Shifting away from the PhD: Tracking Undergraduate Interns at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab

PPPL has been tracking former undergrad interns over a 15-year period, including choices about workforce entry and advanced degrees, and findings indicate consistent success in retention of plasma physics students. In recent years, there has been an increase in those choosing a career path in STEM that does not require a PhD. There is a significant need for engineers, computer scientists, and other STEM professionals and this is true of plasma physics and fusion science as any other STEM field. There has been a shift away from the PhD because of changes in this workforce need. AIP recently reported “the initial outcomes of physics bachelors have changed over the last five years, with greater proportions accepting employment immediately following graduation. This increase has been offset by a decline in the proportion immediately entering graduate school in the fields of physics or astronomy” (AIP, 2016). Our alumni tracking data show a similar pattern of a shift away from PhDs but staying in STEM. Data on career choices, retention, gender balance, and ratios of PhDs to masters to bachelors among our internship participants will be presented.