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Table 69. Statistical profile of postgraduation plans of doctorate recipients in humanities and arts fields, by sex and field of study: 2015

Characteristic All humanities and arts fields Foreign languages and literature History Letters Other humanities and arts
All doctorate recipients (number)a 5,600 656 1,145 1,590 2,209
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 484 36 147 122 179
Definite employment 1,918 254 372 584 708
Seeking employment or study 2,077 251 421 562 843
Otherc 170 21 38 51 60
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 82.2 63.9 86.4 85.2 80.4
Postdoc research associateship 16.1 30.6 13.6 13.1 17.3
Other or unknowne 1.7 5.6 0.0 1.6 2.2
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 79.1 87.4 77.7 87.3 70.1
Government 2.1 D 7.0 D 1.0
Industry or businessg 5.6 2.8 5.6 5.5 6.8
Nonprofit organization 8.7 D 5.6 D 18.4
Other or unknownh 4.5 5.9 4.0 5.0 3.8
Primary activityi
R&D 10.8 11.6 16.5 6.6 11.1
Teaching 73.2 82.3 68.2 82.0 65.1
Management or administration 7.8 4.4 9.7 4.4 11.0
Professional services 5.3 D D 3.5 9.1
Other 2.8 D D 3.5 3.7
Secondary activityj
R&D 47.1 53.8 48.0 48.7 43.0
Teaching 11.9 9.6 12.8 7.7 15.8
Management or administration 9.4 6.8 7.7 11.0 9.8
Professional services 5.9 4.8 6.0 6.1 6.2
Other 3.0 0.8 3.1 3.0 3.8
No secondary activity 22.6 24.1 22.4 23.6 21.4
Activity unknown 3.2 2.0 5.4 1.9 3.7
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 89.4 90.3 86.1 93.3 87.9
New England 9.6 11.4 11.2 8.9 8.6
Middle Atlantic 14.8 10.3 14.6 15.9 15.4
East North Central 13.6 18.3 9.6 14.3 13.9
West North Central 5.0 4.5 5.8 5.4 4.5
South Atlantic 16.1 16.9 16.4 15.6 16.1
East South Central 4.5 4.5 4.0 4.8 4.5
West South Central 8.0 5.5 7.1 10.5 7.4
Mountain 4.7 6.6 4.6 4.8 4.2
Pacific and insular 12.9 12.4 12.3 13.2 13.1
Not in United States 10.4 9.0 13.7 6.5 12.0
Location unknown 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1
Male doctorate recipients (number) 2,767 239 632 650 1,246
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 248 15 81 51 101
Definite employment 939 101 200 225 413
Seeking employment or study 1,031 82 239 246 464
Otherc 63 5 14 18 26
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 78.2 D 81.5 D 74.3
Postdoc research associateship 19.8 D 18.5 D 22.8
Other or unknowne 2.0 13.3 0.0 0.0 3.0
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 75.4 87.1 77.0 83.6 67.3
Government 2.4 D 7.0 D D
Industry or businessg 6.4 D 6.5 D 7.0
Nonprofit organization 11.3 D 6.0 D 20.8
Other or unknownh 4.5 D 3.5 6.7 D
Primary activityi
R&D 11.0 13.1 16.0 8.6 9.5
Teaching 69.8 80.8 67.0 77.5 64.2
Management or administration 8.9 D D 5.4 11.7
Professional services 7.8 D D 4.1 12.7
Other 2.5 D D 4.5 2.0
Secondary activityj
R&D 45.4 53.5 45.2 50.0 41.0
Teaching 13.3 9.1 12.8 8.6 17.2
Management or administration 9.7 7.1 9.6 8.6 10.9
Professional services 6.4 5.1 7.4 6.8 6.0
Other 3.3 1.0 2.1 4.1 4.0
No secondary activity 22.0 24.2 22.9 22.1 20.9
Activity unknown 3.0 2.0 6.0 1.3 2.7
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 88.4 91.4 86.8 91.7 86.8
New England 8.4 12.1 10.0 7.2 7.4
Middle Atlantic 14.7 9.5 15.3 15.9 14.8
East North Central 14.7 20.7 9.3 16.7 15.4
West North Central 5.8 5.2 7.1 5.4 5.4
South Atlantic 14.1 12.1 15.3 13.4 14.2
East South Central 5.0 D D 4.7 5.3
West South Central 8.6 5.2 8.2 10.1 8.8
Mountain 4.5 D D 6.2 3.9
Pacific and insular 12.4 11.2 14.6 12.0 11.7
Not in United States 11.5 8.6 12.8 8.0 13.2
Location unknown 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.0
Female doctorate recipients (number) 2,832 417 513 940 962
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 236 21 66 71 78
Definite employment 979 153 172 359 295
Seeking employment or study 1,046 169 182 316 379
Otherc 107 16 24 33 34
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 86.4 D 92.4 D 88.5
Postdoc research associateship 12.3 D 7.6 D 10.3
Other or unknowne 1.3 0.0 0.0 2.8 1.3
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 82.6 87.6 78.5 89.7 73.9
Government 1.8 D 7.0 0.0 D
Industry or businessg 4.9 D 4.7 D 6.4
Nonprofit organization 6.1 D 5.2 D 14.9
Other or unknownh 4.5 D 4.7 3.9 D
Primary activityi
R&D 10.7 10.7 17.1 5.4 13.6
Teaching 76.5 83.3 69.5 84.9 66.4
Management or administration 6.8 D D 3.7 10.0
Professional services 3.0 D D 3.1 3.9
Other 3.1 0.0 1.2 2.8 6.1
Secondary activityj
R&D 48.8 54.0 51.2 47.9 45.7
Teaching 10.6 10.0 12.8 7.1 13.9
Management or administration 9.1 6.7 5.5 12.5 8.2
Professional services 5.5 4.7 4.3 5.7 6.4
Other 2.8 0.7 4.3 2.3 3.6
No secondary activity 23.3 24.0 22.0 24.5 22.1
Activity unknown 3.5 2.0 4.7 2.2 5.1
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 90.5 89.7 85.3 94.4 89.5
New England 10.7 10.9 12.6 10.0 10.2
Middle Atlantic 14.9 10.9 13.9 15.8 16.4
East North Central 12.5 16.7 10.1 12.8 11.8
West North Central 4.3 4.0 4.2 5.3 3.2
South Atlantic 18.1 20.1 17.6 17.0 18.8
East South Central 4.0 D D 4.9 3.5
West South Central 7.5 5.7 5.9 10.7 5.6
Mountain 4.9 D D 4.0 4.6
Pacific and insular 13.3 13.2 9.7 14.0 15.0
Not in United States 9.3 9.2 14.7 5.6 10.2
Location unknown 0.2 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.3
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
a Includes respondents who did not report sex.
b Includes only respondents who reported postgraduation status.
c Includes respondents who indicated that they did not plan to work or study, respondents who indicated some other type of postgraduation plans, and respondents who indicated definite plans for other full-time degree program.
d Excludes respondents who indicated plans for other full-time degree program. Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for study.
e "Other" includes respondents who indicated definite postgraduation study plans for traineeship, internship or clinical residency, or other study.
f Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment.
g Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
h "Other" is mainly composed of elementary and secondary schools.
i Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and primary work activity.
j Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and secondary work activity.
k Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans and type of plans.
l Includes cases with an unknown U.S. region of employment after doctorate; see technical notes for states or territories included in regions.
NOTES: Due to rounding, percentages may not sum to 100. See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2015.