title: When is education a disservice?
abstract: A surplus of Ph.D. graduates and cuts in funding risks the future of science. In fact, several recent surveys indicate that the Ph.D. job market in relevant science fields is in a state of contracture, yet many universities continue to maintain or even expand Ph.D. programs. An assessment of job advertisements in the journal Science supports the survey conclusions and suggests that advertising for tenure-track faculty positions as well as postdoctoral opportunities have both significantly declined since the 2008 financial collapse, leaving few opportunities for recent Ph.D. graduates in traditional career tracks. Incentives to expand Ph.D. programs continue to influence university administration despite their detrimental effects on students and possibly to the field. Active mentoring, however, could help establish less-is-more programs that benefit students and universities while maintaining the necessary stream of trainees critical to the future of science. Such programs would also require significant changes to university administration that may be unpopular, but are likely inevitable.
authors: 1Washington Center for Muscle Biology, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA. danrodgers@wsu.edu.
authors: Buel D
authors: BD
authors: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D004651:Employment; D020380:Needs Assessment; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Ph.D job market; Ph.D. training; mentoring