Bookmark and Share

Table 71. Statistical profile of postgraduation plans of doctorate recipients in other fields, by sex and field of study: 2015

Characteristic All other fieldsa Business management and administration Communication Non-S&E fields not elsewhere classified
All doctorate recipients (number)b 3,028 1,588 668 772
Postgraduation status (number)c
Definite postgraduation study 143 46 37 60
Definite employment 1,470 890 284 296
Seeking employment or study 662 261 194 207
Otherd 98 47 21 30
Definite postgraduation study (%)e
Postdoc fellowship 56.6 47.8 56.8 63.3
Postdoc research associateship 37.1 41.3 43.2 30.0
Other or unknownf 6.3 10.9 0.0 6.7
Definite employment (%)g
Academe 80.0 80.9 89.1 68.6
Government 4.7 4.0 D D
Industry or businessh 10.5 11.9 6.0 10.8
Nonprofit organization 3.7 2.1 2.5 9.5
Other or unknowni 1.1 1.0 D D
Primary activityj
R&D 37.6 45.6 24.1 26.4
Teaching 46.3 41.9 64.2 42.3
Management or administration 9.9 7.6 8.8 18.0
Professional services 5.3 4.0 1.8 12.3
Other 0.9 0.8 1.1 1.1
Secondary activityk
R&D 44.0 41.0 54.4 43.3
Teaching 33.5 41.2 20.4 22.5
Management or administration 5.8 3.8 7.3 10.2
Professional services 5.2 4.5 5.8 6.7
Other 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.4
No secondary activity 10.4 8.4 10.9 15.8
Activity unknown 3.1 2.7 3.5 4.1
Postgraduation location (%)l
United Statesm 87.8 86.2 91.9 88.2
New England 5.5 6.1 4.7 4.8
Middle Atlantic 11.8 12.7 11.2 10.1
East North Central 13.4 12.2 15.3 14.9
West North Central 6.6 5.8 7.2 8.4
South Atlantic 19.4 18.4 20.9 20.8
East South Central 5.2 4.4 8.7 4.2
West South Central 9.5 9.5 10.0 9.0
Mountain 5.3 5.1 5.9 5.3
Pacific and insular 10.8 11.9 7.8 10.7
Not in United States 12.0 13.7 7.5 11.8
Location unknown 0.2 0.1 0.6 0.0
Male doctorate recipients (number) 1,464 937 256 271
Postgraduation status (number)c
Definite postgraduation study 61 25 16 20
Definite employment 756 540 111 105
Seeking employment or study 267 141 65 61
Otherd 47 24 12 11
Definite postgraduation study (%)e
Postdoc fellowship 57.4 D D 55.0
Postdoc research associateship 36.1 D D 35.0
Other or unknownf 6.6 8.0 0.0 10.0
Definite employment (%)g
Academe 80.2 81.1 89.2 65.7
Government 4.9 4.3 D D
Industry or businessh 12.6 12.8 5.4 19.0
Nonprofit organization 2.1 1.9 D D
Other or unknowni 0.3 0.0 D D
Primary activityj
R&D 38.3 44.9 27.8 15.0
Teaching 44.7 41.3 56.5 50.0
Management or administration 10.6 8.7 11.1 20.0
Professional services 5.4 4.4 D D
Other 1.0 0.8 D D
Secondary activityk
R&D 44.2 41.5 49.1 53.0
Teaching 36.0 41.1 26.9 19.0
Management or administration 3.9 3.6 4.6 5.0
Professional services 4.9 4.0 6.5 8.0
Other 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0
No secondary activity 10.2 9.1 12.0 14.0
Activity unknown 2.6 2.2 2.7 4.8
Postgraduation location (%)l
United Statesm 85.8 86.0 92.1 78.4
New England 4.3 4.4 D D
Middle Atlantic 11.5 12.0 11.0 9.6
East North Central 12.6 12.2 14.2 12.8
West North Central 6.4 6.5 4.7 7.2
South Atlantic 17.5 17.9 17.3 16.0
East South Central 5.4 4.6 9.4 4.8
West South Central 11.4 10.8 14.2 11.2
Mountain 5.3 5.7 D D
Pacific and insular 11.3 11.7 11.0 9.6
Not in United States 14.1 14.0 7.1 21.6
Location unknown 0.1 0.0 0.8 0.0
Female doctorate recipients (number) 1,564 651 412 501
Postgraduation status (number)c
Definite postgraduation study 82 21 21 40
Definite employment 714 350 173 191
Seeking employment or study 395 120 129 146
Otherd 51 23 9 19
Definite postgraduation study (%)e
Postdoc fellowship 56.1 D D 67.5
Postdoc research associateship 37.8 D D 27.5
Other or unknownf 6.1 14.3 0.0 5.0
Definite employment (%)g
Academe 79.8 80.6 89.0 70.2
Government 4.5 3.7 D D
Industry or businessh 8.4 10.6 6.4 6.3
Nonprofit organization 5.3 2.6 D D
Other or unknowni 2.0 2.6 0.6 2.1
Primary activityj
R&D 36.9 46.7 21.7 32.6
Teaching 48.0 42.9 69.3 38.0
Management or administration 9.2 5.9 7.2 16.8
Professional services 5.1 3.6 D D
Other 0.9 0.9 D D
Secondary activityk
R&D 43.9 40.2 57.8 38.0
Teaching 30.8 41.4 16.3 24.5
Management or administration 7.7 4.1 9.0 13.0
Professional services 5.5 5.3 5.4 6.0
Other 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.6
No secondary activity 10.6 7.4 10.2 16.8
Activity unknown 3.6 3.4 4.0 3.7
Postgraduation location (%)l
United Statesm 89.8 86.5 91.8 93.5
New England 6.8 8.6 D D
Middle Atlantic 12.2 13.7 11.3 10.4
East North Central 14.2 12.1 16.0 16.0
West North Central 6.9 4.6 8.8 9.1
South Atlantic 21.4 19.1 23.2 23.4
East South Central 5.0 4.0 8.2 3.9
West South Central 7.5 7.5 7.2 7.8
Mountain 5.4 4.3 D D
Pacific and insular 10.3 12.1 5.7 11.3
Not in United States 9.9 13.2 7.7 6.5
Location unknown 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.0
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
S&E = science and engineering.
a Non-science and engineering fields.
b Includes respondents who did not report sex.
c Includes only respondents who reported postgraduation status.
d Includes respondents who indicated that they did not plan to work or study, respondents who indicated some other type of postgraduation plans, and respondents who indicated definite plans for other full-time degree program.
e Excludes respondents who indicated plans for other full-time degree program. Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for study.
f "Other" includes respondents who indicated definite postgraduation study plans for traineeship, internship or clinical residency, or other study.
g Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment.
h Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
i "Other" is mainly composed of elementary and secondary schools.
j Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and primary work activity.
k Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and secondary work activity.
l Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans and type of plans.
m Includes cases with an unknown U.S. region of employment after doctorate; see technical notes for states or territories included in regions.
NOTES: Due to rounding, percentages may not sum to 100. See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2015.