A recent nationwide survey of doctoral candidates shows that while graduate students are satisfied overall with their doctoral programs, they are less satisfied with job placement services and the level of preparation they receive as teaching assistants. Graduate students at the University, however, may not feel the same way.
The survey was conducted by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students and released Oct. 17. It features data collected from more than 30,000 doctoral candidates in various departments at universities across the United States. Students were polled via an online questionnaire from March 30 to August 15, 2000, according to the NAGPS Web site. Any student enrolled in a doctoral program for at least one term was eligible to participate.
The survey asked graduate students’ opinions about 10 different subjects, such as Career Guidance & Placement Services, Teaching and TA Preparation, and Overall Satisfaction. Each program category gave a letter grade to each subject.
On average, the students surveyed rated their overall satisfaction a B, but gave both job placement services and TA preparation a C rating.
Some of the 3,472 graduate students at the University may feel differently, however.
“I am very satisfied with my graduate school experience,” Lesley Godfrey, a history graduate student, said. “The faculty and staff take a personal interest in my success.”
Heather Coughlin, a doctoral candidate in the mathematics department, agreed. “The math department at the U of O is very proud of its students, and they show it.”
Coughlin also said she feels prepared to teach.
“I feel that the [math] department tries, to the best of its ability, to prep the GTFs for teaching,” said Coughlin.
The department requires all Graduate Teaching Fellows to take a week-long prep course to discuss various aspects of teaching, she said.
Another concern for the participants of the NAGPS survey was job placement assistance and how well their programs prepared them for a career.
“I am very confident that my adviser and my department, including professors and other grad students, will help me in my job search,” Coughlin said. “They will offer opinions, hear my presentations and make comments, and cover my classes when I have to go on interviews.”
Students in other programs may feel differently, however.
“As far as I know, the arts department doesn’t have a whole lot of job placement assistance available,” said Joseph Stengel-Goetz, a visual design graduate student.
“The lack of up-to-date technology is the biggest thing that holds (visual design) students back from being prepared for the workplace,” Stengel-Goetz said. “Because Web technology has only been around since the ’90s, visual design is still trying to get a firm footing.”
Most of the professors have had experience in the workplace, though, he added, and can offer ideas about what to pursue after graduation.
In addition to adviser and departmental support, the University Career Center offers several services to graduate students. It provides customized career counseling and employment searches. Also, its Reference Letter Service keeps students’ reference letters on file and sends them out to potential employers.
“Our services are sought out by graduate students who seek nonacademic careers,” said Lawrence Smith, the Career Center director. “For students who are seeking academic careers, their academic advisers can best help them.”
Doctoral students at the University have a strong placement record in the academic field, particularly in English, psychology and the sciences, Smith said.
“The University’s students are very well-prepared to enter the workforce,” he said.
Kara Westervelt is a freelance reporter
for the Oregon Daily Emerald.