Full-time, tenure-track academic positions may not be a reality for many doctoral graduates. In Canada, less than 20% of PhDs are employed as full-time university professors. This fact is not lost on many doctoral students. But if their degree will not afford entrance into that hallowed space, for what opportunities does their degree prepare them? Most students are highly critical of the workshops, advice and preparation they receive from their institution related to work outside of academia, although there are considerable differences between disciplines. Students in STEM disciplines (engineering, sciences and health sciences) are more likely to rate their supports positively – although only engineering students break the 50% barrier. These data, drawn from the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS, 2013), suggest that doctoral students, particularly those in non-STEM fields, feel unprepared by their institutions for the realities of the post-graduation job market.
To learn more about the results of the CGPSS, stay tuned in April for HEQCO’s upcoming publication titled Students Weigh In: National Analysis of Results from the 2013 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey.