Doggy doctorates: Early career progression outcomes for UK‐funded postgraduate canine health and welfare researchers

Abstract

Abstract Background This quantitative study describes characteristics and career outcomes (in August 2024) of students completing research master's or PhD degrees in canine health and welfare who received not‐for‐profit funding between 2012 and 2018. Methods Historical canine health and welfare research funding data were used to identify research students whose subsequent career outcomes were established by visual scrutiny of public online databases. Data were anonymised, aggregated and analysed to determine overall career patterns. Results This cohort ( n = 50) comprised 23 veterinarians and 27 non‐veterinarians, with an approximately 4:1 female:male ratio. In 2024, 23 (50.0%) of the traceable prior students had secured a permanent job, but 63.0% of the prior students employed within academia were significantly less likely to have a permanent role than those working outside academia ( p = 0.002). All those employed remained within the science and health sector, and the majority (71.7%) worked in animal‐focused roles. Limitations This study is retrospective and quantitative and considers only the canine sector. Conclusion Postgraduate research degrees in canine health and welfare are undertaken by some veterinarians and non‐veterinarians and lead to varied subsequent employment opportunities. However, these results support wider concerns that early career pathways in academia provide less secure employment opportunities than comparable alternatives.