Since AY1970-71, the total number of master's and doctoral degrees awarded by US engineering colleges increased 156% and 144%, respectively. During this same four-decade period, the increases in master's and doctoral degrees awarded to US citizens increased 75% and 39%, respectively. In AY1970-71, 82% of the master's degrees and 80% of the doctoral degrees were awarded to US citizens. In AY2008-09, only 56% of the engineering master's degrees and 43% of the doctoral degrees were awarded to US citizens.

Total Master's and Doctoral Degrees Awarded per Capita

The graph below shows the growth trends in master's and doctoral degrees awarded per capita by US engineering colleges since AY1945-46. For the period beginning in AY1970-71, master's and doctoral degrees per capita increased 81% and 98%, respectively. As shown previously, much of this growth was due to graduate degrees awarded to foreign national students.

The trends of graduate degrees per capita awarded to US citizens since AY1970-71 is certainly worth noting. Master's degrees awarded per capita to US citizens increased only from 66 to 77 degrees per million population during this four-decade period. Doctoral degrees remained essentially constant by this measure at about 14 degrees per million population. Thus, on a per capita basis, there appears to be little growth in the interest of engineering undergraduate students to enroll in engineering graduate programs.

Master's Degrees Awarded in Selected Engineering Disciplines

The graph shown below shows the master's degree trends since AY1970-71 for the nine engineering disciplines selected for study. Both total numbers of degrees and degrees awarded to US citizens are presented.

Essentially all disciplines exhibit a minimum in the mid-1970s, a maximum in the early 1990s, a minimum near 2000, a short period of growth afterward and little sustained growth in the last few years. These trends generally mirror that of overall engineering master's degrees. The main exception to this pattern may be found for computer science and engineering. This discipline underwent substantial master's degree growth (both totals and degrees awarded to US citizens) through AY2003-04. Subsequently, total degrees declined to a minimum in AY2006-07 and increased in the last two years. Degrees awarded to US citizens in this discipline have continued to decline in recent years.

Substantial variation in the fraction of master's degrees awarded to foreign nationals among the nine engineering disciplines selected for study is shown in the graph below. In AY2008-09, the largest fractions were for electrical (57.8%), computer (56.9%) and industrial (54.4%) engineering. The smallest fractions were for biological (33.3%), civil (29.9%) and aerospace (22.2%) engineering. These fractions and fraction rankings of master's degrees have changed significantly in the last two decades. In AY1990-91, the largest fractions were for chemical (39.6%), materials (38.3%) and industrial (37.6%) engineering and the smallest were for electrical (29.8%), computer (27.6%) and aerospace (19.7%) engineering.

Master's Degrees Awarded per Capita in Selected Engineering Disciplines

The graph below shows that master's degrees awarded per capita in the nine engineering disciplines chosen for study. In general, most of these disciplines exhibit essentially the same ratios in AY2008-09 as two decades ago. The main exceptions are computer and biological engineering. The former has shown little growth in recent years and the latter continues its trend of sustained growth.

Doctoral Degrees Awarded in Selected Engineering Disciplines

The graph below shows the doctoral degree trends since AY1970-71 for the nine engineering disciplines selected for study. Both total numbers of degrees and degrees awarded to US citizens are presented.

All nine disciplines show the same general trend pattern of degrees (totals and degrees awarded to US citizens) over the last four decades as engineering as a whole.

The fractions of doctoral degrees awarded to foreign nationals in AY2008-09 vary significantly from that of overall engineering (54.7%). The largest fractions were for industrial (64.3%), electrical (63.0%) and civil (60.0%) engineering. The smallest fractions were for chemical (47.4%), aerospace (44.4%) and biological (34.3%) engineering. These rankings were essentially the same as in AY1990-91 (largest: civil (63.3%), industrial (63.0%) and mechanical (56.4%) and smallest aerospace (46.5%), chemical (42.1%) and biological (33.3%) engineering).

Doctoral Degrees Awarded per Capita in Selected Engineering Disciplines

The graph below shows that doctoral degrees awarded per capita in the nine engineering disciplines chosen for study. Many of these disciplines exhibit essentially the same

ratios in AY2008-09 as two decades ago. The main exceptions are computer and biological engineering. The former has shown little growth in recent years and the latter continues its trend of sustained growth.

Summary

This report focuses on the master's and doctoral degrees awarded to US citizens in engineering and engineering disciplines and degrees awarded per capita. Nine engineering disciplines were selected for study (aerospace, biological (bioengineering plus biomedical), chemical, computer (including computer science within engineering colleges), civil, electrical, industrial, materials and mechanical engineering).

Since AY1970-71, the total numbers of master's and doctoral degrees awarded by US colleges of engineering have increased 156% and 144%, respectively. The increases for US citizens over this four-decade period were 75% and 39%, respectively. On a per capita basis, master's degrees awarded to US citizens increased only from 66 degrees per million population to 77. Doctoral degrees by this measure remained constant at about 14 for this period.

For AY2008-09, 43.9% of master's degrees and 54.7% of doctoral degrees were awarded to foreign nationals by US colleges of engineering. Substantial variations in these fractions were exhibited by the nine engineering disciplines chosen for study. For master's degrees, the largest fractions were awarded in electrical (57.8%), computer (56.9%) and industrial (54.4%) engineering; the lowest fractions were for biological (33.3%), civil (29.9%) and aerospace (22.2%) engineering. For doctoral degrees, the largest fractions were awarded in industrial (64.3%), electrical (63.0%) and civil (60.0%) engineering; the lowest fractions were for chemical (47.4%), aerospace (44.4%) and biological (34.3%) engineering.

Acknowledgments

The data used in this study originated from the annual surveys of the Engineering Workforce Commission of the American Association of Engineering Societies (degrees since the mid-1960s) and the US Department of Education (total engineering degrees prior to the mid-1960s). Engineering Trends acknowledges the efforts of these organizations in providing credible data and expresses its gratitude for their services to the engineering profession. Persons seeking further information about their surveys and the availability of survey data should visit the Web sites of the AAES/EWC (www.aaes.org) and the US Department of Education (www.ed.gov).

Footnote

Engineering Trends data are compiled mainly from information submitted by universities to the annual surveys of EWC and ASEE. On the very rare occasions where errors in data appear, Engineering Trends corrects the error, if possible, or deletes the data if the error is large enough to alter significantly the trend of the university or the US total.