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Annual survey of UK biochemistry graduate employment 2003
Key findings
The initial destinations of first degree and Masters graduates were very similar to the previous year, but there was a marked increase in the proportion of PhD graduates researching in academic institutions (from 40.7 to 50.7%) and a decrease in the proportion working abroad (from 9.3 to 1.4%). The most likely explanation is a decrease in number doing postdocs in the United States.
First degree graduates
- The proportion continuing biochemical training (27.5%) was essentially unchanged, while the overall proportion remaining in biochemistry (51.0%) decreased slightly. A slightly smaller proportion than in 2002 moved to research in industry (7.4%), and school teaching remained unpopular (3.0%). The proportion entering training or employment outside biochemistry appeared to have plateaued (22.2%).
- The proportion of graduates with Class 1 Honours who elected to go on to research degrees (53.5%) remained well below 1990s values (60-70%). The increase in proportion of Class 2.2 graduates in the research pool (to 13.3%) suggests some lack of competition for places.
- The low unemployment level (3.5%) compared well with national figures for biological sciences first-degree graduates (6.5%) and for graduates of all disciplines (7.0%).
Higher graduates
- The proportion of Masters graduates continuing biochemical training (39.7%), and the overall proportion remaining in biochemistry (73.2%), were both a little higher than in the previous year. Equal proportions (9.9%) researched in academia or industry, while slightly smaller numbers moved to work in hospital / public service laboratories (6.1%) or to science-based non-laboratory work (5.3%). Less than 5% moved outside biochemistry.
- The proportion of PhDs moving to research in academia (50.7%) was higher than the normal 40-45% range, while the proportion working abroad, probably mainly in postdoc positions, declined (to 1.4%). The proportion entering industrial research (13.4%) was similar to the previous year. The proportion entering training or employment outside biochemistry decreased from 6.9 to 2.3%.
- The unemployment levels of Masters (3.0%) and PhD graduates (1.4%) were lower than national figures for biological sciences postgraduates (3.6%) and for postgraduates of all disciplines (3.7%).
- General information
This survey of initial employment of biochemists who graduated in 2003 from UK universities was compiled from data provided by 27 pre-1992 institutions and 6 post-1992. It includes data on 2211 graduates. The figures in the tables cannot be used to deduce the relative numbers of first degree, Masters and PhD students being trained since a number of departments did not include destinations for their Masters or PhD graduates. The Policy Committee thanks those departments that contributed data (see Appendix 1).
The format of the questionnaire was not changed from that introduced in the 1990s, so as to allow ready analysis of trends. The definition of a ‘biochemistry graduate’ that was introduced four years ago to help departments running complex modular courses was retained; ie a student who spent at least 50% of the course studying molecular biosciences. A list of all first-degree titles that were considered by the responding departments to meet this criterion is given in Appendix 2. The Masters classification includes both taught and research Masters, MPhil, and MRes. Graduates of extended undergraduate courses such as MSci are returned in the ‘first degree’ totals. Appendix 3 lists the courses from which the Masters data were drawn.
The interpretation of employment surveys is always limited by the proportion of graduates whose destination is not known. This was almost 16% for first degree graduates, 12% for Masters, and 8% for PhD graduates. The higher figures found from the 2000 survey onwards appear to be due to the Higher Education Statistics Agency specifying that ‘first destination’ data collected by universities have to be obtained from the graduate directly and not from a third party. Universities are not able to contact as large a cohort of graduates as they would like.
- Overall view of total biochemistry graduates entering employment
These surveys rarely show marked changes from year to year and the overall pattern was similar to that seen in other recent years (Table 1, Figs 1, 1a, 2 and 3). The proportion of total graduates continuing biochemical study (25.6%) appeared to have stabilised after several years of slight decline from the end of the 1990s (28.6, 26.1, 25.8 and 25.3%). There was a small increase in the proportion researching in academia (8.3%) and a small decrease in those researching in industry (8.1%), but these values fluctuate slightly from year to year. There was no evidence of more graduates moving to training or work outside science (19.2% total, excluding intercalating medical students). The small decrease from 1.9 to 0.9% in the proportion of UK graduates working abroad masks quite a marked decrease in the number of PhD graduates in this category. This is discussed in the following section. The financial incentives offered by the government to those entering a school science teaching career appear to have made little impression on biochemistry graduates since the proportion starting teacher training has plateaued between 2.8 and 3.6% for the last 5 years, and the 2003 figure is at the bottom end of that range. The contribution to the graduate population of foreign students who trained in the UK and subsequently returned to the country of origin (2.2%) was lower than the 4-6% range found for several years in the late 1990s.
