Expectations and labour market outcomes of doctoral graduates from Canadian universities

This report examines the expectations and labour force outcomes of a recent doctoral graduating class by drawing from two different data sources that surveyed the same individuals at two different points in time. The first is the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), which interviewed the doctoral graduates at the time of their graduation in 2005. The second source is the National Graduates Survey (NGS), which interviewed them again in 2007. The study provides a profile of doctoral holders two years after graduation by examining their demographics and program characteristics as well as...  [+] Show more

This report examines the expectations and labour force outcomes of a recent doctoral graduating class by drawing from two different data sources that surveyed the same individuals at two different points in time. The first is the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), which interviewed the doctoral graduates at the time of their graduation in 2005. The second source is the National Graduates Survey (NGS), which interviewed them again in 2007. The study provides a profile of doctoral holders two years after graduation by examining their demographics and program characteristics as well as their expectations at the time of graduation. It also analyses their mobility patterns, with a particular focus on graduates who moved to the United States. Finally it examines the graduates’ labour market outcomes, including employment rates, income, industry and the prevalence of over-qualification as compared to the graduates’ expectations.

Published introduction reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.