The impact of the doctoral engineering environment on African-American and White students

Using a qualitative methodology, the author explored factors that influence the persistence of African American doctoral engineering students at a public research institution in the South. The study provided an in-depth analysis of a small number of African American doctoral engineering students' perceptions of their graduate school experiences. Included is a comparison group of White doctoral engineering students from the same program, at the same stage of degree attainment. More specifically, this study: (a) examined the types of relationships graduate students and faculty members share and the exchanges involved in these relationships; (b) investigated students' perceptions of their departmental environment and what impact those perceptions had on their persistence; and (c) examined the impact that assistantship positions had on professional and career development activities.;This study is important because it addressed two troubling national statistics: a significant shortfall in the number of African-American engineers and scientists available to fill existing jobs in technology fields and academia and a shortage of minority students completing engineering degree programs even though significant increases exist in the minority college age population. Of additional significance is that the increase of minorities in science, math, and engineering degree areas may lead to the reduction in the “digital divide” among minorities in society.