The Humanities Indicators: What They Tell Us about Graduate Education

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The Humanities Indicators:

What They Tell Us about Graduate Education

Norman Bradburn

Principal Investigator

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences’

Humanities Indicators Project

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www.humanitiesindicators.org

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Indicators Derived from 49 Existing Datasets

Mostly Federal (e.g., IPEDS and NAEP)

Some private (e.g., Blackwell’s and Giving USA)

With National Center of Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute), recoded and generated a novel analysis of Form 990 data

Will incorporate findings of Survey of Humanities Departments in next edition

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The Prototype:

Five Parts, 74 Indicators in All

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Primary & Secondary Education

National Measures of Achievement

High School Course Taking

Primary & Secondary Faculty

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Undergraduate & Graduate Education

Undergraduate

Graduate

Degree Information on Specific

Disciplines (English, Foreign Languages

& Literatures, and History—for now)

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The Humanities Workforce

Employment in Humanistic Occupations and Settings (size and occupational distribution)

Career Paths of Humanities College Graduates

Career Paths of Humanities PhDs

Postsecondary Humanities Faculty

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Humanities Research & Funding

Federal Funding

State Funding

Private Funding

Support for Humanities Research

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The Humanities in American Life

Humanistic Skills & Practices

Public Libraries

Other Humanities Programs and Institutions for the Public

Public Attitudes toward the Humanities

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000

1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Percent

Completions

Figure II-10b: Doctoral Degree Completions in the Humanities (Absolute Number and as a Percentage of All Doctoral Degree Completions), 1966–2006

Doctorates (NSF)*

Doctorates (CIP)*

% of All Doctorates (NSF)

% of All Doctorates (CIP)

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System; accessed via the National Science Foundation's online Integrated Science and Engineering Resources Data System (WebCASPAR).

* Please see "Note on the Data Used to Construct Degree-Related Indicators" for an explanation of the differences between the two trend lines.

Humanities Indicators, 2009 · American Academy of Arts & Sciences

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Percent

Completions

Figure II-10a: Master’s Degree Completions in the Humanities (Absolute Number and as a Percentage of All Master’s & First Professional Degree Completions),

1966–2006

Master's Degrees (NSF)*

Master's Degrees (CIP)*

% of All Master's & First Professional Degrees (NSF)

% of All Master's & First Professional Degrees (CIP)

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System;

accessed via the National Science Foundation's online Integrated Science and Engineering Resources Data System (WebCASPAR).

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 180,000 200,000

1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Percent

Completions

Figure II-1a: Bachelor’s Degree Completions in the Humanities (Absolute Number and as a Percentage of All Bachelor’s Degree Completions), 1966–2006

Bachelor's Degrees (NSF)*

Bachelor's Degrees (CIP)*

% of All Bachelor's Degrees (NSF)

% of All Bachelor's Degrees (CIP)

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System;

Humanities Indicators, 2009 · American Academy of Arts & Sciences

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4 6 8 10 12 14 16

1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

Ye a rs to C o m p le ti o n

Figure II-15: Median Number of Years of Graduate Education to Completion of a Doctoral Degree in Selected Academic Fields, 1982–2007

Education

Humanities

Social & Behavioral Sciences

All Fields

Life Sciences

Engineering

Physical Sciences

Source: National Opinion Research Center, "2007 Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities:

Supplemental Tables" (2008). The report analyzes data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S.

Department of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Aeronautics & Space Administration.

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Percentage of Ph.D.'s Reporting a Primary Source of Support

Teaching Assistantships

Fellowships/Dissertation Grants

Own Resources

Research

Assistantships/Traineeships Employer

Figure II-16a:

Primary Sources of Financial Support for

Doctoral Students in the Humanities,

1998–2006

Source: National Opinion Research Center,

"Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities: Summary Report" (for years 1998-2006). The reports analyze data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, and National Aeronautics & Space Administration.

