USU has fewer female graduate students than national average
Although women typically outnumber men in undergraduate studies, they are still a minority in graduate fields, according to national and Utah State University statistics.
Males make up 44 percent of undergraduate students nationwide, according to an article in the Dec. 11, 2000, issue of Time magazine called “The Male Minority,” by Daren Fonda.
But according to Thomas Kent, the dean of graduate studies, the national average for doctorate degrees is 42.7 percent female and at USU it’s 33.3 percent. Graduate programs nationally are 44 percent female and at USU it’s 42 percent.
“Enrollments for women in graduate programs are fairly close to the national averages,” Kent said. “I suspect that the lower percentage of women Ph.D. recipients at USU may be explained, at least in part, by that fact that the national average reflects large numbers of women graduates in programs, especially humanities programs, that are not offered at USU.”
The only time undergraduate women are outnumbered by men is in their senior year, said John DeVilbiss, director of USU Media Relations and Marketing.
“The best time for women, as far as ratios go, is when they are outnumbered in the 22- to 23-year-old range,” DeVilbiss said.
The drop in women undergrads as they get older suggests they might be getting married or leaving school to work, DeVilbiss said.
The areas of education pursued by women and men remain separated, DeVilbiss said. Men still dominate the business and engineering areas, and women are prominently in education and family life.
“Engineering colleges across the country are working diligently to attract women to their programs, and our college is no exception. Many recruitment initiatives exist that are specifically designed to attract women applicants,” Kent said.
Kent said in the last 20 years, the percentage of women doctoral recipients in the physical sciences has doubled, and in engineering it’s five times greater.
“Of course, work remains to be done, but the trend certainly points in a positive direction,” Kent said.
The number of female recipients of graduate degrees has increased steadily over the past 20 years, Kent said.
“I suspect that a variety of reasons exist for this increase, reasons that include changes in cultural attitudes about women in the workplace, changes in economic conditions and changes in the academy,” Kent said.
It is important for both women and men to have opportunities for higher education, Kent said.
Kent said USU still needs to increase recruitment efforts, support for retention, graduation rates, assistantship and fellowship support and program development efforts.
“On the whole, however, I believe that graduate education at USU is strong, and under President [Kermit] Hall’s leadership, will grow even stronger. I am very optimistic about the future of graduate education here at USU,” Kent said.