2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This project looks at how government employees with engineering degrees move into Ph.D. programs and what drives those choices. The analysis uses weighted national survey data from the National Survey of College Graduates to focus on workers in government jobs who reported being enrolled in a doctorate. The most common destination is Non-Science and Engineering fields, which stands out well ahead of science and technical areas. This likely reflects demand for advanced training in policy, education, and administrative roles. Gender patterns are also uneven. Men make up most of the doctoral students in this group, while women remain underrepresented. The reasons for study also differ: men are more likely to point to interest in the subject, career progress, or career change, while women are the only group to mention licensure or certification. These
differences show how field and gender shape doctoral pathways in the public sector and point to areas where support is needed.