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2001 2003 2005

Percent

Figure II-13a: Percentage of Master’s & First Professional Degrees Awarded to Women, Selected Academic Fields, 1987–2006

Social Service Professions

& Education Life Sciences

All Sciences (Except Medical)

Behavioral & Social Sciences

Humanities*

All Fields

Medical Sciences

Law

Fine & Performing Arts**

Business & Management

Physical Sciences

Engineering

* Degrees for 1966–1986 are classified by the disciplinary categories employed by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Degrees for 1987–2004 are categorized using the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). Please see "Note on the Data Used to Construct Degree-Related Indicators" for an explanation of the differences between the two classification systems.

** For years 1966–1986, the NSF academic discipline category of "Arts & Music" is used. This category includes the academic study of the arts (e.g., art history and film studies). For years 1987–2004, degree data are available by CIP code, making it possible to remove such degrees from the count for "Fine & Performing Arts" and include them among humanities degrees.

Humanities Indicators, 2009 · American Academy of Arts & Sciences Source: U.S. Department of Education,

Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System; accessed via the National Science Foundation's online Integrated Science and Engineering Resources Data System (WebCASPAR).

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19.2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2001 2003 2005

Percent

Figure II-13b: Percentage of Doctoral Degrees Awarded to Women, Selected Academic Fields, 1987-2006

Social Service Professions &

Education Life Sciences

Humanities*

Fine & Performing Arts**

All Sciences

All Fields

Physical Sciences

Engineering

*Degrees for 1966-1986 are classified by National Science Foundation (NSF) disciplinary category. Degrees for 1987-2004 are categorized using the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). See "Note on the Data Used to Construct Degree-Related Indicators" for an explanation of the differences between the two classification systems.

**For years 1966-1986, the NSF academic discipline category of "Arts & Music" is used. This category includes the academic study of the arts (e.g., art history and film studies). For years 1987-2004, degree data are available by CIP code, making it possible to remove such degrees from the count for "Fine & Performing Arts" and include them among humanities degrees.

Humanities Indicators, 2009 · American Academy of Arts & Sciences Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of

Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System;

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

1988 1993 1999 2004

Percent

Figure III-13b: Female Faculty as a Percentage of Tenured, Tenure-Track, and Nontenure-Track Postsecondary Humanities Faculty, 1988–2004

Tenured Tenure-Track Nontenure-Track

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (2004); data accessed and analyzed via NCES's online Data Analysis System at http://nces.ed.gov/das/.

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

1977 1979 1981 1985 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Percent

Figure II-12a: Percentages of Master’s & First Professional Degrees Awarded to Members of Traditionally Underrepresented Ethnic Groups, Selected Academic Fields, 1977–2006*

Behavioral &

Social Sciences**

Education

Law & Business

All Fields

Medical Sciences

Life Sciences

Humanities

Fine & Performing Arts

Engineering

Physical Sciences Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,

National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System; accessed via the National Science Foundation's online Integrated Science and Engineering Resources Data System (WebCASPAR).

* Includes students who were citizens or permanent residents and identified by their educational institutions as African American (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaska Native; data are not available for all years.

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0 5 10 15 20 25

1977 1979 1981 1985 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Percent

Figure II-12b: Percentages of Doctoral Degrees Awarded to Members of Traditionally Underrepresented Ethnic Groups, Selected Academic Fields, 1977–2006*

Education

Humanities

All Fields

Life Sciences

Fine & Performing Arts

Physical Sciences

Engineering

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Data System; accessed via the National Science Foundation's online Integrated Science and Engineering Resources Data System (WebCASPAR).

* Includes students who were citizens or permanent residents and identified by their educational institutions as African American (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaska Native; data are not available for all years.

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1988 1993 1999 2004

Percent

Figure III-12a: Percentage of Postsecondary Humanities Faculty Who Are Members of Traditionally Under-Represented Ethnic Groups, 1988–2004

Hispanic African American, Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (2004); data accessed and analyzed via NCES's online Data Analysis System at http://nces.ed.gov/das/.

