Introduction
The national need to recruit and retain students in STEM majors, and subsequently recruit and retain them in STEM careers is well documented. While a great deal of emphasis is placed on K-12 pipelines to BS degrees in STEM, less emphasis is placed on the pathways from BS degrees to graduate degrees in STEM disciplines. In this article I discuss the importance of promoting pathways to graduate degrees in STEM for URM and domestic students, present one model for promoting such pathways, and share implications for practice.
Background
University graduate recruiters and enrollment managers track both the enrollment of domestic and international graduate students closely. In STEM disciplines these trends are critical because of the links between STEM graduate student enrollment and filling critical workforce needs. The enrollment of Chinese citizens in U.S. STEM graduate programs has declined since 2019 (Open Doors, 2022), yet in Fall 2022 international graduate enrollment across all disciplines increased by 18% with projections for record numbers in Fall 2023 (Martel & Baer, 2022). In 2019, only 55% of PhD-holding science and engineering workers in the U.S. were born U.S. citizens (National Science Board, 2022). Thus, the U.S. federal government continues to emphasize the need for U.S. citizens to pursue advanced degrees in STEM to promote economic competitiveness and uphold national security (National Science Foundation, 2023).
STEM disciplines have made gains in diversifying at the graduate-level broadly. However, in 2020 women were still underrepresented in science and engineering graduate programs (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2023). According to NSF, in 2021, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous students accounted for only 19% of science and engineering doctoral enrollment despite comprising 37% of the college-age population (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2023). Promoting new pathways to graduate degrees in STEM, particularly in engineering, will help us broaden participation in STEM, bolster the domestic U.S. STEM workforce, and support national security.
Loss of Women and BIPOC Students Between BS and MS Engineering Graduate Programs
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2020), 35.9% of the South Carolina (S.C.) population identified as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). Yet in S.C. between 2018-2021, BIPOC engineering students earned only 13.94% of bachelor’s degrees awarded state-wide. In that same time span, BIPOC graduates accounted for only 5.82% of master’s and 5.51% of PhD engineering degrees awarded in S.C.; nonresident aliens accounted for 50.48% of master’s graduates (Statistics & Data Hub, 2023).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2020), 49.8% of the Iowa population identified as female.
Yet in Iowa between 2018-2021, domestic women engineering students earned only 15.96% of bachelor’s degrees awarded state-wide. At the Master’s-level, domestic women accounted for 11.25% of master’s engineering degrees awarded between 2018-2021. While at the doctoral level, domestic women accounted for 8.19% of PhD engineering degrees awarded (Statistics & Data Hub, 2023).
In both S.C. and Iowa there are strong land-grant universities, infrastructure, and broad investments to diversify STEM disciplines (Clemson University and Iowa State University respectively). Yet there is significant work to be done at all levels of post-secondary education in the pursuit of a STEM student body and workforce that reflects the diversity of the state and local communities. One way to address this need is to increase the number of BS STEM degrees awarded to women and BIPOC students—thus hopefully increasing the number who continue and pursue MS and PhD STEM degrees. An alternate and equally important solution, which this article discusses, is to expand and promote pathways to graduate degrees in STEM.
Land-grant universities are uniquely positioned to promote these pathways to students enrolled at other state universities because of the land-grant tri-part mission to teach, conduct research, and serve communities. Promoting pathways to graduate degrees in STEM, along with career opportunities, aligns with the mission to both teach and serve communities. Below I discuss one approach that promotes pathways to graduate degrees in STEM utilized at Clemson University in S.C.
Best Practice Model
At Clemson University, our land-grant mission is directly tied to our goals to diversify and broaden participation in STEM. Between 2018-2021, 60% of undergraduate and 80% of graduate engineering degrees awarded statewide were awarded by the College of Engineering, Computing, Applied Science (CECAS) at Clemson University (Statistics & Data Hub, 2023). One of the ways that we (CECAS) embody our land-grant mission within our engineering outreach and recruitment is through our Pathways to Graduate Degrees in STEM Road Trip.
This initiative evolved from virtual events with undergraduate students located at other institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. After COVID-19 era restrictions were lifted, we built relationships with colleagues at S.C. and regional institutions to bring our previously virtual sessions to students across the state through in-person sessions, panel discussions, and pathway advising. The result was a state-wide road trip to visit students and universities promoting pathways to graduate degrees in STEM broadly, while also presenting opportunities offered at Clemson University.
In 2022, we visited four institutions (Claflin University, South Carolina State University, Francis Marion University, and Coastal Carolina University) over the course of 3 days and met with approximately 350 students. Our 2023 road trip includes return visits to Francis Marion University and Coastal Carolina University as well as a first-time visit to Allen University. We intentially include visits to state HBCUs into our planning, and make separate visits to HBCUs that we cannot accomdoate within our road trip schedule.
