The Retention of Women in the Architectural Engineering Workforce

Retention of women in the architectural engineering workforce is important to the diversity and future success of the profession. This is an issue that is not only important to those involved in the formal education of architectural engineers but is also important to employers that invest significant resources in the recruitment and development of these professionals. However, little research has been done on specific disciplines of engineering, especially the field of architectural engineering, related to gender and retention in the workforce. This paper summarizes a research study consisting of a written survey mailed to all female graduates between the years 1990 and 2005 from Kansas State University's architectural engineering program. The data compiled from this research revealed the retention rate of these women in the architectural engineering workforce following graduation. In addition to establishing a retention rate the study also presents a strong correlation between attaining professional engineering licensure and retention in the architectural engineering workforce. Retention of women in the architectural engineering workforce is important to the diversity and future success of the profession. This is an issue that is not only important to those involved in the formal education of architectural engineers but is also important to employers that invest significant resources in the recruitment and development of these professionals. However, little research has been done on specific disciplines of engineering, especially the field of architectural engineering, related to gender and retention in the workforce.