Ph . D . Student Attrition in the EECS Department at the University of California , Berkeley Linda

We report on results of a survey conducted to study attrition of Ph.D. graduate students in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Department at the University of California at Berkeley. We surveyed Berkeley alumni who entered the department between 1981 and 1991 and left the EECS Ph.D. program before obtaining their degree. The respondents returned an extensive questionnaire about their backgrounds, motivations for choosing a Ph.D., and factors that resulted in their leaving. Many also responded to an open-ended question that sought further comments and suggestions for improvement. The most common reasons for leaving the program involved changed career goals and personal reasons. Not far behind were departmental, advisor, and academic concerns, the length of time it takes to obtain the degree and the number of academic as well as emotional “hoops” a student is expected to jump through during the process of earning a Ph.D. More ambiguous concerns were expressed such as not feeling integrated in the department academically. This issue involves problems ranging from finding an advisor or research group to feeling isolated amongst colleagues and in research interests. Even when research compatibility was achieved, lack of guidance from advisors contributed to a number of students’ decision to leave. When we separated respondents by gender, we found little overall difference in response between females and males, but we discuss those areas where differences were observed. We provide recommendations for departmental improvement. These include integrating first year students, continuing evaluation of preliminary exams, rewarding faculty for mentoring, and supporting diversity.