This study examined the extent to which minority individuals with baccalaureate origins as non-traditional students (baccalaureates completed at age 25 or over) completed doctoral degrees in science and engineering. It compared the efficacy of their degree completion, i.e., elapsed time and registered time to degree, with that of counterparts with traditional baccalaureate origins, along with a number of other educational and demographic attributes. This study also examined the potential of corporations and the U.S. Armed Forces as talent pools from which minority applicants for doctoral study in science and engineering could be drawn. The statistical sample comprised all Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaskan Native recipients of doctorates in science and engineering for the period 1981-1990 (N=7,235) drawn from the National Doctorate Database of the National Research Council. Collaborative interviews were conducted with a small sample of the recipients. Interviews were also conducted with science and engineering corporate professionals and military personnel. Among the findings are: Minorities with non-traditional backgrounds comprised 16.9% of the doctorate recipients in the study. Nearly 27% of the non-traditionals and well over 9% of the traditionals had attended a junior or community college. The recipients were well represented in all the major fields, i.e., physical science, life science, social science, and engineering. The non-traditionals were over-represented in the social sciences. The average recipient completed the doctorate in 10.6 years after completing the baccalaureate. The groups were identical in elapsed time to degree. (PR)