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Primary and Secondary School Teaching

925,868 37%

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishing

630,290 25%

Employment in Humanities Institutions

461,747 18%

Humanities Prof essions 346,240

14%

Postsecondary Teaching 112,900

4%

Humanities-Related Prof essions 49,860

2%

Figure III-1: Level & Occupational Distribution of Humanities Employment, Early 2000s*

Sources:

Primary, Secondary, & Postsecondary Faculty Data:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program, 2002 Employment and Wage Estimates,

http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_2002.htm; and U.S.

Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999–2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and 2000–

01 Teacher Follow-Up Survey (TFS) CD-ROM: Public-Use Data with Electronic Codebook, NCES 2005-335 (2005).

Data for Library Support Personnel (these jobs included in "Employment in Humanities Institution"

category): American Library Association (ALA),

"Number Employed in Libraries," ALA Library Fact Sheet 2 (September 2006). These data were drawn by ALA from three NCES Library Statistics Program surveys: Public Libraries in the United States—Fiscal Year 2004 (2006); Academic Libraries—2000 (2003);

and unpublished tabulations from the Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999–2000 (2002).

Data for All Other Occupational Categories: U.S.

Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program.

Grand Total: 2,526,905 jobs

* The year for which the data on each component of total humanities employment were collected is given in the source note. See the narrative that accompanies this figure for a detailed description of the types of jobs within each of the occupational clusters (e.g., Humanities Professions) to which the graph refers.

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Humanities Social & Behavioral Sciences

Biological &

Physical Sciences

Engineering, Computer Science,

& Mathematics

Percent

Undergraduate Major

Military, Other Service Industries Mechanics, Laborers Administrative/Clerical/Legal Support

Research, Science, Technical

Human/Protective Service, Legal Professions

Editors, Writers, Performers Medical Professions Computer Science Engineering, Architecture Business & Management Education

Figure III-3:

Occupations of College Graduates Who Received

Degrees in Humanities Disciplines Ten Years

Earlier, by Field of Undergraduate Study,

2003

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (1993 Cohort), 2003 Follow-Up (data accessed and analyzed via NCES' online Data Analysis System at http://nces.ed.gov/das/).

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Humanities Social Sciences Engineering All Fields Physical Sciences Lif e Sciences

Percent

Figure III-6: Ph.D.’s with Employment or Further Study Commitments at Time of Graduation, Selected Academic Fields, 1986–2006*

* Reported percentages were calculated on those Ph.D. completers responding to the pertinent survey items. These percentages were calculated using an estimate of the sectoral distribution of commitments to work in the U.S. Over the course of the time period examined here, 9–12% of all respondents who reported having definite employment for the next year indicated that these jobs were outside of the United States (the percentage was slightly lower, 8–10%, for humanities Ph.D.'s).

** Administrative and faculty positions; postsecondary only.

Source: National Opinion Research Center, "Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities: Summary Report 2006" (2007). The report analyzes data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Aeronautics & Space Administration.

Academic Employment** Other Employment Study

'86 '91 '96 '01 '06

Humanities Indicators, 2009 · American Academy of Arts & Sciences '86 '91 '96 '01 '06 '86 '91 '96 '01 '06 '86 '91 '96 '01 '06 '86 '91 '96 '01 '06 '86 '91 '96 '01 '06

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

All Ph.D.'s 5 Years or Less 6–15 Years 16–25 Years More than 25 Years

Percent

Years since Ph.D. Was Received

Figure III-7: Principal Occupations of Employed Humanities Ph.D.’s, by Number of Years since Receipt of Doctorate, 1995*

Elementary/Secondary Teachers

Management-Related Occupations

Artists, Writers, Media Specialists

Managers, Executives, Administrators

Other

Postsecondary Teachers/Prof essors

* This is the most recent year for which data are available. The National Endowment for the Humanities ceased tracking humanities Ph.D.'s in 1995.

Source: Linda Ingram and Prudence W. Brown, "Humanities Doctorates in the United States: 1995 Profile" (National Research Council, 1997). The report describes the findings of the 1995 Survey of Humanities Doctorates, which was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and conducted by the National Research Council.

The Humanities Indicators: What They Tell Us about Graduate Education