Planning a Career in Engineering: Gender, College Major, and Parental Influence

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Family, Social, and Contextual Effects on Educational Pathways

Abstract

This paper examines the career plans of prospective engineers as a way to shed light on gender disparities in the STEM pipeline. Engineering is the largest of the STEM major and engineering is the career most often mentioned by male freshmen. Specifically, we examine the extent of the connection between engineering as a college major and as a career goal. In addition, we investigate the influence (both levels and pathways) of fathers and mothers on the career plans of sons and daughters. Data are drawn from the HERI Freshman Survey data spanning 1971 to 2011.The implications of these findings for the gender integration of engineering are discussed in the conclusion.

Authors

• Jerry A. Jacobs, University of Pennsylvania

• Linda J. Sax, University of California - Los Angeles

• Seher Ahmad, University of Pennsylvania