by Al Greenwood
Daily Cougar StaffGrowth in private industry has saved UH science and engineering doctoral graduates from a national trend of unemployment.
Nationally, universities are producing 22 percent more doctorates in science and engineering than the economy can absorb, said a report issued last year by William F. Massy of Stanford University and Charles A. Goldman of RAND Corp.
Some scientific societies want universities to train fewer doctorates.
"A few years ago, it was quite difficult for electrical engineer doctorates," said John Wolfe, chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department. "Right now, it's booming in electrical engineering. The report is out of date."
The average salary offered to electrical engineers with a bachelor's degree is $37,000 for January 1996, a 3 percent increase in real dollars from September '95, according to a survey written by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
For a master's degree, it's $45,000, a 6 percent increase from September '95. The offered salary for Ph.Ds remained stable at $56,600.
"Houston represents an area where one can still find jobs in chemistry," said Thomas Albright, associate chairman of the Chemistry Department.
Houston's oil and chemical industry make it less vulnerable toward unemployment trends in chemistry, he said.
"It's not a terribly good market," said Albright. But he added that supply and demand for chemical doctorates "is pretty nicely balanced."
However, "about 10 years ago, it was very difficult to get good people," Albright said.
Gerard Wellington, chairman of Graduate Studies for the Bioscience and Biochemistry Department, said, "Overall, we've been able to place people in academics and industry."
About 60 percent of the doctorates pursue post-doctorates at different universities, Wellington said, but UH does not keep track of them.
"The other 40 percent go on to jobs in industry and government," he said.
The Biology Department is actually hiring professors, said Wellington. The student-to-faculty ratio is 100 to 1, he added.
Lawrence Pinsky, chairman of the Physics Department, said, "As it stands right now, our students haven't had any difficulties. Our department is a lot more practically oriented than other universities'. Our students are probably better off that way."
Employment opportunities for doctorates are tighter because "Ph.Ds go into a very select pool. Bachelors and masters go into the mainstream," said James Richardson, chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department.
Albright said the report reflects "a small number of schools with a lot of Ph.Ds."
UH produces about 10 doctoral candidates per year. Universities with larger doctorate programs release from 20 to 30 doctorates per year, Richardson said.
After graduation, these doctorate holders flood the local market, he said. Also, professors have a difficult time helping so many graduates to network and find jobs.
Albright said the report also neglects international students who leave after graduating.
Nationally, about 50 percent of doctorates are international students, said Pinsky.
Although private industry has grown, things are tight for universities. The job market is saturated with high-level physics professors, he said.
Many physics doctorate holders who could become professors are pursuing jobs in private industry, Pinsky said.
"Twenty years from now, we'll have to replace everyone," Pinsky said. "When this occurs, the people from private industry won't come back."
Richardson said doctoral jobs for chemical engineers are also shifting toward practical and business applications.
Wellington said, "When you start an academic career, it's always very competitive. It hasn't changed in the last 15 years."