Data Source: University of California Doctoral Alumni Survey (completed 2014)
Conducted by UC Office of the President in partnership with campus graduate divisions and alumni associations, the survey includes responses from roughly 7,200 out of 26,000 alumni surveyed. It encompasses those who have earned a Ph.D. from UC anytime within the last 40 years. From an economic outcome perspective, the unemployment rate among Ph.D. alumni is extremely low. Even though a large proportion of doctoral alumni work in academia, many have found careers in the private sector with significant numbers of physical sciences and life science graduates (32 percent and 22 percent respectively) in the private industry. Many reported their doctoral education as worthwhile and relevant because skills gained contributed to their career success. Even amongst the most recent cohorts, a majority reported graduating without student debt.
To learn more, click on the following link to download a fact sheet about the doctoral alumni survey:
- Survey of UC doctoral alumni - http://www.ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/_files/Doctoral_AlumniSurvey-Factsheet.pdf
- Alumni – Alumni refers to a graduate or former student of the University of California.
- Tenure-Track – UC faculty with the right to continuous employment until ended by the tenure holder by retirement or resignation. A tenure appointment may not be terminated by the employer except for good cause.
- Postdoctoral - A postdoctoral scholar ("postdoc") is an individual holding a doctoral degree who is engaged in a temporary period of mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring the professional skills needed to pursue a career path of his or her choosing.
- Cohort - A cohort is defined as a group of students who begin a program of study together, proceed together through a series of developmental experiences in the context of that program of study, and end the program at approximately the same time.