July 14, 2008

Career Outcomes of Political Science PhD Recipients

The PhDs – Ten Years Later study, allowed us to provide detailed information about the actual employment patterns of nearly 4, 000 PhDs recipients in biochemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, English, mathematics, and political science.   This report, offers a specific examination of the career paths of those who completed the PhD. in Political Science.

Surveying PhD recipients in political science ten years after degree completion provides rich information about the career paths, job satisfaction, and their retrospective evaluation of the usefulness of the PhD. Understanding the variety of educational outcomes and the high job satisfaction of PhD recipients outside academia, leads us to conclude that a too narrow focus on the academic job market in doctoral education leaves a large proportion of doctoral student unprepared for a variety of intellectually satisfying careers.

Download:  Career Outcomes of Political Science PhDs

Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education – University of Washington, 2003.  “Career Outcomes of Political Science PhD Recipients:  Results from the PhDs–Ten Years Later Study.  Report for Political Science Association.