Overall, 693,000 master's degrees and 159,000 doctor's degrees were awarded in 2009–10; these numbers represent increases of 50 and 34 percent, respectively, over the numbers awarded in 1999–2000. In 2009–10, females earned 60 percent of master's degrees and 52 percent of doctor's degrees awarded.
Of the 693,000 master's degrees awarded in 2009–10, over 50 percent were concentrated in two fields: education and business (26 percent each) (see table A-39-1). These are the same two fields in which the majority of master's degrees were awarded in 1999-2000. In 2009–10, an additional 10 percent of all master's degrees were awarded in the field of health professions and related programs.
Overall, 50 percent more master's degrees were awarded in 2009–10 than in 1999–2000 (an increase of 230,000 degrees). During this period, the two fields awarding the most master's degrees, education and business, had increases of 48 and 59 percent, respectively, in the number of degrees awarded. In each of the 20 fields of study in which the most master's degrees were awarded in 2009–10, the number of master's degrees awarded was higher in 2009–10 than in 1999–2000. The field of homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting had the largest percent increase (157 percent) in the number of master's degrees awarded (from 2,600 to 6,700 degrees). The field of theology and religious vocations saw the smallest percent increase (10 percent) in the number of master's degrees awarded over this period (from 11,700 to 12,800 degrees).
Females earned 60 percent of all master's degrees awarded in 2009–10. From 1999–2000 to 2009–10, there were two fields where the portion of master's degrees awarded to females increased from less than half to more than half: homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting (from 41 percent to 53 percent) and legal professions and studies (from 42 percent to 51 percent). In the two fields awarding the most master's degrees in 2009–10, education and business, females earned 77 and 46 percent, respectively. In addition, females earned 81 percent of all master's degrees awarded in the field of health professions and related programs that year. In fields such as engineering and engineering technologies and computer and information sciences, females earned fewer master's degrees than males in 2009–10: some 22 percent of the master's degrees awarded in engineering and engineering technologies and 27 percent of the master's degrees awarded in computer and information sciences were awarded to females.
Almost two-thirds of the 159,000 doctor's degrees awarded in 2009–10 were either health professions and related programs degrees (36 percent) or legal professions and studies degrees (28 percent). Overall, there were 34 percent more doctor's degrees awarded in 2009–10 than in 1999–2000 (an increase of 39,800 degrees). In all but two of the 20 most popular fields of study (i.e., English language and literature/letters, and agriculture and natural resources), the numbers of doctor's degrees awarded were higher in 2009–10 than in 1999–2000. The field of computer and information sciences had the largest percentage increase (105 percent) in the number of doctor's degrees awarded (from 780 to 1,600 degrees). The field of English language and literature/letters had the largest percentage decrease (9 percent) in the number of doctor's degrees awarded (from 1,500 to 1,300 degrees).
Females earned about 82,000 doctor's degrees (or 52 percent of all doctor's degrees awarded) in 2009–10, a 52 percent increase over the number awarded to females in 1999–2000. From 1999–2000 to 2009–10, there were two fields in which the portion of doctor's degrees awarded to females increased from less than half to more than half: health professions and related programs (from 47 percent to 59 percent) and biological and biomedical sciences (from 44 percent to 53 percent). Of the 20 fields of study in which the most doctor's degrees were awarded in 2009–10, females earned the smallest percentages of doctor's degrees relative to males in the fields of computer and information sciences (22 percent) and engineering and engineering technologies (23 percent). In contrast, females earned the greatest percentages of doctor's degrees relative to males in psychology (73 percent) and education (67 percent).
Technical Notes
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