Ph. D. Programs for the Past Departments Or Schools Would Drop Colleagues Twenty Years and Are Not Typical
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---------------------------------------------------------~hlIMPORTANT ADVISORY FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS In the past several years the jolJ prospects for ,1 recent recipient of a Ph D. degree in the mathematical sciences have changed from excellent to poor. All indications are that this rapid deterioration will accelerate over the next few years, and that the decade 1974-19H5 will be exceedingly bleak. The report of the chairman of the AMS Committee on Employment and Educational Policy should be read by everyone who is plfrnning to enter a career in mathematics in order to become acquainted with the facts concerning present and future employment. The first part of the report appeared in the November l!J7:l issue of these c\~/m•JJ, pages 34ti-352, and the second part appears in this issue, pages :lfi7-:l72. The action taken in response to these facts must, of course, be determined on an individual basis. Many will feel that for them mathematics is a calling and a way of life that must be followed at whatever cost and sacrifice. They will be undeterred by the prospect of difficulties and, hopefully, will be successful in finding suitable career opportunities. The Americ<m Mathematical Society, whose primary purpose is the fostering of mathematical research, will, of course, make every effort to ameliorate con ditions during the difficult period ahead. But it must be realized that the problem has its roots in complex social conditions which the Society has only the most limited powers to control or affect. Hichani S. Palais, Member AMS Committee on Employment and Educational Policv OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Everett Pitcher and Gordon L. Walker, Editors WendeD H. Fleming, Associate Editor CONTENTS JOBS AND PH.D.'S IN TilE MATIIEMATICAL SCIENCES, II. • • •• • • • • • • • • • 367 IS TillS DOCTORAL PROGRAM NECESSARY? • • • • •• •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 371 ASSISTANTSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS IN MATHEMATICS IN 1974-1975 I. FOR GRADUATE STUDY AT UNIVERSITIES.................. 373 IT. STIPENDS FOR STUDY AND TRAVEL........................ 437 Graduate Support ...••••••••••••. ~~ ••••• 437 Postdoctoral Support ••••••••••••••••••• 439 Travel and Study Abroad • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 444 Study in U.s. for Foreign Nationals • • • • • • 447 Sources of Fellowship Information. • • • • • • • 447 TAX STATUS OF GRANTS • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 449 INDEX OF ABSTRACTS, Volume 20 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A-693 INDEX, Volume 20 ............................ a • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A-725 FOREWORD The fifteenth Special Issue of these c}/ofiai) contains lists of assistantships and fellowships available in mathe matics and related sciences for the academic year 1974-1975 for graduate study at universities and stipends available for travel and study, Indexes for·abstracts and articles published in these c}/otiJxi) during 1973, a short article on the tax status of grants and two special articles are also included. The list of assistantships and fellowships at universities includes 449 departments of mathematics, applied math ematics, statistics, computer science, and related mathematical disciplines; these represent 329 colleges and univer sities. Institutions in the United States are listed alphabetically by state, followed by Canadian institutions. Abbreviations used in the section on graduate study Under the DEGREES AWARDED column the following terms have been used: Bachelor' s by inst. Number of bachelor• s degrees awarded J:?y the institution Bachelor• s by dept. Number of degrees awarded by the department Master• s by dept, Number of master• s degrees awarded by the department Ph. D. (1970-1973 incl.) Doctoral degrees awarded during last three years (1970-1971, 1971-1972, and 1972-1973) A&NT Algebra and Number Theory G&T Geometry and Topology L Logic A& FA Analysis and Functional Analysis P&S Probability and Statistics cs Computer Science and Numerical Analysis AM Applied Mathematics The .cJVofiai) of the American Mathematical Society is published by the American Mathematical Society, P. 0. Box 6248, Providence, Rhode Island 02940, in January, February, April, June, August, October, November, and December. Price per annual volume is $10. Price per copy $3. Special price for copies sold at registration desks of meetings of the Society, $1 per copy. Subscriptions, orders for back numbers (back issues of the last two years only are available), and inquiries should be addressed to the American Mathematical Society, P. 0. Box 6248, Providence, Rhode Island 02940. Second class postage paid at Providence, Rhode Island, and additional mailing offices. Copyright© 1973 by the Americsn Mathematical Society Prioted in the United States of America Jobs and Ph.D.'s in the Mathematical Sciences, II. By R. D. Anderson Part I of this article appeared in these cJioticeiJ, November 1973, pp. 348-352. 