 47 N = 30 N = 40 1 Business/corporate 12% 9% 13% 15% ** ** 2 Faculty/teaching 22% 19% 30% 38% ** ** 3 Research 31% 66% 43% 38% ** ** 4 Nonprofit 7% 2% 3% 3% ** ** 5 Community/public service 8% 0% 3% 0% ** ** 6 Government 6% 4% 3% 5% ** ** 7 Entrepreneurial 2% 0% 3% 0% ** ** 8 Military 1% 0% 0% 3% ** ** Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 66 N = 63 Business 1 Business/corporate ** 6% 8% ** ** ** 2 Faculty/teaching ** 27% 68% ** ** ** 3 Research ** 23% 11% ** ** ** 4 Nonprofit ** 8% 6% ** ** ** 5 Community/public service ** 21% 2% ** ** ** 6 Government ** 9% 5% ** ** ** 7 Entrepreneurial ** 5% 0% ** ** ** 8 Military ** 2% 0% ** ** ** Health The two top work sectors for students who have completed their doctoral degree included research (31%) and faculty/teaching (22%). Most Biological and Agricultural Sciences (66%) majors indicated having a position in the research sector while most Education (68%) majors indicated having a position in the faculty/teaching sector. Page 11

17 Postgraduate School Employment What responsibilities does your primary job include? Question 5 Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1254 N = 77 N = 100 N = 150 N = Research and development 45% 61% ** 66% 62% 37% 2 Writing and creative 48% 45% ** 27% 16% 44% 3 Management and supervision 46% 47% ** 35% 29% 54% 4 Operations and logistics 37% 38% ** 31% 33% 37% 5 Budgeting and planning 29% 36% ** 15% 20% 22% 6 istrative support 28% 19% ** 17% 7% 28% 7 Client support and sales 22% 10% ** 21% 19% 29% 8 Production and design 22% 17% ** 31% 54% 11% 9 Marketing and analysis 17% 9% ** 7% 6% 13% Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 113 N = 180 N = 218 N = 73 N = 84 N = Research and development 39% 37% 39% 34% 48% 39% 2 Writing and creative 65% 48% 61% 41% 58% 60% 3 Management and supervision 41% 38% 65% 56% 45% 45% 4 Operations and logistics 40% 35% 32% 48% 42% 41% 5 Budgeting and planning 27% 27% 29% 47% 37% 42% 6 istrative support 41% 39% 31% 25% 43% 27% 7 Client support and sales 16% 29% 13% 34% 25% 27% 8 Production and design 25% 11% 14% 19% 10% 27% 9 Marketing and analysis 24% 16% 14% 40% 27% 30% The top three job responsibilities for students who have completed their master's degree included writing and creative (48%), management and supervision (46%), and research and development (45%). A higher percentage of Mathematics and Computer Science (66%) and Biological and Agricultural Sciences (61%) majors indicated research and development as a top job responsibility while more Arts and Humanities (65%) majors indicated writing and creative as a top job responsibility compared to other majors. Page 12

18 Postgraduate School Employment Question 5 What responsibilities does your primary job include? Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 324 N = 48 N = 30 N = 41 1 Research and development 66% 83% 83% 78% ** ** 2 Writing and creative 42% 56% 30% 44% ** ** 3 Management and supervision 46% 35% 50% 32% ** ** 4 Operations and logistics 21% 23% 23% 10% ** ** 5 Budgeting and planning 23% 25% 33% 20% ** ** 6 istrative support 16% 10% 10% 2% ** ** 7 Client support and sales 10% 10% 7% 7% ** ** 8 Production and design 10% 15% 13% 5% ** ** Health 9 Marketing and analysis 8% 6% 3% 12% ** ** Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 67 N = 64 Business 1 Research and development ** 51% 58% ** ** ** 2 Writing and creative ** 43% 39% ** ** ** 3 Management and supervision ** 39% 63% ** ** ** 4 Operations and logistics ** 13% 31% ** ** ** 5 Budgeting and planning ** 9% 36% ** ** ** 6 istrative support ** 13% 33% ** ** ** 7 Client support and sales ** 13% 9% ** ** ** 8 Production and design ** 1% 13% ** ** ** 9 Marketing and analysis ** 7% 11% ** ** ** The top job responsibility for students who have completed their doctoral degree was research and development (66%). This was especially apparent for majors in Biological and Agricultural Sciences (83%), Physical and Earth Sciences (83%), and Mathematics and Computer Science (78%). Page 13

