Center for Studies in Higher Education

The study is framed by two questions:1. What contributed to the successful completion of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Ph.D. by minority graduate students at the University of California between 1980 and 1990?2. Did their subsequent careers after the Ph.D. correspond to their training and aspirations? Answering these entailed learning about participants’ entire lives from birth to the present, and studying individuals of all ethnic groups to look for similarities and differences in background, experiences, educational path, and careers. 158 Ph.D.s were interviewed: 33 African Americans, 35 Asian Americans, 24 Chicanos, 13 Hispanics, 5 Native Americans, 52 European Americans. The latter were matched to minority students from the same lab, with the same advisor, and similar degree year. Interviews averaged between two and three hours and used a standard questionnaire.Funding: Spencer Foundation Major Grant Program, Grant No. 200000265 P.I. Anne MacLachlan [Initially with Arnie Leiman, Professor and CSHE Director]. May 1, 2000–May, 2004. UC President’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Initiative Grant, June 1, 1998–May 30, 1999.

This is a universal tracking of all 6,377 Berkeley Ph.D.s granted between 1980 and 1989) for which 4,853 (76%) first positions were identified. The study is likely the first comprehensive tracking of ALL Ph.D. recipients from any US University. As a path-breaking work it altered the attitude of many UCB departments and schools toward keeping track of their own doctorates. In the period between December 1980 to June 1989 UC Berkeley granted 6,377 Ph.D.s. and UC Berkeley was the largest doctoral granting university in the US at the time. Women were 29% of all recipients, whites 65%, Asians 5.6%, Blacks 2%, Chicanos 0.8%, Latinos 1.1%, Native Americans 0.3%, foreign students 21.5%. After four years of data collection 4,853 or 76% of the total were found with information on at least the first position. It could not have been achieved without the moral and financial support of both the then Dean of the Graduate Division, Joseph Cerny, as well as that of the then Vice President of Academic Affairs, Eugene Cota-Robles along with many others.Funding: Berkeley Graduate Division, UCOP Academic Affairs, UCB Career Planning and Placement Center.

This study arose from the previous study because doctoral recipients when found and asked about their employment raised many other issues. It is based on 338 interviews using a structured questionnaire asking former students to rank their experience with dissertation advisors and their departments. Women and minorities were oversampled out of the total UCB doctorate receiving population of 6,377 in this period and almost all members of smaller ethnic groups were interviewed. While the responses were broadly positive about advisors, 82% ranked their overall experience with the 2 highest scores, they were less positive about departments. Around half of interviewees made unsolicited comments about racism, sexism, classism, and other negative aspects of their experience, even if they provided generally positive rankings. After this study was concluded questions remained about what made those who finished so successful in earning their degree when they had expressed many areas of dissatisfaction? This led to the following study to learn the basis of their success.Funding: Berkeley Graduate Division, UCOP Academic Affairs, UCB Career Planning and Placement Center.