Nine out of ten PhD graduates are satisfied with their doctoral studies at the University of Stuttgart. This is confirmed in the graduate study conducted by the International Centre for University Research (Internationalen Zentrums für Hochschulforschung - INCHER) in Kassel. Almost 100 former doctoral students who completed their studies in 2010 participated in the survey, which was conducted in Stuttgart for the third time at the end of 2011.
This once again shows the far greater degree of satisfaction among the PhD graduates at the University of Stuttgart than among the Master (84 percent) and Bachelor (70 percent) graduates, whose level of satisfaction is above average in national comparison. Particularly the equipment at the university was praised: with the possibilities to use laboratories, EDP facilities and the range of scientific literature with over 80 percent of those questioned being ”satisfied” or “very satisfied”. The support provided during the doctoral phase was also viewed positively by three out of four PhD holders. Over 80 percent would select the same supervisors if they had the chance again. However, there was divided feedback at the institute in view of the workload: one out of three people questioned stated that work commitments as well as lectures obstructed the progress of the dissertation; in contrast 44 percent stated this was only the case ”to a certain degree” or “ not at all“.
The feedback by the Stuttgart PhD graduates stands in clear contrast to media reports in recent times, according to which there is a growing dissatisfaction among German PhD graduates. In this respect in May of this year “Spiegel Online“ ran a heading “Anger of doctoral students – how Germany is scaring off young researchers“ reporting on bad doctoral conditions, low earning potential, precarious employment conditions in the academic field and an exodus of the PhD graduates abroad. The study proves that such negative reports largely do not apply to the University of Stuttgart.
This also applies to the professional situation after the doctorate: from the graduate years
2008 to 2010 at the University of Stuttgart half of the PhD graduates work in academic and half in
non-academic professional fields respectively. Three out of four people questioned respectively in
both groups stated that they were satisfied with their professional situation.
Over a year after completing the doctorate there is a clear regional tie: nearly two thirds
of the PhD graduates from the years 2008 to 2010 work in Baden-Württemberg. One out of four PhD
graduates had moved to another federal state; only one out of ten had moved abroad. The majority of
the foreign PhD graduates questioned, who make up around 14 percent of the annual PhD graduates at
the University of Stuttgart, decided to stay in Baden-Württemberg.
With a view to the results of the study, University Rector Prof. Wolfram Ressel pointed out the contribution the university makes towards the economic development of the region: ”These findings underline the important role the University of Stuttgart plays in promoting and retaining talent for research and economy in Baden-Württemberg. The high satisfaction values and the excellent professional situation show that the decision to do a doctorate at the University of Stuttgart is worthwhile for doctoral students“, according to Ressel.
When interpreting the results it has to be taken into account that doing a doctorate at the University of Stuttgart mainly takes place in the specialist groups of engineering and mathematics and natural sciences. The PhD graduates in humanities, economics and social sciences make up less than ten percent and are represented in too few cases in the research sampling to be specifically evaluated. The values of the engineers, mathematicians and natural scientists in terms of satisfaction with the PhD phase and the starting wage differed only marginally.
Your contact persons:
Dr. Hans-Herwig Geyer, University of Stuttgart, University Communication
tel.: 0711/685-82555, email: hans-herwig.geyer(at)hkom.uni-stuttgart.de
Hannes Weber, University of Stuttgart, Department of Quality Development
tel. 0711/685-84289, email: hannes.weber(at)qe.uni-stuttgart.de