91社区

91社区.CA / TRaCE phd

About TRaCE 91社区

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TRaCE 91社区 is a university-wide project that tracks the career outcomes and pathways of 91社区 PhD alumni who graduated between 2008 and 2018.聽

Overview

Led by a team at and graduate student researchers, TRaCE 91社区鈥檚 focus on both quantitative and qualitative knowledge shows how a doctoral degree can lead to a multiplicity of successful, socially valuable, and personally fulfilling careers in a variety of sectors both inside and outside academia.

As part of its legacy, TRaCE 91社区 is also building a mentoring community of PhD graduates who are committed to helping doctoral students and recent grads find their own career pathways.

TRaCE 91社区鈥檚 integration of statistical data, narrative knowledge, and community building is unique in the world among PhD tracking projects.

Goals

叠测听tracking听补苍诲听reporting聽on the career pathways of PhD graduates, by聽connecting聽PhDs inside and outside the academy, and by fostering聽exchanges聽of knowledge and knowhow among faculty, graduates, and students, TRaCE 91社区 aims to mobilize the learning, energy, and talents of PhD graduates for the benefit of the University and the grads themselves.

The statistics and stories gathered by TRaCE 91社区 will enable evidence-based and forward-looking change in graduate programs across the Faculties.

The website helps connect PhD graduates with other grads and current PhD students. The grads鈥� narratives can inspire other graduates as well as PhD students, allowing students and grads to reach out to those whose stories speak to their interests and aspirations.

TRaCE 91社区's completion coincided with 91社区鈥檚 Bicentennial and enabled the University to showcase how 91社区 PhD grads are contributing to social and economic advancement and helping to meet global challenges in the 21st听肠别苍迟耻谤测.

Stages

Stage 1: Survey of PhD Graduates, Summer 2019

PhDs who graduated between 2008 and 2018 were invited to complete a survey that focused on where they are now and what they are doing in their careers. All responses to the survey are kept confidential and are reported only in anonymized, aggregate form.

Stage 2: Data-gathering from the Web, Fall 2019

TRaCE 91社区 student researchers worked to complete the statistical picture of PhD career outcomes by searching publicly accessible websites. Access our findings for Stages 1 and 2.

Stage 3: Interviewing the Grads and Sharing their Stories, February 2020-April 2021

Student researchers reached out to grads from their Faculties to invite them to share their stories with the 91社区 community. With the consent of the interviewee, interviews were recorded. Selections from the interviews were transcribed, edited for length, approved by the grad for publication, and posted on the TRaCE 91社区 website. Browse our聽archive of narratives聽to hear grads reflect on graduate school, their career paths, and their advice to current students.

Stage 4: Bringing the Grads back to 91社区, October 2020-ongoing

TRaCE 91社区 has brought back聽 PhD grads from across faculties and career paths as speakers and mentors.聽TRaCE 91社区鈥檚 Career Pathways for PhDs聽event series partnered with graduate student associations and PGSS to offer events which showcase for in-program graduate students the multiple career pathways available to PhDs after graduation.聽

In 2023-2024, the TRaCE Talks, organized by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, invited 91社区 PhD alumni working in non-academic careers to share their experiences with the 91社区 community in a series of 8 career panels.聽

Background

TRaCE 91社区 built on two 91社区-led national projects鈥攖he TRaCE pilot (2015-2016) and TRaCE 2.0 (2017-2019). The first focused on humanities graduates; the second tracked PhDs (and DMus and MFA grads) in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. The pilot tracked 2,800 humanities PhD grads from across Canada and interviewed 300 graduates. TRaCE 2.0 tracked 1,400 grads from across the country and conducted interviews with 150. The interviews have provided the basis for a large聽archive of stories聽about PhD grads鈥� educational and professional careers. The two preliminary projects have been featured in national publications and have enabled the TRaCE team to develop and fine-tune its methodology.聽

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