Ph.D. graduates in the humanities and social sciences: what do they do?

In recent years, more and more doctorate holders in Belgium and other OECD countries are employed in jobs outside academia. Particularly little is known about careers of graduates in the social sciences and the humanities (SSH). Therefore, this paper addresses several aspects of their careers. Based on the Belgian CDH data 2010, 919 doctorate holders were surveyed. We found that academia is the largest sector of employment for doctorate holders in humanities and social sciences but there is variation among cohorts and various subdisciplines within SSH. Only for a minority of the doctorate holders working outside higher education, a doctoral degree is required. Compared to other fields of study, doctorate holders in SSH experienced a difficult transition from academia to other sectors of employment. Despite these findings, Ph.D. holders in SSH feel their research experience is an asset for their current job. Future research needs to explore how the training of Ph.D. students can facilitate the transition to the non-academic labour market.

Publication year:2014

Accessibility:Open