Doctoral education in chemistry (DEC) has historically produced scientists who have contributed to research and progress for decades. However, as workforce demands change, there is a growing concern that students may not effectively be prepared for modern chemistry careers, leading to calls for reform to DEC. These reforms are difficult to plan and implement, as limited research has been done to understand how the widely homogenous programmatic elements of DEC (e.g., seminar, individual research, coursework) contribute to the overall goal(s) of the doctoral program. To gain deeper insight, this qualitative study aims to capture perspectives of chemistry faculty who mentor graduate students. An interview protocol was developed, and interviews were conducted to identify the faculty member’s goals, expected learning outcomes, and general perceptions of the programmatic elements of DEC. This presentation will focus on preliminary results, implications, and future work.

Outcomes and goals of chemistry doctoral programs from faculty perspectives

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