What's up, Doc? -- Not the number of science Ph.D.s

MSNBC ^ | 2003-12-04 | By Ed Frauenheim

[Lessismore]

Dec. 4 — The number of doctoral degrees awarded in U.S. science and engineering programs continues to drop, but women are earning a growing share of them, according to survey results published Thursday by the National Science Foundation.

About 24,550 science and engineering doctorates were earned by students attending U.S. universities in 2002, down from slightly more than 25,500 in 2001, according to the NSF, a federal agency that supports science and engineering research. ...

The number of doctoral degrees conferred in most other fields remained roughly the same last year, and has hovered around 15,400 annually since 1998, the NSF said.

The most recent downturn in science and engineering doctorates began after a 27,300 peak in 1998, the NSF said.

...

A sizable chunk of the science and engineering doctorates went to non-U.S. citizens, according to the NSF. Of 23,152 doctorates awarded to students whose citizenship was known, 8,839 went to non-U.S. citizens. In engineering alone, foreign-born persons receiving doctoral degrees last year represented more than 60 percent of the total, according to the NSF. Between 1993 and 2002, foreign citizens earned just more than 57 percent of all engineering doctorates, the NSF said.

[oceanview]

very few US engineers will send their own children into the field, seeing what is happening with the offshoring of jobs. its just not worth it anymore.

[RLK]

About 24,550 science and engineering doctorates were earned by students attending U.S. universities in 2002...

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Mainland China was producing about 65,000 as of several years ago not including their students here.

[cyborg]

I remember looking at the occupational outlook book for engineering and it was not pretty even before all this outsourcing. Besides you can't outsource creativity. If a kid likes engineering, they'll become one anyway.

[Kirkwood]

Why go through the effort of getting the advanced degree if all the good jobs are going to be given to foreign degrees holders who will work at a much lower salary? I would have had a much better income if I had NOT gotten my PhD and followed a different career path. I also would have had many more job opportunities. Being overly specialized can be a real detriment.