Our office administers the First Destination Survey (FDS) to capture information regarding how new college graduates fare in their careers within six months of graduation. Started by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the annual initiative provides clear, concise, and consistent information on the outcomes associated with a college education on a national scale. The FDS is designed to provide trends data over time by individual classes to inform the discussion about the value of higher education.
What is the First Destination Survey?
The First Destination Survey, or FDS, is a national survey organized by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Implemented by colleges and universities across the country, the goal of the survey is to collect information related to the post-graduation outcomes of recent graduates within six months of graduation.
Annually, Career Development Center distributes the FDS to gather post graduation outcomes from undergraduate and graduate students. The FDS analyzes the following post graduation outcomes:
- Type of employment
- Continuing education
- Still seeking
- Starting salary for those employed full time
Career Development is responsible for administering the FDS to students. This includes promotion of the survey, data collection, initial data analysis, and reporting the national data collection effort. Any data a student shares will be aggregated and unidentifiable.
Why should you care about the FDS?
Support graduate success
The First Destination Survey (FDS) tracks and celebrates the successes of our graduates, honoring their achievements while enhancing the college’s reputation. It also supports students still seeking opportunities and empowers us to advocate for their success, showcasing the positive outcomes of our community.
Career Readiness Integration
The information gathered through the FDS empowers both faculty and staff to advocate effectively for student success. By understanding the outcome of our graduates we can better inform our programs, refine our services, and ultimately contribute to the overall success of our students.
Enhanced student engagement
By understanding where graduates find employment or continue their studies faculty can create opportunities for students to connect with alumni, fostering network and mentorship relations that enriched the educational experience.
Support Institutional Success
The First Destination Survey is designed to understand more about the employment and continuing education goals and activities of college graduates, providing important information to help inform prospective students and their families as well as the general public about post-graduation outcomes.
What is the data used for?
The results inform career coaching strategies, highlight successful graduate outcomes, strengthen employer partnerships, and foster a thriving career development environment on campus. FDS results can enhance our services in multiple ways:
- Identify themes of high demand industries or sectors
- Organize targeted workshops and tailored networking events
- Collaborate with organizations that hire Emersionans to expand internship opportunities
- Share an executive summary with different departments such as alumni engagement, admissions, faculty.
What is Knowledge Rate?
The percent of graduates for which the institution has reasonable and verifiable information concerning the graduates' post graduation career activities.
This information comes directly from the graduates via the Handshake First Destination Survey and career consultant outreach. Relevant data, however, may also be provided by employers, or obtained through other sources (e.g., Linkedin profiles, and other online sources).
What is Career Outcome Rate?
NACE encourages using "career outcome rate" over "placement rate," focusing on graduates engaged in meaningful outcomes. The standards include both full- and part-time work, distinguish voluntary service from employment, and count service programs as career outcomes, positively reflecting on graduates and institutions.
How are students encouraged to complete the FDS?
The Career Development Center promotes FDS completion through senior appointments, automated emails, and outreach from faculty and staff. Your information will be shared anonymously in external reports, excluding internal Emerson colleagues.
If you are a recent graduate, please check your Emerson email to complete the survey or click here and share your post graduation plans with the Emerson College community. Please contact careers [at] emerson.edu (careers[at]emerson[dot]edu) or 617-824-8586 if you have any questions or need help accessing the survey.
What if a student hasn’t gotten a job or into graduate school yet?
That’s fine! Even if students haven't secured a job or graduate school acceptance, completing the survey is crucial. The Career Development Center assists students in finding opportunities post-graduation. Contact career [at] emerson.edu to schedule a session with a counselor.If you have any queries or require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Career Development Center at careers [at] emerson.edu (careers[at]emerson[dot]edu) or 617-824-8586. Your success is our priority, and we are here to support you every step of the way!