Career Choices of Recent Doctorates in Special Education: Their Implications for Addressing Faculty Shortages

Abstract

The insufficient supply of special education doctorate recipients to meet the demand for higher education faculty has been a chronic problem. One reason for the continued shortfall has been the low proportion of new graduates who pursue academic careers. In order to explore the factors underlying the career choices of recently trained leadership personnel, a survey of individuals who earned their doctorates between 1994 and 1998 was conducted in fall 1999. The results revealed that there has been no sign of growth in the proportion that moved into faculty positions. In sharp contrast to the estimated 85% of individuals who earned their degrees in the 1960s and took faculty appointments, approximately 36% of 1994–98 doctorate recipients were employed full-time in tenure-line positions. Although several reasons contribute to this situation, the most influential involved the age at beginning doctoral study, the career aspirations of beginning doctoral students, the extent to which they received institutional support to finance their training, and their ability to relocate after graduation. These factors point to the need for doctoral programs to vigorously recruit new doctoral students at a younger age, provide them with adequate financial support during their training, and streamline the educational process so as to reduce the time between receipt of the baccalaureate and awarding of the doctorate.