This qualitative study, of students in a chemical engineering research group at one institution, provided an in-depth understanding of what and how students learned about faculty careers from participation in their research group, and how this learning influenced their intentions to pursue the professoriate. The key findings in this study contribute to the growing body of research and theory on engineering doctoral education. The study identified the competencies students developed through their research experiences, as well as how these experiences created perceptions of a faculty prototype and promoted certain kinds of social comparisons with peers. The faculty prototype appeared to be particularly influential when it revealed to students perceived conflicts between their personal values, traits, and the activities of successful engineering faculty. This study ends with a set of testable propositions to guide future theory development and research, and offers recommendations for research design.
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