Not What I Expected - Early Career Prospects of Doctoral Graduates in Academia

Oct 15, 2026

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The study examines uncertainty faced by doctoral graduates when searching for full-time employment within academia, using Statistics Canada’s 2013 National Graduates Survey. It assesses whether graduates pursuing a doctoral degree to become full-time professors achieved this goal within three years after graduation. Findings indicate that although many doctoral graduates aimed to become full-time professors, comparatively few reported obtaining such positions within the three-year window, regardless of field of study.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Research question and data source

Findings and implications

CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 47, No. 3, 2017, pages 152-169 Not What I Expected: Early Career Prospects of Doctoral Graduates in Academia Brittany Etmanski University of Waterloo David Walters University of Guelph David Zarifa Nipissing University Abstract Various studies acknowledge the uncertainty many doctoral graduates face when beginning their search for full-time employment within the academic sector. Recent graduates face a job market where the likelihood of obtaining full-time permanent positions in academia is perceived to be declining, and the mobility of graduates within the sector is unclear. Drawing on Statistics Canada’s 2013 National Graduates Survey, this paper assesses whether graduates who pursued a doctoral degree to become a full-time professor achieved their goal within three years of graduation. The results suggest that although a large portion of doctoral graduates pursued their degrees to become fulltime professors, relatively few reported obtaining such positions within three years of graduation, regardless of field of study. Résumé Plusieurs études attestent de l’incertitude que doivent affronter les titulaires d’un doctorat quand ils entamentleurs recherches pour un poste à temps plein dans le secteur universitaire. Eneffet, les récents diplômésfont face à un marché del’emploioù on perçoit que les chances d’obtenir un poste permanent à temps CJHE / RCES Volume 47, No. 3, 2017 Not What I Expected / B. Etmanski, D. Walters, & D. Zarifa 153 plein dans le secteur académiques’amenuisent, etoù la mobilité professionnelle des titulaires d’un doctorat de ce secteur demeure floue. À partir des données de l’Enquête nationale auprès des diplômés 2013 de Statistique Canada, cet article examine la propension des titulaires d’un doctorat souhaitant devenir professeurs à temps plein à réaliser leur objectif sur une période de trois ans après leur collation des grades. Indépendamment du domaine d’étude, les résultats démontrent que, bien qu’une grande proportion de titulaires d’un doctorat aspire à devenir professeurs à temps plein, peu d’entre eux rapportentavoir obtenu de tels postes trois ans après leur remise de diplôme. The labour market for doctoral graduates has received considerable attention over the last five years. In a previous era, the majority of doctoral graduates sought careersin academia, and many experienced a smooth, linear transition from doctoral and postdoctoral work to a full-time academic position as a professor. In recent years, however, the career prospects and mobility within this sector have become much less certain (Rajagopal, 2002) . Despite significant expansion of undergraduate enrolments over the last few decades, increases in the supply of new doctorates have far outpaced the number of positions available for new, full-time professors (Edge & Munro, 2015; Clark, Trick, & Van Loon, 2012). New graduates face a highly competitive job market with fewer full-time academic jobs, long bouts of part-time sessional employment, and increased pressures to use their advanced degrees to apply for jobs in other sectors (King, 2005; Manathunga, Pitt, & Critchley, 2009). At the same time, the average age of graduates is rising, as is their time-to-completion rates (King, 2005; Neumann & Tan, 2011) . As a result, graduates are entering the labour market with fewer years to work full-time, accumulate lifetime earnings, and make significant contributions to their pensions. The risk of undetermined pathways for recent doctoral graduates is garnering increased attention from researchers, students, and media outlets. Within the academic context, a growing number of current students and recent graduates have begun to express serious concern about the likelihood of obtaining full-time permanent academic employment upon graduation (Harman, 2002; Neumann & Tan, 2011). Outside the ivory tower, many graduates

FAQs

What does the paper investigate about doctoral graduates’ early careers?

It evaluates whether doctoral graduates who aimed to become full-time professors achieved that goal within three years after graduation.

Which dataset does the study draw on?

The analysis uses Statistics Canada’s 2013 National Graduates Survey.

What do the results indicate about success in obtaining full-time professor roles?

Relatively few doctoral graduates reported obtaining full-time permanent professor positions within three years, even though many pursued the degree for that purpose.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet