College of Arts & Sciences First Destinations Report May 2012
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Director’s Letter Dear Reader: For nearly 200 years, Thomas Jefferson’s University of Virginia has fostered the education of citizenleaders. From 68 students in its opening class in 1825, the University has grown to be one of the world’s great public institutions comprising 11 schools and more than 21,000 students. The majority of U.Va.’s undergraduates study in the College of Arts & Sciences, the heart of today’s University, with an enrollment of more than 13,000 students and a selection of more than 75 majors. Graduates of the College go on to serve their communities in all parts of the world as teachers, managers, bankers, doctors, lawyers, artists, journalists, scientists, public servants and a variety of other professions. Gaining insight into the pathways of the College’s graduates immediately after they receive their diplomas was the purpose of the pilot First Destinations Survey conducted with May 2012 graduates. For those entering the workforce, what was their first job? Who hired them? How many entered graduate or professional school? How did they spend their summers during their college years? From Charlottesville, where did they first go to live? What did their starting salaries look like? These questions and more were asked of students who graduated in the spring of 2012. Results of the survey, presented in the following report, will give you a snapshot of the diverse ways in which graduates of the College launched their futures after earning their baccalaureate degrees. Despite a less-than-robust economy that these graduates faced, it is evident that degrees in “all the useful sciences,” as Jefferson described the liberal arts, hold great promise not only for building careers but also for developing citizen-leaders. Whether you are a current or prospective student, employer, parent or family member, educator, member of the University faculty, staff or larger community, we hope you will find the information in this report useful and interesting. If you would like to learn more about Arts & Sciences majors, please visit the student profile found online at http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/about/index.html. If you are interested in recruiting at the University of Virginia or posting opportunities for current students and recent graduates, please contact University Career Services (UCS) at 434-924-8900. In closing, the UCS staff is grateful to all the students who participated in the First Destinations Survey. With the insight they have provided, we and our colleagues in the College of Arts & Sciences look forward to better serving students in achieving their career goals. Sincerely,
Sarah Isham Director, College of Arts & Sciences Career Services University Career Services
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Table of Contents Director’s Letter Study Methodology and Response Rate........................ 2 Executive Summary...................................................... 3 List of Respondents’ Academic Majors ........................ 4 Summary of Post-Graduation Plans.............................. 6 Employment................................................................ 7 Industry List................................................... 8 Salary Information......................................... 9 Locations – Domestic and International....... 10 Career Decisions.......................................... 12 Valuable Resources....................................... 14 Internship Experiences............................................... 15 Graduate and Professional Schools............................. 16 Academic Programs of Study........................ 17 Sources of Advice......................................... 20 Words of Wisdom from the May 2012 Class.............. 21
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Study Methodology This report summarizes results from the survey of the May 2012 graduating baccalaureate class by University Career Services (UCS), in conjunction with the University’s College of Arts & Sciences and Center for Survey Research (CSR). The purpose of the First Destinations Study was to collect information from graduating students regarding their post-graduation plans. Information collected in the survey is being used by the College of Arts & Sciences and UCS to better serve students in achieving their career goals. The results can also be used to demonstrate the success of graduates to their academic departments, future students and parents, prospective employers, and the public at large. The administrative timetable for the 2012 First Destinations Study was as follows: ✹✹ March 2012 – The Center for Survey Research identified 2,428 undergraduate students from the College of Arts & Sciences who were eligible to graduate in May 2012. ✹✹ April 2012 – Letters from the CSR detailing the purpose of the study were sent to the local mailing addresses of the 2,428 students identified as May 2012 graduates. ✹✹ April/May/June 2012 (Spring Administration) – An initial note including an on-line, webbased link to the First Destinations Survey was emailed to students in late-April encouraging their participation; follow-up emails were periodically sent to non-respondents to encourage their participation. ✹✹ October/November/December 2012 and January 2013 (Fall Administration) – A series of notes including a link to a slightly revised First Destinations Survey were forwarded to all non-respondents from the Spring Administration as well as to those who indicated that they were still seeking employment or enrollment to graduate or professional school. ✹✹ January 2013 – The CSR closed the 2012 First Destinations Survey and provided basic data analysis (frequencies and percentages) to the Director of Career Services for the College of Arts & Sciences.
Response Rate In the administration of the First Destinations Survey no incentives (positive or negative) were used to influence the response rate. Further, because of limited funding no follow-up telephone calls were made to collect additional information from either non-respondents or graduates who indicated in Spring Administration they were still seeking employment. ✹✹ Of the 2,428 May 2012 graduates surveyed in the Spring Administration, a total of 984 or 41% responded. ✹✹ In the Fall Administration, the CSR re-contacted 1,688 students from the Spring (i.e., 1,414 who were non-respondents and 274 who indicated their destination was incomplete). ✹✹ When the Spring and Fall Administrations were combined, a total of 1,142 or 47% of the May 2012 graduates had responded.
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Executive Summary University Career Services in conjunction with the College of Arts & Sciences and the Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer conducted a First Destinations Survey of May 2012 baccalaureate graduates from the College. The following represents the major findings: ✹✹ 40% of respondents had accepted full-time employment or indicated they were selfemployed; an additional 6% had accepted part-time employment. ✹✹ 26% of respondents reported they had been accepted to graduate or professional school on a full-time basis. ✹✹ 12% of respondents indicated they were pursuing other plans, for example, had accepted a fellowship, were taking additional coursework, traveling, or doing volunteer/service work. ✹✹ 11% reported seeking full-time employment, and another 5% indicated they were seeking admissions to graduate or professional schools. ✹✹ The top five occupational fields of the respondents included Education, Consulting Services, Legal Services, Scientific Research, and Healthcare Services. ✹✹ The average starting salary was $41,058 (the median was $38,000); the average reported signing bonus was $3,400. ✹✹ Geographically, 93% of the respondents reported they were working in the United States, and 7% reported working internationally. ✹✹ Respondents indicated that the top five U.S. cities for employment relocation were the Greater Metro DC area, Charlottesville, New York, Richmond, and Atlanta. ✹✹ Internationally, the top five countries where respondents relocated for employment included China, France, South Korea, England, and Turkey. ✹✹ The top five graduate and professional school academic programs included Health Professions, Law, Education, Business, and Public Policy. ✹✹ Among Health Professions, the programs with the most number of applicants were Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, and Pharmacy. ✹✹ 87% of respondents reported having a paid or unpaid internship; 75% said they had performed volunteer work; 71% indicated they had been employed in a summer job; 54% reported working in a part-time job; and, 48% were involved in student organizations as members or leaders. ✹✹ 67% of respondents reported actively beginning their search for employment at least four months before graduation, and 77% indicated using University Career Services during their time at the University.
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List of Respondents’ Academic Majors
The list below contains the major(s) of those who responded to the First Destinations Survey. Please note the list does not contain every major from the College of Arts & Sciences.
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Academic Majors Psychology Biology Politics/Foreign Affairs Economics History English Spanish Politics/Government Sociology Cognitive Science Environmental Sciences Religious Studies Chemistry/Biochemistry French Language and Literature Art History Anthropology Art, Studio Mathematics Political Philosophy, Public Policy, and Law American Studies Computer Science Chemistry Global Development Studies Physics Political and Social Thought Linguistics Mathematics/Financial Mathematics Neuroscience Philosophy Media Studies Music Politics Archaeology Environmental Thought and Practice English/Modern Studies Latin American Studies Afro-American and African Studies Drama *Approximately 40% of respondents have more than one major.
Percent of Cases 15% 12% 11% 11% 8% 8% 6% 5% 4% 4% 4% 4% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% .9% .9% .9% .8% .8% .7% .7% .6% .6%
Academic Majors Echols Scholars Program English/Poetry Writing Human Biology Interdisciplinary Major Program Statistics/Econometrics Comparative Literature East Asian Studies Economics/Financial Economics/International German Languages and Literature Mathematics/Graduate Preparatory Mathematics/Probability and Statistics Studies in Women and Gender Astronomy Bioethics East Asian Languages and Literatures/Japanese Medieval Studies Middle Eastern Languages and Literature Slavic Languages/Russian and East European Studies Chemistry/Environmental Chemistry Chinese Language and Literature Classics/Latin Dance East Asian Languages and Literatures East Asian Language and Literatures/Chinese English/Medieval, Renaissance Studies Italian Jewish Studies Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies Slavic Language and Literatures Statistics Asian Pacific American Studies Astronomy-Physics Classics Economics/Public Policy Film Studies German Studies Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literature Middle Eastern Studies Statistics/Biostatistics Other
Percent of Cases .6% .6% .6% .6% .6% .5% .5% .5% .5% .5% .5% .5% .5% .4% .4% .4% .4% .4% .4% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .2% .1% .1% .1% .1% .1% .1% .1% .1% .1% .5%
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Summary of Post-Graduation Plans Accepted full-time employment
Accepted to graduate or professional school full-time 26%
40% 11%
6% 4% Other .1% Accepted to graduate or professional school part-time .4% Self-employed/ starting own business
5% 3%
Accepted part-time employment
Seeking graduate/ professional school admission
Plan to perform volunteer/ service work 2% Plan to travel 2% Pursuing additional coursework 1% Received and accepted a domestic or international fellowship
*Those who chose “Other� did not give specific destinations.
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Seeking full-time employment
Employment All totaled, May 2012 baccalaureate respondents identified 344 organizations with whom they were employed. Below is a list of organizations at which two (2) or more graduates are employed. Accenture Advancement Concepts Altria Group Distribution Company Analysis Research Planning Corporation Bain & Company, Inc. Barclays Capital BASIS Educational Group Booz Allen Hamilton Bryanston School CACI, Inc. Capital One CGI Federal Charlottesville Ballet Academy comScore Corporate Executive Board (CEB) Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Dominion Resources, Inc. DuPont Pioneer Epic Health Systems French Embassy French Ministry of Education FTI Consulting Google
Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. IBM Global Business Services International Business Machines (IBM) Macy’s Merchandising Group, NYC McGuireWoods LLP McKinsey & Company MicroStrategy National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Institutes of Health (NIH) Outward Bound Peace Corps PricewaterhouseCoopers TASC, Inc. Teach For America Teaching Assistant Program in France The Advisory Board Company Towers Watson United States Army University of Virginia U.Va. Health System Virginia Commonwealth University WILS Language School in South Korea
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Industry List Of 48 Industry selections from which respondents could choose, 28 hired five or more May 2012 graduates. Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations Art, Graphic Design, Fashion Design Biomedical and Biotechnology Computer Science and Information Technology Consulting Services Consumer Goods: Food, Beverage, Tobacco, Household Products Consumer Product Sales and Marketing Defense Contractor Education Entertainment, Sports, Parks and Recreation Environmental Services, Policies and Management Financial Services Government (state, local, federal) Healthcare Administration Healthcare Services: Medicine, Nursing, Veterinary, Dental, & Optometry Healthcare: Global and Public Health Hospitality, Event Planning, Restaurant Management Investment Banking Legal Services Media and Publishing Military Service Non-Government Organization (NGO) Non-Profit, Advocacy, Civic Organizations Politics Real Estate Sales and Management Research and Development Sales and Retail Management Scientific Research
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Salary Information Average Salary: $41,058 (Median of $38,000) Average Signing Bonus: $3,400 Of 48 Industry selections from which respondents could select, five or more salaries were reported in 24 Industry groups. The averages of those salaries are reported in the following table.
Industry
Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations Biomedical and Biotechnology Computer Science and Information Technology Consulting Services Consumer Goods: Food, Beverage, Tobacco, and Household Products Defense Contractor Education Entertainment, Sports, Parks and Recreation Environmental Services, Policies and Management Financial Services Government (state, local, federal) Healthcare Administration Healthcare Services: Medicine, Nursing, Veterinary, and Dental International Affairs Investment Banking Legal Services Media and Publishing Military Service Non-Profit, Advocacy, Civic Organizations Politics Real Estate Sales and Management Research and Development Sales and Retail Management Scientific Research
5 or More Salaries Reported $40,417 $34,074 $57,571 $57,113 $42,300 $51,286 $36,261 $42,400 $33,880 $58,375 $41,550 $36,000 $26,692 $38,250 $51,000 $39,183 $43,583 $35,988 $31,476 $33,250 $38,250 $39,400 $34,986 $31,490
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Employment Locations Domestic and International
Domestically, 450 respondents from the May 2012 graduating class identified employment locations in 35 different states.
AK 1
WA 2
MN 1
PA 3 MI 1 1 IL IN OH 5 1 3 MO 1 AR 1 MS AL GA 1 1 17
WY 1
NV CA 1 9
CO 1 AZ 2 TX 6
HI 1
NY 43
MA 8 RI 1 CT NJ DE 3 2 2 MD DC 18 VA 83 199 NC 7 SC 2
FL 6
LA 4
Internationally, 34 respondents indicated employment locations.
France Wales England Spain Dominican Republic U.S. Virgin Puerto Islands Rico
Mexico
Peru Chile
10
Brazil
Germany Turkey Egypt
Angola
Japan
China South Korea
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Employment Decisions What are the Top 3 reasons you decided to go to work for your current organization?
The content of the job/work Opportunities for career advancement The geographic location
*Multiple response item
64% 46% 35%
Is your current job related to your Academic Major? Directly related Somewhat related Barely or not related, and that is fine with me Barely or not related, and I would prefer that it be related Unknown
27% 40% 25% 7% 1%
Is your current job related to your Career Goals?
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Directly related Somewhat related Not related Unknown
44% 41% 8% 7%
Employment Decisions Approximately when did you actively begin searching for this job? More than 6 months before graduation 4-6 months before graduation 0-3 months before graduation 0-3 months after graduation 4-6 months after graduation Unknown/not sure
Percent 45% 22% 18% 11% 2% 2%
Prior to receiving your current job offer, with how many organizations did you interview? One to three Four to six Seven to nine Ten or more Unknown/not sure
Percent 66% 17% 4% 5% 8%
How many job offers did you receive? One Two Three Four Five or more Unknown/not sure
Percent 54% 26% 8% 2% 1% 9%
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Employment Resources What one or two resources were most effective in actually leading to your job?
Internship Friend (fellow undergraduate or peer) Family member or family friend CAVLink job listings Part-time/Summer job Print or web job listings or classified ads On-Grounds Interviewing Career Fairs Professor or administrator U.Va. Alumni (UCAN or HoosOnline) Volunteer position Announcement in academic department Employer Information Sessions LinkedIn Career counselor Facebook 0
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5
10
15
20
25
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Internships Recognizing the increased importance organizations place on experiential learning opportunities, all respondents were asked several related questions about their experiences. Prior to graduation, what type of experience(s) did you have?
Experiential Learning Opportunity Internship (Paid or Unpaid) Volunteer Work Summer Job Part-time Job Student Involvement / Leadership Study Abroad Undergraduate Research Externship/Job Shadowing Teaching Assistant Professional Field Study Other
Percent 88% 75% 71% 54% 48% 36% 34% 16% 7% 2% 2%
NOTE: These percentages indicate that students have had the opportunity to experience four or more of these types of extra-curricular activities while attending U.Va. Additionally, 27% of the responding May 2012 graduates who indicated having an Internship responded they had received a full-time job offer from their employer. And, 19% of the responding graduates reported accepting a full-time job offer from the employer with whom they had interned.
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Graduate and Professional Schools Academic Programs of Study A total of 281 (26%) respondents from the May 2012 baccalaureate graduating class reported attending 104 different graduate and professional schools, both domestically and internationally. The following table represents the primary academic programs respondents are pursuing. .3% Engineering .3% Architecture
7% Other
All Health Professions 28%
1% Fine/Visual/ Performing Arts and Design 4% Humanities
52% Medicine
6% Public Policy 16% Dentistry 7% Public Health
8% Social or Behavioral Sciences
6% Pharmacy 4% Physical/ Occupational Therapy 4% Nursing 3% Veterinary 1% Physician Assistant 7% Other Health Professions
10% Natural Sciences/ Math/Computer Science 13% Law
10% Business 12% Education
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Graduate or Professional Program Below is an alphabetical list of the Graduate and Professional Schools in which respondents were enrolled, listed by the Academic Programs of Study. Architecture Business Education Engineering Fine Arts Health – Dentistry Health – Medicine
Tulane University Birkbeck, University of London Carnegie Mellon University College of William and Mary ESCP Europe University of Arizona University of Oregon University of Virginia Wake Forest University Bowling Green State University Canisius College College of William and Mary George Mason University Harvard Graduate School of Education New York University Old Dominion University University of Colorado, Boulder University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Peabody College Virginia Tech University University of California Davis University of Mississippi Columbia University University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University of Louisville University of Maryland University of Maryland at Baltimore University of Miami Miller School of Medicine University of Michigan University of Oklahoma University of Pennsylvania Virginia Commonwealth University Vanderbilt University Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons George Mason University Harvard University Medical School Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Mercer University School of Medicine Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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Health – Medicine (con’t) New Jersey Medical School New York Medical College New York University Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Ross University SUNY Upstate Medical University The Commonwealth Medical College Tulane University Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences University at Buffalo University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine University of Cincinnati College of Medicine University of Colorado School of Medicine University of Michigan University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University Health – Nursing Johns Hopkins School of Nursing University of Pennsylvania University of Virginia Health – Pharmacy Campbell University Medical College of Virginia University of Maryland School of Medicine Virginia Commonwealth University Health – Physical Therapy Old Dominion University Virginia Commonwealth University Health – Physicians Assistant Wake Forest University School of Medicine Health -–Public Health Emory Rollins School of Public Health Johns Hopkins University (Bloomberg School) Tulane University University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus University of Virginia Health -–Social/Behavioral Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Western University of Health Sciences Health – Other George Washington University Johns Hopkins University Kent State University University of California Los Angeles University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine Humanities City University of New York, Graduate Center Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London Georgetown University Johns Hopkins University and Nanjing University Center
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Law
University of Denver University of Notre Dame University of South Carolina University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University Wake Forest University
Natural/Math/ Computer Science
Boston College Boston University California Institute of Technology College of William and Mary Harvard University The University of Texas Southwestern University of Georgia University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa University of Maine University of Maryland University of Miami University of Michigan University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Virginia
American University College of William and Mary Columbia University DePaul University College of Law Fordham Law School Georgetown Law Harvard Law School Hofstra Law Indiana University- Bloomington Lewis & Clark Northeastern University Syracuse University Tulane Law Universidad Santa Maria la Antigua University of Kentucky College of Law University of KwaZulu-Natal University of Miami University of Missouri School of Law University of Richmond University of Syracuse Law University of Texas at Austin University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Washington and Lee University Yale University
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Graduate and Professional Schools Sources of Advice The following table indicates that students rely on many different sources when seeking advice about graduate and professional school. Many of the respondents selected at least four (4) different sources.
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Sources of Advice Friends (fellow undergraduates or peers) Family (parents, adult relatives, siblings) Professors Web Resources People who work in the field or profession Faculty/staff at schools I considered Academic Advisors University Career Services Health and Law Advisors University Career Services Programs and Services Print Information Other
Percent 73% 69% 64% 61% 53% 45% 29% 20% 12% 11% 1%
Words of Wisdom From the May 2012 Class
Is there anything related to planning for your first destination after college that you would do differently?
What would you have done differently?
Percent
Learned more about graduate or professional schools Gained more experience related to my major or career Started my job search earlier Asked professors and/or other advisors for advice Explored more career options connected to my major Practiced and improved my interviewing skills Used resources available at UCS Used different job search resources Other
57% 26% 24% 20% 19% 17% 14% 14% 0.5%
What two career tips or pieces of advice would you offer to rising 4th year students? Top Ten Career Tips Respondents Gave: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Start your job search early; apply to everything Network and make connections; get to know your professors Be open-minded and flexible; consider all possibilities Do an internship, attend career fairs, and volunteer in related fields Don’t worry or stress out too much; don’t give up Go to UCS; ask for advice and assistance and use available resources Work on your resume and learn how to prepare for an interview Be confident, prepared, proactive, and persistent Make the most of your last year, enjoy the time you have, and consider taking time off Think about what you want to do; develop a plan, but have realistic expectations
For more information: UCS Staff Contact Information: https://www.career.virginia.edu/about/staff.php College of Arts & Sciences Website: http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/home/index.html
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University Career Services University of Virginia 1815 Stadium Road Bryant Hall @ Scott Stadium, 2nd Level Charlottesville, VA 22903 Main 434-924-8900 Fax 434-924-7890 www.career.virginia.edu