Years to Attainment of a Humanities Doctorate
- For each of the graduation years 2003 to 2012, the median time humanities Ph.D. recipients spent in their doctoral programs (measured as the difference between the month and year the doctorate was granted and the month and year the student started in the program) was 6.9 years or longer (Indicator II-27a). The median fell from 7.5 years for 2003 graduates to 6.9 years for students graduating in 2011 and 2012.
- Over the 2003–2012 time period, the median number of years graduating doctoral students in all fields combined spent in their programs was consistently at least a year less than the median for graduates in the humanities. The median for all fields considered together ranged from 5.7 to 5.9 years.
- Among the humanities disciplines, graduates from doctoral programs in history had the highest median time in their programs, although the median fell over the 2003–2012 time period from 7.7 years to 7.2 years (Indicator II-27b). Declining time-to-degree was not unique to the discipline of history. In the disciplines of letters (essentially English language and literatures) and languages and literatures other than English the median dropped to 6.9 years in 2012 (from 7.2 and 7.7 years respectively). The median for other humanities disciplines declined from 7.3 years to 6.8.
- Humanities Ph.D.’s take longer to reach the dissertation stage of their programs than graduates in other fields (except the social sciences), and this discrepancy accounts for humanities students’ longer time-to-degree over the nine-year period examined here (Indicator II-27c). The median number of years humanities and social sciences graduates spent taking courses or preparing for exams was four years, as compared to medians of two or three years in the natural science fields. The median time spent working on the dissertation after coursework and exams (non-course-related preparation and research, writing, and defense) was similar among the fields. With the exception of the 2006–2009 period (in which the median for the social sciences was two years), graduates in each of the fields examined here spent a median of three years at the dissertation stage.
* Time in doctoral program is measured as the difference between the month and year the doctorate was granted and the month and year the doctoral program was started, including the most recent master’s degree if earned at the same institution.
Source: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED; a custom tabulation of SED data was prepared for the Humanities Indicators by NORC at the University of Chicago).
The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) offers researchers several ways of measuring “time-to-degree.” The survey yields data on both time since completing undergraduate studies and time since first taking a graduate course. The Humanities Indicators uses as the basis of its calculation of time-to-degree a third type of data supplied by the SED: the date the student began studies in the program that conferred his or her doctoral degree (or master’s degree, if earned at the same institution as the doctorate; see question A8 on the 2012–2013 questionnaire). The difference between this date and the date of doctorate completion yields a measure of time-to-degree that is not inflated by what for some students are lengthy pauses between degrees. Life sciences includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological, biomedical sciences; and health sciences. Physical sciences includes mathematics and computer and information sciences. Social sciences includes psychology.
* Time in doctoral program is measured as the difference between the month and year the doctorate was granted and the month and year the doctoral program was started, including the most recent master’s degree if earned at the same institution.
Source: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED; a custom tabulation of SED data was prepared for the Humanities Indicators by NORC at the University of Chicago).
The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) offers researchers several ways of measuring “time-to-degree.” The survey yields data on both time since completing undergraduate studies and time since first taking a graduate course. The Humanities Indicators uses as the basis of its calculation of time-to-degree a third type of data supplied by the SED: the date the student began studies in the program that conferred his or her doctoral degree (or master’s degree, if earned at the same institution as the doctorate; see question A8 on the 2012–2013 questionnaire). The difference between this date and the date of doctorate completion yields a measure of time-to-degree that is not inflated by what for some students are lengthy pauses between degrees.
II-27c: Median Number of Years Spent by Ph.D. Recipients in Their Doctoral Programs, by Field and Phase of Program, Graduation Years 2004–2012*
* Estimates include years in master’s degree program if part of the doctoral program. Respondents were directed to report years taking courses or preparing for exams as whole, rounded years.
Source: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED; a custom tabulation of SED data was prepared for the Humanities Indicators by NORC at the University of Chicago).
This indicator is based on data yielded by a question asked as part of the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates (see item A12 on the 2012–2013 questionnaire). The question consists of two parts, asking “How many years were you: a. taking courses or preparing for exams for this doctoral degree (including a master’s degree, if that was part of your doctoral program)?” and “b. working on your dissertation after coursework and exams (non-course-related preparation and research, writing and defense)?” The responses were given in whole, rounded years. Life sciences includes agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological, biomedical sciences; and health sciences. Physical sciences includes mathematics and computer and information sciences. Social sciences includes psychology.