19 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How important is knowledge of the field in your current position? Question 6-A Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1240 N = 77 N = 98 N = 146 N = Very important 80% 74% ** 77% 84% 92% 2 Somewhat important 17% 25% ** 22% 15% 7% 1 Not important 3% 1% ** 1% 1% 2% Mean SD Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 111 N = 180 N = 213 N = 72 N = 84 N = Very important 68% 73% 90% 83% 74% 81% 2 Somewhat important 27% 21% 8% 17% 24% 15% 1 Not important 5% 6% 2% 0% 2% 4% Mean SD Nearly all students who have completed their master's degree indicated that knowledge of their field is very important (80%) or somewhat important (17%) in their current job. Responses across fields of study were similar. Page 14

20 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How important is knowledge of the field in your current position? Question 6-A Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 320 N = 48 N = 30 N = 40 3 Very important 89% 92% 83% 93% ** ** 2 Somewhat important 8% 8% 10% 8% ** ** 1 Not important 2% 0% 7% 0% ** ** Health Mean SD Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 65 N = 63 Business 3 Very important ** 89% 94% ** ** ** 2 Somewhat important ** 6% 6% ** ** ** 1 Not important ** 5% 0% ** ** ** Mean SD Nearly all students who have completed their doctoral degree felt that knowledge of their field is very important (89%) or somewhat important (8%). Responses across fields of study were similar. Page 15

21 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How well do you feel your highest degree program prepared you in knowledge of the field? Question 6-B Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1236 N = 75 N = 98 N = 146 N = Well prepared 59% 61% ** 61% 54% 73% 2 Somewhat 29% 32% ** 34% 36% 22% 1 Not at all 5% 3% ** 2% 3% 2% Not a focus 6% 4% ** 3% 7% 2% Mean SD Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 111 N = 179 N = 213 N = 72 N = 84 N = Well prepared 54% 59% 72% 49% 44% 47% 2 Somewhat 21% 28% 22% 25% 43% 42% 1 Not at all 13% 5% 4% 11% 5% 6% Not a focus 13% 8% 2% 15% 8% 5% Mean SD Over one half of students (59%) who have completed their master's degree indicated that they felt well prepared by their degree program regarding knowledge in their field. A higher percentage of Health (73%) and Education (72%) majors felt they were well prepared compared to other majors. Page 16

22 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation Question 6-B How well do you feel your highest degree program prepared you in knowledge of the field? Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed N = 318 N = 47 N = 30 N = 40 3 Well prepared 73% 79% 80% 70% ** ** 2 Somewhat 21% 19% 10% 28% ** ** 1 Not at all 3% 2% 0% 3% ** ** Not a focus 3% 0% 10% 0% ** ** Mean SD Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 65 N = 62 Business 3 Well prepared ** 65% 76% ** ** ** 2 Somewhat ** 28% 18% ** ** ** 1 Not at all ** 5% 3% ** ** ** Not a focus ** 3% 3% ** ** ** Mean SD Almost three quarters of students (73%) who have completed their doctoral degree indicated that they felt well prepared by their degree program regarding knowledge in their field. Responses across fields of study were similar. Page 17

