The National Research Council has released a report on the employment situation of 1973–76 PhD recipients in the humanities, sciences, and engineering. The report’s data is derived primarily from the 1981 Survey of Doctorate Recipients, with data for the earlier years (1975, 1977. and 1979) derived from earlier Survey reports. Departing the Ivy Halls: Changing Employment Situations for Recent PhDs focuses on 1973–76 graduates because the NRC believes that it is within this five- to eight-year period following receipt of the PhD that major decisions about future employment are made.
Humanities Highlights, an occasional publication of the Office of Program and Policy Studies of the NEH, has published portions of the data in respect to the humanities. History ranks highest of the eight humanities disciplines in percentage of recent PhD recipients (32.7%) who are working outside academe. The most common areas of work for historians outside the academy are business/industry and government. The percentage of PhD recipients for all humanities fields working in academe is 77%. Recent history PhD recipients are unique in one other respect: 9.2%, compared to 7.2% in all fields, have taken academic jobs in two-year colleges.
Why have recent PhDs chosen nonacademic employment: In this regard historians differ little from other recent PhD recipients in the humanities. Over half reported that an academic position in their field was not available; close to one-third cited more attractive career options.
For copies of the full NRC report, write: OPPS, Room 402, National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, DC 20506.
