Graduates and Employer Survey for DTU’s two-year MSc Eng programme
In autumn 2015, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) carried out a graduate and employer survey among graduates from DTU’s two-year MSc Eng programme and their employers. The graduate and employer survey primarily focuses on the extent to which graduates have benefitted from their study programme at DTU and the employers’ assessment of the graduates’ competences. It also addresses a number of other topics, including the labour market for graduates, the transition from study programme to labour market, and internationalization.
Brief facts about the survey
The graduate and employer survey comprises the following: 1. A questionnaire sent to 3,106 graduates from year groups 2012-2014. The questionnaire is primarily intended to establish how the graduates assess their own competences, their transition to the labour market, and internationalization. 43 per cent of the graduates have completed the questionnaire. 2. A register analysis based on statistical data from public registers on the graduates’ employment situation and their relation to the labour market for year groups 2003, 2008, and 2012. 3. An employer survey based on interviews with 50 employers with a view to establishing how the employers assess the graduates’ competences and the employers’ future need for expertise. The results of the survey are presented in the ‘Graduate and Employer Survey for DTU’s two-year MSc Eng programme’ report prepared by DAMVAD Analytics for DTU. The main survey results are summed up in the following sections.
Overall assessment of the study programme
The graduates and employers generally give a very positive assessment of the MSc Eng programme. The questionnaire shows, e.g., that:
97%
94%
97 per cent of the graduates considered the programme to be of a high quality
94 per cent of the graduates considered the programme to meet their expectations
87%
87 per cent of the graduates considered the programme to have a good study environment
86%
86 per cent of the graduates considered the programme to match the demands made by the labour market1
1The categories to a large extent and to some extent have been combined.
In addition, the results show that 97 per cent1 would recommend DTU to others (Figure 1). Figure 1: To what extent would you recommend DTU to others?
84%
13%
To a large extent To some extent To a lesser extent Not at all Don’t know
Source: Graduate survey carried out by DAMVAD Analytics in Oct.-Nov. 2015 (N=1,412)
The employers’ assessment of the MSc Eng programme at DTU is in line with the graduates’ assessment, and they are quite satisfied with the graduates and the competences they have acquired on the MSc Eng programme. An employer from the consulting industry stated the following: “On a scale from 1 to 10, I would say around 8-9 [regarding the graduates’ competences and the quality of the programme]. It’s one of our preferred universities. My impression is that academic competence is the main focus. Impressive academic expertise among the best. Others don’t quite possess the same basic competences, both in terms of the general engineering competences and the academic competences.” (Employer, consulting industry)
Graduate competences
Both graduates and employers agree that the graduates are good at applying their knowledge and expertise in new ways to address problems. For example, 90 per cent1 of the graduates state in the questionnaire that they have acquired the ability to develop relevant models, systems, and/ or processes for solving technological problems via analysis and modelling through the study programme, while 87 per cent¹ also consider this to be a relevant and useful competence in relation to the labour market. The employers asked add that the graduates’ ability as regards the above is based on their general engineering competences and technical understanding, enabling them to independently decode the complexity of the tasks and find valuable and profitable solutions and results. With regard to the graduates’ personal and social competences, the graduates and employers agree that DTU graduates are skilled at working with colleagues with the same academic profile as well as across disciplines. They are particularly good at defining complex issues and have strong English language skills. It is also the employers’ experience that the graduates have strong core-discipline competences which are directly applicable in their jobs. One employer group considers it important to maintain and develop the core-discipline competences, while another employer group believes that the graduates could benefit from improving their ability to manage projects, their business acumen, and their management skills.
1The categories to a large extent and to some extent have been combined.
Transition from study programme to labour market
The graduates find employment quickly, and their jobs are in direct continuation of their MSc Eng programme. The questionnaire shows that 42 per cent of the graduates find employment before graduation, and 85 per cent have found employment six months after graduation (Figure 2). The survey furthermore shows that 24 per cent of the graduates find a job in direct continuation of their MSc thesis, and 60 per cent find a job within the typical area of employment of their MSc Eng programme (Figure 3). Figure 2: How much time elapsed after graduation before you got your first job?
8%
2%
2%
Figure 3: How are your MSc Eng programme and your first job related?
