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Student Perspectives on Developing More Relevant Ph.D. Programs in STEM Disciplines through Professional Skills Training
M A N DY W H EA D O ND O C T O R A L S T U D E N T , D E P A R T M E N T O F T E C H N O L O G Y L E A D E R S H I P & I N N O V A T I O N
N AT H A L I E D U VA L - CO UE T I LA S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R , D E P A R T M E N T O F T E C H N O L O G Y L E A D E R S H I P & I N N O V A T I O NA S S O C I A T E D I R E C T O R , B U R T O N D . M O R G A N C E N T E R F O R E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P
Background – Literature
• Graduate study has traditionally encouraged Ph.D. students to focus on a narrow area of expertise (Cyranoski et al., 2011; Golde & Dore, 2001; Hacker & Dreifus, 2011; Salisbury, 2011)
• Often leaves graduates with isolated, discipline-specific skills that are not generalizable (Murray, 2000; Roseth, 2000; Wulff et al., 2000)
• Employers seeking workers with well-rounded skills that balance both breadth and depth (Beckman & Cherwitz, 2009; Magner, 2000;
Murray, 2000; Streeter et al., 2002; Watson, 2003)
• Ph.D. students urged to acquire “generic,” “transferable,” or “professional development” skills in addition to an area of academic expertise (Gilbert et al., 2004; National Academy of Science, 2004;
Nerad et al., 2007; Nerad, 2004; Nyquist, 2002)
This Presentation
• Brief summary of study conducted to better understand the professional development needs, interests, and constraints of STEM doctoral students during graduate school:
• What are Ph.D. students’ career objectives?
• How do Ph.D. students perceive the relevance/focus of their programs?
• Which professional skills are students most interested in acquiring?
• How do Ph.D. students feel their programs could be improved?
The Study• 44 students enrolled in STEM-related Ph.D. programs at
Purdue University
• Exploratory study using mixed methods approach—quantitative survey and focus group interviews
• Survey—Rating scales to gather information about: • Career goals• Expectations about being prepared for the job market
during graduate school• Perceived proficiency in various professional skills• Interest in gaining additional supplemental skills• Opinions about which formats make transferable skills
training most accessible
The Study (cont.)• Participants divided into one of four focus groups:• sponsored financially by a foreign government• sponsored financially by a company• employed in a research position in the
university/industrial research park • past participant of a professional development
course/workshop offered by the university
• Objective: better understand how the experiences, behaviors, and skills acquired by similar types of students in comparable situations ultimately produce different levels of career readiness
Ph.D. Student Career Goals
• Ph.D. in STEM field traditionally associated with a job in academia or career as a research scientist
• Participants in this study, however, reported an interest in multiple careers –as well as the desire to become consultants, entrepreneurs, and social activists
Desirability of Career Paths
CareerPercent indicating this career path as being
MOST desirable
Percent indicating this career path as
being LEAST desirable
Tenure-Track Faculty
27% 30%
Research Scientist –Academia
27% 25%
Research Scientist –Industry
34% 30%
Research Scientist –Government
16% 36%
Other 18% 84%
5 point Likert scale (1=not interested at all, 5=extremely interested)
Perceptions of Career Preparedness
• Students appeared optimistic about their preparation for future careers
• Rated it 7.7 on a scale of 1 to 10
• Optimism decreased as students got closer to graduation
• Responded 1 point lower for every 3 years spent in a Ph.D. program
• Difference noted between responses given in surveys and focus groups
• Most participants responded less optimistically during group interviews than they had in the survey
Positive Experiences
• Factors contributing to positive feelings of career preparedness:
• Involvement in interdisciplinary programs
• Advisor focus on student career preparation
• Perceived flexibility in academic/work environments
Negative Experiences
• Negative perceptions of career preparedness associated with:
• Feeling overwhelmed by present demands
• Lack of time to gain needed professional skills
• Lack of program/advisor flexibility
• Unsure about what skills they are lacking
Professional Skills Participants Most Want to Acquire
• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership
• Management (of both people and projects)
Opinions on How Professional Skills Training Should Occur• Willing to spend 1-2 hours/week on professional
development
• Relevance of professional development training more important than format
• Mixed views - voluntary or mandatory
• Flexibility vs. a “one size fits all” approach—general consensus on usefulness of a hybrid of flexible formatting options
• Desire advice from their advisors on topics other than research
