要約

Matriculation into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) doctoral programs continues to be stratified by race/ethnicity with African American students typically earning fewer than 5% of all degrees awarded. While a growing body of literature has emerged on issues related to underrepresented students' persistence in STEM education through the baccalaureate degree, insufficient attention has been given to underrepresented students' decision to pursue STEM doctoral education. This exploratory qualitative study examined the perceptions of African American students currently enrolled in doctoral programs in the natural sciences to identify factors that influenced their decision to pursue the PhD Findings revealed three major themes that influenced their decision to pursue the doctorate: 1) scholarly experiences; 2) goals of empowering community and self; and 3) divine influences or personal values. Implications for developing interventions and future studies are discussed.