When visiting these campuses, we typically visit junior and senior-level science major courses, host general information sessions, facilitate panel discussions, hold drop-in advising sessions, and meet with university leaders to discuss opportunities for additional collaboration. The content and information we share constantly evolves but has included: how to prepare for graduate school as an undergrad, evaluating schools, the application process, dispelling myths, and applying for funding. Clemson University representatives participating in this initiative include administrators, staff, and current graduate students. We’ve found that this team composition, particularly the inclusion of three current graduate students, sets our programming apart from others. The success of this initiative has provided us with a template to engage with colleges and universities across the state and beyond.
Additional Benefits and Outcomes
In addition to promoting pathways to graduate degrees in STEM and helping to recruit in-state students, this outreach has resulted in several additional benefits. First, these visits to university campuses informs the review of graduate applications from these institutions. Through conversations with current students and faculty, we can gather information related to the quality of preparation students have received at these institutions. This information is then used to inform graduate admissions offers and improve the retention of talented STEM students to our state.
Second, missing pre-requisite coursework and or knowledge is one barrier for students seeking to transition into an engineering graduate program from a science discipline. However, with minor changes to undergraduate curriculums and improved undergraduate advising—more science graduates can better prepare themselves to begin graduate studies in engineering or computing without additional pre-requisite coursework. To assist students in pursuing these pathways to STEM graduate degrees, both faculty and students need this information to inform their course planning. Stronger ties between in-state graduate and undergraduate programs can help identify opportunities for curriculum modifications that broaden students’ career pathways post-graduation.
Third, building closer ties with regional institutions has also led to conversations about research collaborations and articulation agreements. HBCUs and HSIs may be wary of R1 institutions seeking to connect with their students; seeking broader partnerships that also involve faculty exchanges, research collaborations, or articulation agreements is one way to build trust and deepen ties with these institutions. Finally, this form of outreach is cost-efficient while creating high-quality engagement with students and colleagues. Expenses for our 2022 Pathways to Graduate Degrees in STEM Road Trip were less than the average cost to attend a national professional conference as an exhibitor.
Implications for Practice
The list of activities and prompts below will assist those interested in implementing similar initiatives to promote pathways to graduate degrees in STEM. This guide is not exhaustive, and each institutional context is unique. Building support networks for your students and collaborative relationships with your peers are essential in this work.
- Ensure you have some support programs in place to support current STEM graduate students at your institution. It is difficult to promote pathways to graduate degrees in STEM without being able to point to success stories, funding, and programs available at your own institution as examples.
- Identify institutions in your state or region that do not offer, or offer limited, STEM graduate degrees. Build professional ties with colleagues at these institutions on the basis of collaboration to support the regional STEM workforce. HBCUs, HSIs, regional public universities, and small private colleges are most likely to partner with you in these efforts.
- Assemble a team of key stakeholders at your institution and begin conversations about what sort of outreach is feasible and suited to your context. This team should include at least one administrator and staff who work closely with current graduate students; faculty champions and current graduate students who can serve as ambassadors are also encouraged.
- Identify lead partners or liaisons at institutions you seek to connect with. Depending on the institution, this could be an administrator in academia, career services director, department chair, or individual faculty member. Faculty members, administrators, and current students at your own institution with ties to these institutions can also help you make connections and facilitate collaboration.
- In collaboration with your team of stakeholders and liaison at the partner institution discuss the needs of current undergraduate students (related to planning for graduate school) and opportunities to provide educational programing to address those needs.
- If necessary, secure funding required to support outreach (namely travel expenses) and begin planning at least a semester in advance.
References
Martel, M. & Baer, J. (2022, November). Fall 2022 snapshot on international student enrollment. Institute of International Education. Available at https://www.iie.org/publications/fall-2022-snapshot-on-international-student-enrollment/
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2023. Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023. Special Report NSF 23-315. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/wmpd.
National Science Board, National Science Foundation. 2022. Science and Engineering Indicators 2022: The State of U.S. Science and Engineering. NSB-2022-1. Alexandria, VA. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20221
National Science Foundation (2023, March 13). FY 2024 Budget Request to Congress. Available at https://new.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2024
Open Doors (2022). International student data from the 2022 Open Doors report – all places of origin historical data. Available at https://opendoorsdata.org/data/international-students/all-places-of-origin/
Statistics & Data Hub, Postsecondary Engineering Degrees Awarded (Version 1.3.5). Computing Research Association, Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline. Accessed 2023-06-19, https://bpcnet.org/statistics/.
United States Census Bureau (2023). Quick Facts Iowa. Available at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/IA
United States Census Bureau (2023). Quick Facts South Carolina. Available at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/SC
Andrew Edmunds (he/him)
Andrew Edmunds is a practioner-scholar at Clemson Univeristy who supports graduate recruitment, admissions, and inclusive excellence initiatives within the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences. His research centers on the future of land-grant universities including the role of graduate education in the evolving landscape of higher education.