The Institutional Degree Production of Master's and Doctorates for Women and Underrepresented Minorities in Engineering

Abstract

This study aimed to identify which engineering school characteristics relate to higher advanced degree production rates for women and underrepresented minorities (URMs). Data from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) rankings of engineering graduate programs, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the listing of Association of American Universities (AAU) were used to first determine which schools produced the highest advanced degree rates for underrepresented groups. A second analysis identified which engineering school characteristics related to higher advanced degree production rates for underrepresented groups. Findings revealed that a majority of engineering schools with high advanced degree production rates were located in the South and Southeast, in or adjacent to states with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and in states that maintained a high percentage of URMs in the population. An engineering school's peer and faculty demographics, master's program enrollment, average annual research expenditures, admission yield rate, and AAU status also related to higher advanced degree rates for underrepresented groups. This study's findings suggest that institutional characteristics influence advanced degree rates for underrepresented groups in engineering. The characteristics identified in this study serve as a starting point from which administrators and policy makers can further examine ways to address the shortage of underrepresented individuals with advanced engineering degrees.