Relationships Between Engineering Student and Faculty Demographics and Stakeholders Working to Affect Change*

Journal of Engineering Education, Apr 2004 by Johnson, Michelle J, Sheppard, Sheri D

B. Participation Beyond the Baccalaureate Degree

Figures 3a1 and 3b show engineering graduate school enrollment trends for females and underrepresented minorities citizens and permanent residents from 1990 to 1999. Despite decreased participation of total citizens and permanent residents in undertaking graduate engineering education, the graphs illustrate that there have been significant increases in the numbers of underrepresented students participating beyond the baccalaureate degree level. In 1999, a total of 60,051 citizens and permanent residents were enrolled in graduate engineering schools across the U.S.; underrepresented minorities represented about 10 percent of this total (Blacks, 4.9 percent, Hispancis, 4.8 percent, and American Indians, 0.4 percent) and females about 19.5 percent [13].

Tables 3 and 4 present the number of females and underrepresented minorities that graduated with a Masters Degree in 1996 (Level 1) and with a Doctoral degree in engineering in 1999 (Level 2).

Table 3 indicates that females were underrepresented at both levels; their participation rates varied between 17 and 22 percent, which was about 30 percentage points below their average representation in the U.S. population [32]. Similarly, Table 4 indicates that Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians were underrepresented at both levels as compared to their representation in the population of approximately 12.8, 11.5, and 0.6 percent, respectively. Figures 4a and 4b show females and underrepresented minority students' graduation rates from Masters (1990-2000) and Doctoral (1990-2000) engineering programs. The trends indicate that while participation rates of these groups remained below population percentage rates, there have been significant increases since 1990.

It is also instructive to look at the fall-off in participation of underrepresented students at Levels 1 and 2, relative to Stage 6, as presented in Figures 5a and 5b. The comparison of data in Figure 5 is not strictly correct, as the Level 1 and 2 data contain Masters and Doctoral students with non-engineering undergraduate degrees and we are interpreting the Level 1 and 2 data as being representative of degree seeking patterns of the HS class of 1990 at some point in their careers. Figure 5a indicates that women with a B.S. degrees in engineering are as likely (if not more likely) to obtain a M.S. in engineering as men (34.9 vs. 31.3 percent), and as likely to go on from a M.S. to obtain a Ph.D. in engineering (15.3 vs. 15.0 percent). Figure 5b indicates that ethnic groups (except Asian) with B.S. degrees in engineering are as likely to obtain a Masters in engineering (approximately 28 percent); this compares with Asians with a B.S. m engineering who are much more likely to obtain a Masters (41 percent). The percentage of people going from a M.S. to a Ph.D. in engineering varies from 13 percent for Hispanics to 20 percent for Asian.

In order to get a snapshot of the numbers of students getting doctoral degrees in engineering who desire to move into the academic workforce we looked at the 1999 SED survey [19], which lists students' graduation plans after receiving their doctorates. The survey indicated that only 21.7 percent of the 2,873 permanent residents and citizens graduating with a doctoral degree in engineering had definite plans to pursue post-doctoral studies or academic employment in the United States. Here, more females than males had definite plans to pursue some employment in academia: 27.5 percent (490) of females as compared to 20.5 percent (2,383) of males. The breakdown, by ethnic group is not available.