Figure 3.25 Average Annual Percentage Change in Doctoral Degrees Awarded by Broad Field, 2000-01 to 2010-11 Other Fields
2.6%
Social & Behavioral Sci.
Other Fields
1.9%
Public Admin. & Svcs. Physical & Earth Sci.
Figure 3.26 Average Annual Percentage Change in Doctoral Degrees Awarded by Broad Field and Gender, 2000-01 to 2010-11
Social & Behavioral Sci.
4.2% 2.6%
Math & Computer Sci.
Public Admin. & Svcs.
7.3%
Health Sciences
Physical & Earth Sci.
18.6%
Engineering
4.5%
Education
Math & Computer Sci.
1.8%
Business
Health Sciences
4.8%
Biological & Agric. Sci.
5.0%
Arts & Humanities
1.4%
Total
Engineering Education
4.4% 0%
4%
8%
12%
16%
20%
Source: CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees
As mentioned above, doctoral degree production has increased in large part due to a rise in the number of women earning degrees. Between 2009-10 and 2010-11, doctoral degree production increased most for women in health sciences (11.9%), business (9.2%), and ‘other’ fields (6.5%), but decreased in three broad fields: biological and agricultural sciences (-11.7%), public administration and services (-4.9%), and mathematics and computer sciences (-3.1%). Doctoral degree production for men increased most in business (19.1%), health sciences (16.6%), and engineering (11.7%), but men earned fewer doctorates in 2010-10 than in 2009-10 in three broad fields: public administration and services (-4.1%), social and behavioral sciences (-3.9%), and education (-0.5%).
Business Biological & Agric. Sci. Arts & Humanities Total
5.1% 1.4% 3.5% 0.2% 7.0% 0.7% 4.0% 2.0% 6.9% 7.2%
Women Men
25.9% 8.5% 7.4% 3.8% 2.5% 0.7% 5.6% 4.5% 8.2% 2.5% 1.6% 0.8% 6.5% 2.9% 0%
4%
8%
12%
16%
20%
24%
28%
Source: CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees
For more detailed information about trends in graduate degrees and certificates, see Tables 3.24 through 3.30.
Between 2000-01 and 2010-11, both men and women experienced increases in the number of doctorates awarded in all broad fields, and average annual growth for women exceeded that for men in every broad field except mathematics and computer sciences (Figure 3.26). The average annual increases for women ranged from a high of 25.9% in health sciences to a low of 1.6% in arts and humanities. For men, average annual increases were largest in health sciences (8.5%) and smallest in social and behavioral sciences (0.2%).
Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2001 to 2011
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