3% 100% 24%
15%
In direct continuation of my MSc thesis
28%
60% 42%
Within the typical area of employment of my MSc Eng programme 16%
Total
I’m unemployed
More than 1¹/2 years
1-1¹/2 years
7-11 months
3-6 months
Less than 3 months
Employed before graduation
Outside the typical area of employment of my MSc Eng programme
Source: Graduate survey carried out by DAMVAD Analytics in Oct.-Nov. 2015 (N=1,452)
Source: Graduate survey carried out by DAMVAD Analytics in Oct.-Nov. 2015. (N=1,412)
The labour market for graduates
Based on data from public registers for year groups 2003, 2008, and 2012 and questionnaire data for year groups 2012-2014, DAMVAD Analytics has analysed a number of labour market facts relating to the graduates. The questionnaire shows, e.g., that some of the most common fields of work for graduates in their first job is analysis, discipline-specific tasks, documentation, planning, research, project management, and product development/innovation. In addition, it shows that the graduates are primarily employed in permanent (66 per cent) or fixed-term (24 per cent) full-time positions and in companies with more than 500 employees (50 per cent). The analysis of register data shows that 68 per cent of the graduates are employed in the private sector one year after graduation, and that this figure increases over the years, with 78 per cent being employed in the private sector 10 years after graduation (Figure 4). This is probably mainly due to the transition from the PhD programme to private-sector employment.
Figure 4: Distribution between the public and private sectors (number of years after graduation)
1 year
32%
68%
Private sector Public sector
5 years
24%
10 years
22%
76%
78%
Source: DAMVAD Analytics 2015. The following registers have been used: KOTO, BFL Note: 1 year: N=2,374 (year groups 2003, 2008, and 2012), 5 years: N=1,328 (year groups 2003 and 2008), 10 years: N=589 (year group 2003)
The analysis of register data also shows that the average salary for graduates one year after graduation is DKK 32,810, and that the average salary increases by more than DKK 16,000 the following 10 years to DKK 49,029 per month (Figure 5). Finally, the register data show that the graduates are primarily employed in the Capital Region after graduation (91 per cent), and that this only changes slightly after 10 years.
Figure 5: Salary growth over a period of 10 years after graduation (2014 prices) 55,000
50,000
DDK per month
45,000
40,000 Average 35,000
Median
30,000
25,000
1
6
12
24
36
48
60
72
84
Months after graduation
Source: DAMVAD Analytics 2015. The following registers have been used: KOTO, BFL, consumer price index from Statistics Denmark (PRIS61) (current N)
96
108
120
Internationalization
Studying abroad contributes positively to the graduates’ academic and social competences and to meeting DTU’s ambition to educate graduates with an international perspective. 25 per cent of the respondents in the questionnaire have participated in an exchange programme in connection with their studies at DTU. 83 per cent1 of these consider that studying abroad has had a positive impact on their academic development, and no less than 97 per cent1 consider it to have had a positive impact on their personal development (Figure 6). Employers also welcome study periods abroad and particularly stress the acquisition of linguistic and cultural competences as well as the ability to cooperate with other nationalities: “It’s an advantage to have worked with other nationalities. To acquire written and oral skills in a foreign language. English is important, but so is cultural understanding in general. That’s what I’ve experienced in all the places I’ve been.” (Employer, supply industry)
Figure 6: To what extent has studying abroad affected your personal development?
84 %
To a large extent
13 %
To some extent
To a lesser extent/don´t know
3%
Source: Graduate survey carried out by DAMVAD Analytics in Oct.-Nov. 2015 (N=331) 1The categories to a large extent and to some extent have been combined.
The acquisition of international competences is, however, not limited to studying abroad, but international competences can also, to a large extent, be acquired through the teaching activities and the study environment at DTU. As can be seen in Figure 7, 87 per cent1 of the graduates considered DTU as an internationally oriented university as regards teaching, and 75 per cent1 considered DTU as an internationally oriented university as regards the study environment. Figure 7: Assessment of different competences on the study programme
53%
27%
Agree
10%
Generally agree
Through my studies at DTU, I have gained experience working with students from other cultures 26%
23%
Neither agree nor disagree Generally disagree
19%
Disagree
Through my studies at DTU, I have established an international network 51%
Don’t know/don’t remenber 36%
8%
I considered DTU as an internationally oriented university as regards teaching 55%
26%
8%
I considered DTU as an internationally oriented university as regards research 43%
32%
15%
I considered DTU as an internationally oriented university as regards study environment
Source: Graduate survey carried out by DAMVAD Analytics in Oct.-Nov. 2015 (N=1,330) 1The categories agree and generally agree have been combined.