- Graduates of different levels remaining in biochemistry
The proportion of first-degree graduates who moved on to further biochemical study (27.5%) was similar to the 2002 figure (27.8%) but outside the 30-35% range that was found consistently in the second half of the 1990s (Table 2). For those departments that were able to supply the appropriate information (24 from pre-1992 universities, 4 from post-1992) an analysis was made of the breakdown of the different first-degree classes among students registering for a higher degree by research (Table 3). The proportion of graduates with a class 1 degree who elected to start research training (53.5%) was a little higher than in 2002 (51.3%) but still considerably lower than the 60-70% value found in the late 1990s. The proportion of class 2.1 graduates electing to start a research degree was 4% lower at 27.7%, whereas the proportion of class 2.2 graduates was essentially unchanged at the comparatively high level of 11.8%. Because of the different numbers of graduates in the various degree classes, the effects of these changes on the composition of the new cohort of research students was to leave the proportion with class 1 degrees unchanged at 34.7%, decrease the proportion with class 2.1 degrees (from 54.8 to 52.0%), and increase the proportion with class 2.2 (from 10.6 to 13.3%).
For graduates with classes 1 and 2 first degrees the proportion carrying out research in industry decreased a little from 9.5 to 7.6%. Work in hospital or public sector laboratories (5.6%) remained the next most popular choice, while the proportion starting teacher training (3.1%) decreased from the previous year. The most likely employment within science of graduates with class 3/pass degrees was work in hospital or public sector laboratories, or science-based non-laboratory work (both 4.1%), although the destination was unknown for a large cohort (44%). The proportion of Masters graduates continuing biochemical training (39.7%) was similar to the two previous years, and typical of that seen in the late-1990s. Of those entering biochemical employment equal proportions (9.9%) researched in academia or industry, while slightly smaller numbers moved to work in hospital or public service laboratories or to science-based non-laboratory work.
The proportion of PhDs continuing academic research (50.7%) was higher than the typical range of 40-45%, and was accompanied by a marked decrease in those working abroad, probably mainly in post-doc positions (from 9.3 to 1.4%). The proportion entering industrial research (13.4%) was typical of the 13-17% range seen in the late 1990s after being depressed at 8-9% in 2000 and 2001. Smaller proportions moved to work in hospital or public sector laboratories or into teaching.
The proportion of first degree graduates remaining in biochemistry (51.0%) was a little lower than in 2002, whereas the proportions of Masters and PhD graduates (73.2 and 78.4%, respectively) were both higher. The apparent 12% increase for PhDs was largely caused by the shift away from working abroad to doing postdocs in the UK.
- Graduates pursuing careers not involving biochemistry
This grouping includes those graduates who entered training for, or commenced, employment requiring degree-level ability but no specific biochemical knowledge, as well as intercalating students returned to their medical studies. If the latter are excluded since the small number fluctuates from year to year depending on which particular universities return data, the proportion of first-degree graduates in this grouping (22.2%) lay between the 2001 and 2002 values (21.7 and 23.0%) (Table 2). The figure for Masters graduates (4.6%) was very similar to 2001 and 2002 values, whereas that for PhDs (2.3%) declined from 6.9% in 2002.
Interpretation of the survey is restricted by the lack of knowledge concerning the employment of British graduates working abroad and of overseas students returned home. The proportion of overseas students graduating with Masters (6.1%) was similar to that in the previous year, whereas that graduating with a PhD (8.8%) was almost 2% higher than in 2002. It should be noted that the figure for Masters graduates has declined from 17.9% six years ago.
- Comparison of destinations of first degree graduates from pre- and post-1992 universities
The proportions of graduates gaining either a class 1 or class 2 degree in pre-1992 or post-1992 universities (94.2 and 84.1%, respectively) were very similar to the figures in 2002. In the Departments providing data for Table 3there some small shifts in degree classes at both pre- and post-1992 universities. For pre-1992 institutions the date were: 17.5% with class1, 51.9% with class 2.1, and 30.6% with class 2.2, compared to 20.9, 52.7 and 26.4%, respectively, in 2002. For the small number of post-1992 institutions the data were: 20.0% with class 1, 43.3% with class 2.1, and 36.7% with class 2.2, compared to 13.5, 43.3, and 43.2% in 2002.
Similar proportions of class1/class2 graduates from pre- and post-1992 universities remained in biochemistry (53.3 and 55.3%), but the pattern of first destinations was a little different (Table 4). For graduates from pre-1992 institutions research in industry (7.2%) was the most popular biochemical employment. A smaller proportion of graduates from post-1992 universities continued biochemical training (25.0 compared to 29.8%), but relatively more moved to research in industry (12.2%) or work in hospital or public sector laboratories (10.3%). A larger fraction of class1/class 2 graduates from pre- than from post-1992 universities either trained for, or entered, non-science-based employment (22.1 compared to 17.2%).
- Graduates who were unemployed at the time of the survey
The survey distinguished two different groupings:- those who were genuinely unemployed and actively looking for a job, and those taking time out to travel, or start a family, or in temporary jobs whilst evaluating longer-term careers. The proportion of genuinely unemployed total biochemistry graduates (3.3%) (Table 1) was apparently a little lower than in the late 1990s (3.7-5.4%). At the different degree levels the rates of unemployment for first degree (3.5%), Masters (3.0%), and PhD graduates (1.4%) were a little higher than the 2002 figures. It should be noted that some unemployment may be hidden within the ‘unknown destination’ category (see Table 2 and Section 1).
The unemployment rate for biochemistry first-degree graduates compared favourably with those for other disciplines. According to First Destinations of Students leaving Higher Education Institutions, 2002/2003 (Higher Education Statistics Agency), 7.0% of first-degree graduates of all disciplines were estimated to be unemployed at six months after graduating, and 6.5% of biological sciences graduates. The latter grouping contained biologists, molecular biologists, biophysicists, botanists, zoologists, geneticists, microbiologists, sports scientists and psychologists as well as biochemists. The unemployment rate of biochemistry PhD graduates was likewise lower than national figures for postgraduates of all disciplines (3.7%) and for biological sciences postgraduates (3.6%).
- Overview
In recent years these surveys have drawn attention to the fact that some of the brightest graduates appear to be shunning research. The same evidence – a lower proportion of Class 1 graduates starting research degrees and a relatively large proportion of graduates with Class 2.2 degrees in the research degree pool – is present for 2003 graduates.
| Proportion of total biochemistry class 1 graduates electing to start a research degree | Proportion of class 1 graduates in research degree pool |
| Year | Overall | Pre-1992 university | Post-1992 university | |
| 2003 | 53.5 | 53.8 | 50.70 | 34.7 |
| | | | | |
| 2002 | 51.3 | 52.1 | 35.7 | 34.6 |
| | | | | |
| 2001 | 55.8 | 57.4 | 23.1 | 32.4 |
| | | | | |
| 2000 | 52.3 | 54.8 | 28.6 | 27.8 |
| | | | | |
| 1999 | 59.7 | 63.6 | 40.0 | 26.1 |
| | | | | |
| 1998 | 70.2 | 70.6 | 67.9 | 33.2 |
| | | | | |
| 1997 | 65.9 | 67.9 | 51.9 | 31.1 |
The recent increase in Research Council PhD stipends may make research degrees more attractive, but set against that is the increase in debt that students are acquiring during their undergraduate courses, and this is likely to worsen when variable tuition fees are introduced. Nevertheless, there was no evidence that more first-degree graduates were moving outside science in a search for higher salaries. Masters graduates, too, largely remained in biochemistry for their initial career move, as did PhD graduates, despite the well-publicised lack of competitive salaries and a poor career structure in academic science.
The most striking feature of the present survey was, in fact, the increase in postdocs researching in UK universities and the decline in those working abroad. It is most likely a consequence of security concerns about working in the United States, coupled with tighter visa restrictions. The latter factor is known to have reduced the number of foreign students entering graduate programmes in the United States. The UK might be expected to benefit from this pool of students; there is no clear evidence of more graduates from overseas completing Masters or PhDs in the 2003 survey, but it may be more apparent in future years.
During 2004 there has been growing concern about the decrease in numbers choosing to study science at university, and part of the problem is a shortage of well-qualified secondary science teachers who are able to enthuse their students. While this applies particularly to physics and chemistry teaching, these annual employment surveys show that the various incentives offered by the government to start teacher training are not resulting in more biochemists entering the profession. The 2003 proportion was at the lower end of the normal range for first-degree graduates.
Report compiled by Mike Withnall, Policy, Education, and Professional Affairs, December 2004
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