23 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How important are publications in your current position? Question 7-A Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1233 N = 77 N = 97 N = 145 N = Very important 13% 18% ** 9% 8% 16% 2 Somewhat important 35% 30% ** 39% 37% 43% 1 Not important 52% 52% ** 52% 55% 41% Mean SD Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 111 N = 180 N = 211 N = 71 N = 83 N = Very important 14% 7% 11% 18% 14% 19% 2 Somewhat important 21% 32% 41% 28% 27% 38% 1 Not important 65% 61% 47% 54% 59% 43% Mean SD More than one half (52%) of students who have completed their master's degree felt that publications are not important in their current position. About one third (35%) of students felt that publications are somewhat important. Responses across fields of study were similar. Page 18

24 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How important are publications in your current position? Question 7-A Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed Engineer N = 319 N = 48 N = 30 N = 39 3 Very important 49% 77% 60% 59% ** ** 2 Somewhat important 29% 15% 17% 21% ** ** 1 Not important 23% 8% 23% 21% ** ** Health Mean SD Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 65 N = 63 Business 3 Very important ** 40% 32% ** ** ** 2 Somewhat important ** 23% 52% ** ** ** 1 Not important ** 37% 16% ** ** ** Mean SD Almost one half (49%) of students who have completed their doctoral degree felt that publications are very important in their degree field. A higher percentage of Biological and Agricultural Sciences (77%) majors felt that publications are very important compared to other majors. Page 19

25 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How well do you feel your highest degree program prepared you in publications? Question 7-B Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1232 N = 75 N = 98 N = 146 N = Well prepared 26% 29% ** 16% 33% 28% 2 Somewhat 37% 37% ** 45% 33% 45% 1 Not at all 13% 8% ** 15% 10% 9% Not a focus 24% 25% ** 23% 25% 18% Mean SD Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 111 N = 179 N = 213 N = 71 N = 82 N = Well prepared 27% 21% 29% 18% 21% 28% 2 Somewhat 31% 40% 35% 25% 39% 37% 1 Not at all 18% 13% 13% 21% 11% 11% Not a focus 24% 26% 23% 35% 29% 24% Mean SD More than one third (37%) of students who have completed their master's degree indicated that they felt only somewhat prepared by their degree program regarding publications. About one quarter (24%) of students indicated that publications were not a focus in their program. Page 20

26 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation Question 7-B How well do you feel your highest degree program prepared you in publications? Table B Students Who Completed Doctoral Degree and Are Employed N = 318 N = 47 N = 30 N = 40 3 Well prepared 47% 55% 57% 50% ** ** 2 Somewhat 39% 36% 30% 48% ** ** 1 Not at all 8% 6% 7% 3% ** ** Not a focus 6% 2% 7% 0% ** ** Mean SD Arts / Human Behav / Soc Sci Educ N = 65 N = 62 Business 3 Well prepared ** 35% 45% ** ** ** 2 Somewhat ** 40% 44% ** ** ** 1 Not at all ** 17% 5% ** ** ** Not a focus ** 8% 6% ** ** ** Mean SD Less than one half (47%) of students who have completed their doctoral degree indicated that they felt well prepared by their degree program regarding publications. In addition, 17% of Behavioral and Social Sciences majors indicated that their program did not prepare them at all regarding publications. Page 21

27 Workplace Skills Importance and Preparation How important are research skills in your current position? Question 8-A Table A Students Who Completed Master's Degree and Are Employed N = 1238 N = 77 N = 98 N = 146 N = Very important 33% 53% ** 35% 27% 28% 2 Somewhat important 41% 27% ** 38% 43% 46% 1 Not important 26% 19% ** 28% 29% 26% Mean SD Arts / Behav / Educ Business Human Soc Sci N = 111 N = 180 N = 212 N = 72 N = 83 N = Very important 32% 27% 28% 31% 42% 46% 2 Somewhat important 38% 44% 46% 43% 35% 38% 1 Not important 30% 28% 26% 26% 23% 16% Mean SD Less than one half (41%) of students who have completed their master's degree felt that research skills are somewhat important in their current position. However, research skills were seen as very important by over one half (53%) of Biological and Agricultural Sciences majors. Page 22