Exploring the intersecting identities of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) black women alumnae and obtaining STEM graduate degrees

Purpose Due to the increasing workforce demands within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and the changing demographics of the USA, broadening participation efforts for black and African American students in STEM graduate programs have increased. However, this population has not yet reached parity in undergraduate STEM degree attainment, contributing to lower enrollment rates at the graduate level. The dominance of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the preparation of black students for graduate programs suggests a need to better understand the structural, cultural and institutional factors of these institutions that support prospective black students as they explore and apply to graduate school. This is particularly true for black women as they are an untapped opportunity to diversify the STEM workforce. Design/methodology/approach Taking an asset-based approach through the lens of intersectionality, this study analyzed open-ended survey responses submitted by black women who completed undergraduate STEM degrees from HBCUs. The survey focused on their experiences and pathways toward pursuing and completing their graduate degrees. The methodological process focused on analyzing six open-ended questions from a population of 75 black female-identifying individuals. Findings Results of this qualitative analysis show that mentoring and guidance around graduate school opportunities, positive faculty relationships, summer research opportunities and professional development opportunities, such as conferences, were all critical factors in their decisions to apply to and attend graduate school. Practical implications Recommendations are provided for current leaders, faculty and mentors of students at HBCUs and non-HBCUs on best practices to encourage, support and prepare black female students for graduate education. Originality/value The findings highlight the nonmonolithic state of black females who graduated from HBCUs and how their experiences vary depending on the institution type. In addition, most of the literature on the experiences of these historically excluded groups within STEM has been presented through a deficit-based lens. This study does the opposite, contributing significantly to the body of literature.