Foreign Physics Graduate Students in the United States

JUN 01, 1986

Foreign citizens have become an integral part of the practice of physics in the United States, helping to staff research and teaching programs in universities and remaining after graduation to help avert shortages of research manpower.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881031

Mark N. McDermott

Edward W. Thomas

The proportion of foreign citizens among first‐year physics graduate students in the US has now reached 42%. up from 17% in 1971. This dramatic increase has drawn attention to a wide range of issues, including the following:

▸ The very small number of US‐born students who seek higher degrees in physics. Fewer than 800 US citizens a year, from a population of over 230 million, complete PhDs in physics.

▸ The balance between theorists and experimenters in physics. Half of the growing number of new foreign‐student PhDs are theorists, yet for every physicist hired to do theoretical work, three are hired to do experimental work. What will happen when large numbers of theorists graduate in the next five years?

References

1. S. D. Ellis, Enrollments and Degrees, AIP publication no. R‐151.22, AIP, New York (June 1985), and foreign‐student data to be published in the 1986 edition of this report; see also previous reports in the R‐151 series.
2. P. Doigan, Engineering Education, October 1984, p. 50.
3. S. D. Ellis, 1983–84 Survey of Physics and Astronomy Bachelor’s Degree Recipients, AIP publication no. R‐211.16, AIP, New York (March 1985).
4. Unpublished material. For details contact Michael J. Moravcsik, Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403.
5. Unpublished material. For details contact T. D. Lee, Physics Department, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.
6. S. D. Ellis, 1983–84 Graduate Student Survey, AIP publication no. R‐207.17, AIP, New York (September 1985), and previous reports in the R‐207 series.
7. “Foreign student teachers faulted for lack of fluency in English,” The Wall Street Journal, 17 October 1985, p. 31.
8. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 September 1985, p. 1.
9. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 19 February 1986, p. 19.
10. S. D. Ellis, Employment Survey 1984, AIP publication no. R‐282.8, AIP, New York (November 1985).
11. Plans of Foreign PhD Candidates, fact sheet no. GAO/RCED‐86‐102FS, US General Accounting Office (February 1986).
12. Foreign Citizens in US Science and Engineering: History, Status and Outlook, report no. NSF 86‐305, NSF (1985).
13. Physics Through the 1990s: An Overview, National Academy of Sciences (1986), pp. xvi, 91.
14. Academic Science/Engineering: Graduate Enrollment and Support, publication no. NSF 85‐300 (annual series), NSF (1985).

More about the Authors

Mark N. McDermott. University of Washington, Seattle.

Edward W. Thomas. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta.