SOURCE: 2012 Graduating Student Survey
Response rate, Bachelor's: 78%
Response rate, Master's: 69%
| What is most likely to be your principle activity this Fall (Fall 2012)? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree (highest) | ||||
| Bachelor's | Master's | |||
| Count | % | Count | % | |
| Working (including self-employment, internship, starting a company) |
369 | 52.4% | 632 | 78.7% |
| Military service | 5 | 0.7% | 31 | 3.9% |
| Attending graduate or professional school | 275 | 39.1% | 95 | 11.8% |
| Enrolled in another educational program (e.g., second bachelors degree, post baccalaureate premedical program) |
23 | 3.3% | 9 | 1.1% |
| Volunteer activity. Please specify your public service organization (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps) |
1 | 0.1% | 1 | 0.1% |
| Distinguished fellowship | 6 | 0.9% | 4 | 0.5% |
| Postponing job search | 6 | 0.9% | 7 | 0.9% |
| Traveling | 4 | 0.6% | 2 | 0.2% |
| Undecided (e.g., deciding between fields) | 8 | 1.1% | 9 | 1.1% |
| Other activity | 7 | 1.0% | 13 | 1.6% |
| Overall | 704 | 100.0% | 803 | 100.0% |
| Please select which of the following best describes the current state of your employment plans: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree (highest) | ||||
| Bachelor's | Master's | |||
| Count | % | Count | % | |
| Have accepted a position | 292 | 80.7% | 466 | 75.8% |
| Have been offered a position and refused it; still searching for preferred position |
7 | 1.9% | 15 | 2.4% |
| Considering one or more specific offers | 8 | 2.2% | 32 | 5.2% |
| Currently searching for a position or waiting for an offer | 40 | 11.0% | 60 | 9.8% |
| Will begin searching for a position after graduation | 9 | 2.5% | 19 | 3.1% |
| Not planning on employment this fall | 6 | 1.7% | 23 | 3.7% |
| Overall | 362 | 100.0% | 615 | 100.0% |
| For students who indicated 'Working' or 'Military Service' as post-graduation plan. | ||||
| Select the industry that best describes your employer. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree (highest) | ||||
| Bachelor's | Master's | |||
| Count | % | Count | % | |
| Aerospace and Defense | 19 | 6.8% | 22 | 5.0% |
| Architecture and Urban Planning | 3 | 1.1% | 10 | 2.3% |
| Automotive and Transportation | 3 | 1.1% | 11 | 2.5% |
| Business Services (Advertising, Real Estate, Retail) |
4 | 1.4% | 17 | 3.9% |
| Chemicals and Materials | 7 | 2.5% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Communications, Arts, Entertainment (Sports, Leisure, Media, Film) |
0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Computer Hardware/ Electrical Engineering | 11 | 3.9% | 11 | 2.5% |
| Computer Software (Gaming and Software Development) |
52 | 18.6% | 44 | 10.0% |
| Consulting | 48 | 17.2% | 86 | 19.5% |
| Education | 7 | 2.5% | 5 | 1.1% |
| Energy and Utilities | 16 | 5.7% | 18 | 4.1% |
| Engineering | 25 | 9.0% | 26 | 5.9% |
| Financial Services (Commercial Banking, Insurance) |
17 | 6.1% | 40 | 9.1% |
| Government | 3 | 1.1% | 11 | 2.5% |
| Health/Medicine | 15 | 5.4% | 4 | 0.9% |
| Industrial and Consumer Manufacturing (Construction, Product Manufacturing, Consumer Products) |
3 | 1.1% | 17 | 3.9% |
| Investment Banking (Mutual Funds and Money Management) |
7 | 2.5% | 43 | 9.8% |
| Law | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Military | 5 | 1.8% | 25 | 5.7% |
| Non-Profit Agency or NGO | 3 | 1.1% | 2 | 0.5% |
| Pharmaceutics (Biotech, Medical Device) |
7 | 2.5% | 8 | 1.8% |
| Other | 24 | 8.6% | 37 | 8.4% |
| Overall | 279 | 100.0% | 440 | 100.0% |
| For students who indicated they accepted a position. | ||||
| Please select one of the following to describe where you are in your plans for graduate or professional school: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree (highest) | ||||
| Bachelor's | Master's | |||
| Count | % | Count | % | |
| I am awaiting acceptance to a graduate or professional school. | 6 | 2.2% | 1 | 1.1% |
| I have been accepted to and am deciding between schools. | 8 | 3.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| I have been accepted to and chosen a graduate or professional school. | 254 | 94.8% | 89 | 98.9% |
| Overall | 268 | 100.0% | 90 | 100.0% |
| For students who indicated 'Graduate or Professional School' as post-graduation plan. | ||||
