Purpose
The purpose of the Career Outcomes Initiative is to provide insight into the employment or continuing education status for University of Georgia graduates (bachelors, masters, doctorate, and professional students) within an average of 6 months of their graduation date. Additionally, the data provides detailed employment information, salary statistics, and graduate school information. These statistical reports constitute the only centralized employment data collection for the University of Georgia and are used by current students, employers, departments, and other stakeholders. Finally, the Career Outcomes Initiative provides graduates with an opportunity to recognize UGA faculty and staff who have greatly influenced their career path or decision making.
Career Outcomes Data Usage
- The Office of Institutional Research publishes data in the UGA Fact Book and reports data to external ranking organizations, such as US News, Businessweek, etc.
- The University of Georgia administration includes these statistics in literature and other forms of direct messaging/communication
- The UGA Admissions Office shares career outcomes data with prospective students
- Several UGA colleges use the data for accreditation purposes
- Current and prospective students use the data when choosing a
major
- Current students use employment information statistics in job and
internship searches
- Parents use the information to gauge return on investment
- Employers use salary information in hiring process
- Faculty use career outcomes data in research grant applications
- The Career Center office uses it in student and parents’ orientation sessions and in counseling appointments
Survey Parameters
- The data collection cycle is completed for the graduating class of each academic year. For example, Class of 2024 consists of August 2023, December 2023 and May 2024 graduates. In this example, we start collecting data in August 2023 and end the cycle in November of 2024.
- Each semester, current graduates are contacted via email before graduation and then again once a month, up to six months after graduation.
- At approximately three months after graduation, non-respondents and those still seeking are contacted via texting and calling campaigns.
- Additional data sources: We obtain employment and continuing education data from employers, UGA schools/colleges, Office of Global Engagement, Registrar's Office, GAIL, and the National Student Clearing House.
