A doctorate in social science might not be the key to happiness, but a survey of 3,025 individuals who earned a PhD in a social science field between 1995 and 1999 found them mostly using their education in satisfying full-time positions— 63 percent in tenured or tenured-track professorships. While those surveyed— including PhDs in anthropology, communications, geography, history, political science, and sociology—found their degrees “very important” in their positions, many felt more could be done to prepare them for careers, academia, and writing and publishing.
The results of the 2005-2006 study are now available in Social Science PhDs—Five+ Years Out, an evaluation conducted by the Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education (CIRGE). CIRGE concluded that, although social science PhD programs are doing a good job preparing students for their careers, more should be done to recognize the modern demands of women and family, develop management competency, and prepare graduates for work in writing, teaching, and publishing.
The results of the report, broken down by discipline, methodology, and data, can be viewed online.
Jolie Breeden is the lead editor and science communicator for Natural Hazards Center publications. She writes and edits for Research Counts; the Quick Response, Mitigation Matters, Public Health, and Weather Ready Research Award report series; as well as for special projects and publications. Breeden graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.