| What will be your general field of study? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree (highest) | ||||
| Bachelor's | Master's | |||
| Count | % | Count | % | |
| Arts | 3 | 1.1% | 2 | 2.4% |
| Business | 3 | 1.1% | 4 | 4.7% |
| Dentistry | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Education | 6 | 2.2% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Engineering | 144 | 53.3% | 67 | 78.8% |
| Law | 2 | 0.7% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Medicine | 35 | 13.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Science | 68 | 25.2% | 5 | 5.9% |
| Theology | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Veterinary Medicine | 2 | 0.7% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | 7 | 2.6% | 7 | 8.2% |
| Overall | 270 | 100.0% | 85 | 100.0% |
| For students who indicated 'Graduate or Professional School' as post-graduation plan. | ||||
| Which degree(s) will you pursue? | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree (highest) | ||||||
| Bachelor's | Master's | |||||
| Responses | % of Responses |
% of Respondents |
Responses | % of Responses |
% of Respondents |
|
| MEng | 70 | 22.5% | 26.0% | 3 | 3.4% | 3.5% |
| MS | 60 | 19.3% | 22.3% | 6 | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| MA | 6 | 1.9% | 2.2% | 1 | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| MBA | 1 | 0.3% | 0.4% | 1 | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| PhD | 120 | 38.6% | 44.6% | 73 | 83.0% | 85.9% |
| ScD | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3 | 3.4% | 3.5% |
| JD | 2 | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| MD | 34 | 10.9% | 12.6% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| DDS | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other | 18 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 1 | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Overall | 311 | 100.0% | 115.6% | 88 | 100.0% | 103.5% |
| For students who indicated 'Graduate or Professional School' as post-graduation plan. Percentages total more than 100% due to multiple responses. |
||||||
SOURCE: 2012 Doctoral Student Exit Survey
Postgraduation Plans
| What best describes your postgraduate plans (within the next year)? |
|
|---|---|
| "Postdoc" or further training | 46.6% |
| Employment | 46.3% |
| Other | 7.1% |
| Count of responses | 410 |
| What is the status of your postgraduate plans (in the next year)? | |
|---|---|
| Returning to, or continuing in, predoctoral employment | 6.1% |
| Have signed contract or made definite commitment for a "postdoc" or other work | 64.2% |
| Negotiating with one or more specific organizations | 7.7% |
| Seeking position but have no specific prospects | 12.6% |
| Do not plan to work or study (e.g., family commitments, etc.) | 0.3% |
| Other | 7.1% |
| Other fulltime degree program (e.g., MD, DDS, JD, MBA, etc.) | 1.9% |
| Count of responses | 410 |
| Which of the following best describes your PLANS after graduating from your program at MIT? |
|
|---|---|
| Returning to, or continuing in, predoctoral employment | 4.1% |
| Have signed contract or made definite commitment for a "postdoc" or other work | 67.6% |
| Negotiating with one or more specific organizations | 8.5% |
| Seeking position but have no specific prospects | 10.0% |
| Other fulltime degree program (e.g., MD, DDS, JD, MBA, etc.) | 2.2% |
| Do not plan to work or study (e.g., family commitments, etc.) | 0.5% |
| Other | 7.1% |
| Count of responses | 410 |
| What one type of principal employer will you be working for (or training with) in the next year? | |
|---|---|
| U.S. 4-year college or university other than medical school | 31.0% |
| U.S. medical school (including university-affiliated hospital or medical center) | 7.0% |
| U.S. university-affiliated research institute | 9.5% |
| U.S. community or two-year college | 0.0% |
| U.S. preschool, elementary, middle, secondary school or school system | 0.3% |
| Foreign educational institution | 7.3% |
| Foreign government | 2.0% |
| U.S. federal government | 4.3% |
| U.S. state government | 0.0% |
| U.S. local government | 0.3% |
| Not for profit organization | 1.8% |
| Industry (for profit) | 32.5% |
| Self-employed | 1.8% |
| Other | 2.5% |
| Count of responses | 400 |