The rate of doctoral degree completion, compared to all other degrees, is the lowest in the academy, with only 57 percent of doctoral students completing their degree within a ten-year period. In the science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) fields, 62 percent of the male students complete their doctoral degree in ten years, which is better than the national average. For their female counterparts, however, the ten-year degree completion rate is 54 percent. Females in humanities and social sciences have a higher completion rate than males; yet they are lagging behind in the SEM fields. Improving the graduation rate for women in SEM fields is not only a social justice and equity issue; it is an economic one. This article highlights the results from a study on students in the SEM fields that examined whether or not there was a gender effect on doctoral degree completion in these fields of study. The study examined the effect of student characteristics, financial aid, and labor market conditions on the degree completion of doctoral students in SEM fields. The study used the interaction of these variables with gender to determine if any of these factors play a role in the degree completion of women in science and engineering. The results from the study support that labor market conditions do affect doctoral degree completion for students in the SEM fields. Students in SEM fields with higher expected earnings will be more likely to complete their degree, and a higher unemployment rate reduces the likelihood that students will drop out from their program. These results are consistent with human capital theory and suggest that higher expected benefits from the degree will encourage completion. Differences related to gender were not identified. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)