Career preparation in PHD programs: results of a national survey of early career geographers

Abstract

Social Science PhDs—Five+ Years Out (SS5) surveyed a national sample of recent doctorate recipients, including 164 geographers, to find out how well their PhD programs prepared them for their careers. The study was motivated in part by longstanding criticism of US PhD programs as “over-producing” PhDs and failing to equip graduates with skills needed in today’s labor market (Nerad 2004). It was also motivated in part by the need for student-centered evaluations of PhD programs (Ostriker and Kuh in Assessing research-doctorate programs: a methodology study. National Academies Press, Washington, 2003; Denecke in The assessment of doctoral education: emerging criteria and new models for improving outcomes. Stylus, Sterling, pp xi–xiii, 2006). This article presents findings about geographers, including career paths, skills used in their work, and evaluations of the quality of training in these skills received during graduate school.