Are doctorates satisfied with their doctorate programme? How easily do doctorate holders find employment after graduation – inside and outside academia? With more PhD students graduating every year and an increasing attractivity in careers outside academia, European universities and funding bodies are intent on evaluating and monitoring the outcome of doctorate holders on the labour market.

As part of its activities, DocEnhance has conducted a career-tracking survey of recent PhD graduates from nine universities across Europe. Within the project, the results are intended to inform the transferable skills curriculum under development, but also to support higher education institutions in leading their own career-tracking survey.

The findings from the DocEnhance career-tracking survey provide an overview of the careers pursued by PhD graduates after their studies, and the structure of doctoral training, including transferable skills. The report also underlines PhD holders’ motivations for undertaking a doctorate programme, and their satisfaction with their training and subsequent careers.

The report finally introduces recommendations to institutions in charge of doctoral training, namely on the inclusion of transferable skills.

– Results of our PhD graduate tracking survey, conducted among nine universities
– Good practice recommendations for tracking of PhD graduates

Timeline

  • Survey launch: March 2021 for four weeks
  • Survey analysis: April – June 2021
  • Report on career-tracking of PhD graduates: December 2021
  • Good practice recommendations for the implementation of the career-tracking survey: December 2021.

Report on career-tracking survey

Download the Report

Good practice recommendations for implementation of the career-tracking survey

Download the Recommendations

Project news

Related Links

2017 Career Tracking Survey of Doctorate Holders

Tracking the careers of doctorate holders: EUA-CDE Thematic Peer Group Report