3. JOB PROSPECTS FOR THE NEXT (2) The number of students enrolling in four TWENTY YEARS year colleges and universities for the first time has dropped slightly for the past two years, The academic employment prospects for the showing a decrease in the percentage of the age next twenty years are not good. There is now group going on to four-year institutions, revers every reason to believe that the total national ing a trend toward greater percentages that had mathematics faculty will increase very little in been observed since 1945. With expected college the rest of the 1970s and will actually decrease enrollments indicating that the percentage will somewhat in the 1980s. The prospects are dom probably drop again this fall, an era of relative inated by four factors: (1) the annual size of the stability in the percentage of eighteen-year olds group of eighteen-year olds; (2) the percentage of enrolling in four-year colleges and universities eighteen-year olds enrolling each year for the has presumably been reached, implying that the first time in four-year colleges and universities; annual number of freshmen is likely to be closely (3) the percentage of enrollments in mathematics tied to the size of this age group. courses by freshmen and sophomores; (4) the The percentage, however, will probably go amount of money available for higher education. up slightly in the 1980s, dampening the effect of It should be pointed out that twenty-year projec the decreases in the stze of the age group on col tions are necessarily subject to considerable un lege enrollments. Society probably has relatively certainty. In particular, public priorities could stable numerical needs for college graduates change in favor of substantially more support for over a period of years, and in the latter 1980s, traditional higher education, although the author when the number of twenty-one year olds is de knows of no indication of that now. creasing, society can be expected to need a (1) The following table gives the annual number greater percentage of this age group for jobs re of live births in the United States from 1950 to quiring college training. Thus, the economic de date. These data were obtained from Statistical mand probably has an inverse effect on the re Abstract of the United States and the Monthly lationship of the size of the age group and the Vital Statistical Report. percentage of the age group going to college. Perhaps with a large number of eighteen-year Live Births Live Births olds, we are seeing that effect now. (in thousands) Year Year (in thousands) (3) CBMS Survey data and AMS data do not give 1950 3632 1961 4268 explicit percentages of the enrollment of fresh men and sophomores in mathematics courses, 3823 1951 1962 4167 but the data do show that approximately 50% of 1952 3913 1963 4098 all undergraduate enrollments in mathematics are in courses below the calculus level, 25% 3965 1953 1964 4027 more are in analytic geometry-calculus courses, 1954 4078 1965 3760 and, in addition, more than half the statistics and computer science course enrollments are in 1955 4104 1966 3606 pre-calculus or introductory courses. The grad 1956 4163 1967 3521 uate course enrollments are only about 4% or 5% of the total. Since employment of mathemati 1957 4255 1968 3502 cians in academia is tied primarily to course 1958 4204 1969 3571* enrollments, and since 75% of these enrollments are by freshmen and sophomores, we can make 1959 4245 1970 3718* apparently reliable projections concerning the 1960 4258 1971 3559* number of faculty members needed by con sidering items (1) and (2) above. In this re 1972 3256* spect, academic employment prospects for Ph. D. mathematicians are worse than those for The size of the group of eighteen-year olds is some other potential academicians. The three essentially determined through 1990: It increases potential "growth" areas in higher education: at about 2% a year until 1975, is almost stable two-year colleges, adult or continuing education, until 1979, and then decreases almost 25% until and career or vocational education involve rela 1990 .. The figures for the first four months of tively few employment opportunities for Ph. D. 1973 show a further drop of forty-four thousand mathematicians. There is now much evidence from 1972 levels but indicate a probable stabi that two-year colleges do not and will not need lizing trend. or hire enough Ph. D. 's to affect the overall job *Preliminary or provisional from 1969 on. 367 market, adult education programs are likely to from tuition.