Example Survey and Program-Level Dashboard

PhD Exit Survey

Section 1: Funding & Outside Work

At the time of admission, did you anticipate continuous institutional support throughout your PhD training?

Institutional support includes fellowships, grants, Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Staff Assistantships, etc. from WSU

Yes

Did you have a graduate assistantship (TA, RA, SA, or other) at any time during your PhD training?

Yes

Non-Institutional Funding Sources

Please indicate how many years you relied on each non-institutional funding source:

Non-Institutional Funding Source	Years Supported
Student Loans
Personal/Family Financial Support
Outside Employment
Other Financial Sources:

Section 2: Publications during your graduate program

Journal Articles

If applicable to your field, please indicate the number of journal articles where you were an author during your entire graduate career at WSU. If you did not submit or publish a journal article, please add zero to the table below:

Type of Journal Article	Published	Under Review
Peer-reviewed
Non-peer-reviewed

Other Scholarly Contributions

If applicable to your field, please indicate the number of each type of scholarly presentation or activity (other than journal articles) during your graduate career at WSU:

Contribution Type	Number
Conference or stakeholder presentations
Poster presentations
Book chapters / creative works
Juried exhibitions / artistic contributions
Grants / fellowships awarded
Awards / honors received
Patents filed
Patents in progress / under review

Section 3: Career Development

Did you serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) at any time during your PhD training at WSU?

Yes

Did you serve as a Research Assistant (RA) at any time during your PhD training at WSU?

Yes

Did you serve as a Staff Assistant (SA) at any time during your PhD training at WSU?

Yes

Did you participate in an internship or externship at any time during your PhD training at WSU?

Yes

What was the organization?

Professional Development Activities

Please indicate your participation in the following:

Activity	Yes	No
Through my graduate program
Through GPSA/PDI (Graduate and Professional Student Association / Professional Development Initiative)
Through other WSU-wide resources (e.g., Career Services, Writing Center)
Through a Conference or Professional Organization
Other

Section 4: Program Satisfaction

Clarity of Program Expectations

Please rate your level of agreement with each statement: (1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree, NA = Not Applicable)

Statement	1	2	3	4	5	NA
I was able to take coursework that aligned with my research interests.
The courses I took were useful in helping me prepare for my dissertation.
The quality of instruction in my courses was of high caliber.
The feedback I received on my qualifying (cumulative) exam was helpful.
The feedback I received on my preliminary exam was helpful.
During the dissertation (ABD) stage, my committee provided helpful support and mentoring.

Overall Program Experience

Please rate your level of agreement with each statement: (1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree, NA = Not Applicable)

Statement	1	2	3	4	5
I received high-quality career/professional development advising.
I received effective training in pedagogical methods (creating learning outcomes, designing assessments, actionable feedback).

Advising & Mentorship Experience

Please rate your level of agreement with each statement: (1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree, NA = Not Applicable)

Section 5: Career Outcomes & Readiness

Employment Plans Upon PhD Completion

I have secured a job

I am seeking employment

I am not seeking employment

I am unsure

To what extent did your doctoral training experience (including your dissertation research and writing) strengthen your skills in the following areas?

Please rate each skill area using the following 4-point scale: (1 = Not at all, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = A moderate amount, 4 = A great deal)

Skill Area	Not at all	Somewhat	A moderate amount	A great deal
Research Skills
Teaching Skills
Communication Skills
Networking Skills
Leadership Skills
Project Management Skills
Career Planning and Job Search Skills

Section 6: Program Evaluation and Open Feedback

Expectations and Recommendations

Please rate your level of agreement (1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree)

Did finances impact your degree progress?

Yes

Most valuable aspects of your doctoral experience:

Areas of the program that need improvement:

Suggestions for career preparation support:

Example Analytics

WSU PhD Exit Survey Analytics Dashboard

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

PhD Exit Survey Analytics Dashboard

Graduate School | Real-time insights from graduating doctoral students | Academic Year 2024-2025

Total Responses

247

Completion Rate

89%

Secured Employment

67%

Avg. Time to Degree

5.4yrs

Would Recommend

82%

📊 SECTION 1: FUNDING & SUPPORT

Anticipated Institutional Support

Key Insight: 76% of students anticipated continuous institutional support, but only 58% received it throughout their program.

Expected Years of Funding

Key Insight: Most students (42%) anticipated 5 years of support, but average actual support was 3.8 years.

Graduate Assistantship Experience

Outside Employment During PhD

Non-Institutional Funding Sources (Average Years)

Key Insight: 64% of students relied on student loans for an average of 2.3 years. Outside employment (1.8 years avg) and personal/family support (1.5 years avg) were also significant funding sources.

📚 SECTION 2: RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

Publication Output

Key Insight: Average of 2.4 peer-reviewed publications per graduate, with 1.2 additional manuscripts under review.

Other Scholarly Contributions

💼 SECTION 3: CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Teaching Assistant Experience Value

Research Assistant Experience Value

Staff Assistant Experience Value

Internship/Externship Participation

🎯 SECTION 4: PROGRAM SATISFACTION

Program Satisfaction Metrics (1-5 Scale)

Expectations Met

Would Recommend Program

🚀 SECTION 5: CAREER OUTCOMES

Post-Graduation Employment Plans

Key Insight: 67% have secured positions, 23% are actively seeking, 6% not seeking, and 4% unsure. This represents a strong placement rate.

First Job Placement by Category (Secured Positions Only)

Employment Status Details

Employment Category	Count	Percentage	Avg. Salary Range	Status
Academic Faculty	52	21%	$65,000 – $75,000	Secured
Postdoctoral Position	38	15%	$48,000 – $55,000	Secured
Industry R&D	35	14%	$85,000 – $110,000	Secured
Government Research	18	7%	$70,000 – $85,000	Secured
Industry Management	15	6%	$95,000 – $125,000	Secured
Academic Research (Non-Faculty)	8	3%	$55,000 – $70,000	Secured
Actively Seeking	57	23%	—	Seeking
Not Seeking	15	6%	—	Not Seeking
Unsure	9	4%	—	Undecided

Skill Development Through Doctoral Training (1-4 Scale)

Key Insight: Research skills showed strongest development (avg 3.7/4.0), while career planning skills scored lowest (avg 2.4/4.0), indicating an area for program improvement.

💰 SECTION 6: FINANCIAL IMPACT & TIME TO DEGREE

Financial Impact on Degree Progress

Key Insight: 48% reported finances negatively impacted their progress, correlating with extended time-to-degree.

Time to Degree Distribution

Factors Affecting Timely Completion (Impact Rating 1-5)

Statement	1	2	3	4	5
I received high-quality research advising and mentorship.
My advisor/committee provided timely feedback on my work.

Statement	1	2	3	4	5
My expectations going into the program were met
I would recommend this program to other prospective students