Faculty Beliefs about the Goals of Doctoral Education in Chemistry: Results from a National Survey

Abstract Doctoral education in chemistry (DEC) underpins the United States’ research capacity, innovation ecosystem, and preparation of a highly skilled scientific workforce. The goals that guide doctoral education carry significant national implications as they determine which careers in academia, industry, government, and science-adjacent sectors future scientists are well-prepared for and pursue. In this study, we report results from a national survey of research-active chemistry faculty in the United States examining beliefs about the goals of DEC and their relationship to personal and contextual factors. Faculty demonstrated strong consensus around student-centered goals, including developing independent scientists and preparing students for varying career pathways. Comparatively, endorsement of the institution-focused goal of enhancing rank or reputation was more variable and less strongly prioritized but still a present goal of doctoral programs. No evidence for differences based on academic rank and graduate-education related service role was found. Together, these findings provide national-level evidence of faculty alignment around goals of DEC and offer insight into how consensus and variability in faculty beliefs inform opportunities for doctoral education reform. This pattern highlights opportunities to focus reform efforts on aligning doctoral program structures with faculty-endorsed, student-centered goals.