<p>Do all graduate students go into these programs wanting to do research as a career or do some of them go in with the express intent to get a PhD as an end goal? </p>
<p>Not sure if my question makes sense.</p>
<p>Personally, I have other avenues of interest outside of research after my PhD. I want to keep things open, since I have NO idea what not only I will want to do, 5-7 years down the road, but also what job options will be available. Outside of research, or maybe after doing years of research, I see myself in science writing (popular science books, or journalism, what-have-you) or something along the lines of public education of science (ala, Eugenie Scott’s job at the NCSE). These are generally jobs you do need a PhD. If you want to talk about science or write about it, I think you need to know how science research is conducted.</p>