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Out of Boom and Bust, but Where now for Geoscience Departments

This informative article explores the evolving landscape of geoscience departments, highlighting employment prospects, economic growth, and academic statistics. It examines the challenges and opportunities in defining success in the field and adapting to market changes.

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Out of Boom and Bust, but Where now for Geoscience Departments

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  1. Out of Boom and Bust, but Where now for Geoscience Departments Christopher M. Keane American Geological Institute December 5, 2005 AGU Annual Meeting

  2. Departmental Health • Strong employment prospects • Economic growth across sectors • Steady human resource pipeline • Public acknowledgement • University departments are lynchpin in the supply chain

  3. How are the geosciences doing? • How do we define doing “well” • Probably are doing better than expected! • Biggest question is “market rationalization” • Is our perspective domestic or global?

  4. What changes are afoot? Statistical Profile of Academic Geoscience

  5. Geoscience Enrollments in the United States1955-2003 40000 Total UG 35000 30000 25000 20000 Majors Solid Earth UG 15000 10000 5000 Total Graduate Solid Earth Graduate 0 1991 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 1993 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 Year

  6. 8000 7000 6000 B.S. 5000 Degrees 4000 3000 M.S. 2000 Ph.D. 1000 0 1999 2001 2003 2005 1997 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 Year Geoscience Degrees Awardedin the United States1973-2005

  7. Introductory Geoscience Enrollments2005 • Totals from AGI Survey on US Enrollment in intro geoscience • 148,486 in Physical Geology or equiv. • 39,080 in Environmental Geology • 3,412 in National Park Geology • Publishers cite ~225,000 intro geoscience books per year • With 52% response rate, publisher’s numbers are probably reasonable estimates

  8. Female Geoscience Enrollment and Degrees1974-2004 50 45 40 Enrolled 35 30 Percent Female Graduated 25 20 15 10 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Year

  9. Geoscience Theses & Dissertation Topics1950s vs 1980s Environmental/Hydro Economic Geology 1950-59 Geochemistry 1980-89 Geophysics Igneous/Metamorphic Stratigraphy/Paleo Sedimentary Geology Structure/Tectonics Other 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 Number of Theses and Dissertations AGI 1991

  10. 3000 2500 Year # of Depts 1970 698 1980 704 1990 887 1997915 2000 Number of Faculty Reporting 1500 1000 500 0 General Structure Petrology Economic Geophysics Paleontology Geochemistry Environmental Oceanography AGI 1997 Geoscience Faculty Specialties1970-1997

  11. Solid Earth Environmental Physical Science Departmental “Focus”U.S. BS-Degree Granting 700 600 500 400 Departments 300 200 100 0 1980 1990 2000 Year

  12. Solid-Earth Environmental Physical Science Departmental “Focus”U.S. Ph.D.-Degree Granting 250 200 150 Departments 100 50 0 1980 1990 2000 Year

  13. Degree-Granting Diversity Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. MS MS MS BS BS BS 1990 1980 2000 Departments granting over 25% of all degrees Departments granting the second quartile of all degrees Departments granting the second half of all degrees 100 Departments Source: AGI/GeoRef

  14. Diversity of Faculty Origins • All-Time Diversity • 50% of Faculty graduated from 40 Departments • 25% of Faculty graduated from 12 Departments • 1980 • 50% - 39 Departments • 25% - 12 Departments • 1990 • 50% - 40 Departments • 25% - 13 Departments • 2000 • 50% - 39 Departments • 25% - 12 Departments

  15. All-Time California (Berkeley) MIT Columbia Washington Wisconsin Stanford Penn State Illinois Arizona Harvard California (Los Angeles) Michigan 2000 Arizona MIT Texas Columbia Wisconsin Georgia Minnesota Stanford Delaware California (Los Angeles) Michigan Florida Graduate Schools of FacultyFirst quartile of production

  16. How does this reflect “out there” The statistics for the other 95% of the geoscience economy

  17. 160.00 140.00 120.00 100.00 Billions of Dollars 80.00 60.00 40.00 20.00 0.00 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Year The Geoscience Economy Oil/Gas Environmental Academic R&D Coal Mining Fed R&D Source: US BEA/NSF

  18. Occupations of Geoscience Degree Holders1993 Medical OTHER 1% 15% Finance 1% Legal 1% Geosciences 35% Other Sci & Eng 4% Technology 5% Sci/Eng Tech 6% Agriculture 3% Env/Civil Eng Business 3% 14% Insurance K12 Ed 3% Higher Ed NSF, 1993 4% 5%

  19. Degree Fields for Working Geoscientists1993 Business/Finance 1% Other Phys. Sci Law Bioscience 2% 0% 2% Agriculture 3% Engineering 8% Mathematics 2% Geography 2% Geoscience 80% NSF, 1993

  20. US Geoscience EmploymentAGI Demographic Survey 1986 Other Academic Retired/Unemployed 5% 7% 10% Government Environmental 12% 7% Mining 9% Petroleum 50% Total Population 120,000

  21. US Geoscience EmploymentNSF National Survey of College Graduates 1993 Academic Retired/Unemployed 11% 23% Government Petroleum 12% Environment Mining 34% 12% 7% Total Population 125,000

  22. US Geoscience EmploymentAGI Demographic Survey 2000 Other Unemployed/Retired 6% 6% Petroleum 30% Academia 20% Mining 8% Government Environmental 16% 14%

  23. Geoscience Bachelor’s Degree • Over 50% of Geoscience BS recipients go onto other fields • Employment value of BS in the Geosciences is far below other physical sciences and engineering Sources: AGI, 2002, AIP, 2003

  24. Geoscience Master’s Degree • Degree of choice for employment • Unique in the physical sciences • Salary Range is $25K-$69K • Mean salary is $38K • 0.5% failed to find employment upon graduation • 82% of programs focus on Ph.D. preparation, yet…. • Only 28% go on to Ph.D. program Sources: AGI, 2003

  25. Geoscience Ph.D. Degree • Excellent employment and job satisfaction • >97% find suitable employment • 54% going onto PostDocs • Wide range of average salaries • $35K for PostDoc • $42K for Faculty position • $49K for Government • $69K for Industry Sources: AGI/AGU, 2003

  26. Future Directions • Defining B.S. Degree as “liberal” science degree • Better develop MS programs as professionally preparatory • Provide opportunities at Ph.D. level for non-traditional careers

  27. What is the role of departments? • Train for careers in the geosciences • Core departments do this well • Professional opportunities are not unlimited • Educate the broad public • 4-year programs do this well • Is this sufficient value to administrators? • Provide support services for university community • Does existing in the shadows avoid targeting or make one expendable

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