Preparing Academics? Doctoral Students' Vocational Choices

Scholars often view pursuing the doctoral degree as the process of socialization into the academic profession. Yet, doctoral students have several career pathways from which to choose. With this study, we build upon existing literature to develop a more comprehensive understanding of current doctoral students' preparation for academia and other career pathways, how they are socialized into the academic profession, and the complex and interconnected factors they perceive as affecting their career decision-making processes. The majority of the participants planned to continue in academia. Among the factors survey participants reported as most salient when choosing a career were enjoyment of the job, the ability to conduct original research, and the ability to raise a family.