Purpose: The present study develops, conceptualizes and validates a scale based on the transactional stress theory to assess the perceived challenge and hindrance demands of doctoral programs that impact doctoral students' psychological well-being. Design/methodology/approach: This research employs an exploratory-mixed methodology comprising five…

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was based on the problem statement; it was not known how some doctoral students pursuing their online doctoral program, overcame negative life events or setbacks to complete their doctoral program. The study examined doctoral completion from the angle of an added layer of complexity resulting…

Background: While studies examining graduate engineering student attrition have grown more prevalent, there is an incomplete understanding of the plight faced by persisting students. As mental health and well-being crises emerge in graduate student populations, it is important to understand how students conceptualize their well-being in relation…

In this study, we explore how accounting doctoral students fared during the pandemic. We survey accounting doctoral students from Canada and the United States and perform quantitative and qualitative analyses of the responses. We situate our research within social cognitive theory, and our findings suggest that accounting doctoral students…

As the field of psychology increases its focus on diversity, there continues to be a disproportionate underrepresentation of Black psychologists. Understanding Black psychologists' exposure to Racial Battle Fatigue as graduate students provides a unique opportunity to consider the cumulative impact of racial microaggressions during graduate…

Doctoral students often struggle with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and physical concerns, that are directly associated with their programs. Supporting doctoral students' well-being becomes critical during a global pandemic, when students become further isolated, uncertain, and struggle academically. The present study examined students' top…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black alumni of exclusively Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) who completed doctoral degrees in various disciplines. The specific focus was the participants' college and graduate experiences which led to graduate persistence, success, and ultimately graduation from a doctoral…

This study explored the overall lived experiences of international doctoral candidates in and graduates of counselor education and supervision programs in four regions of the U.S. The study used a phenomenological interpretative approach that focused on exploring the subjective nature of the participants' perspectives in-depth. Seven participants,…

Psychological distress is prevalent in doctoral degree training and affects students' completion time. It is crucial to monitor the amount of distress experienced and understand the causes for it to inform the type of support most needed. This mixed method study explored challenges related to candidature, self-reported progress and measures of…

Professional doctorates are designed to enable students to blend their doctorate level study with their working lives. During the course of their studies women undergo identity change and transformation as their perspectives change, this has knock on effects at home and at work. Women students, who are mothers, also have to balance and juggle…

Semi-structured, qualitative interviews conducted with an ethno-culturally diverse group of 27 doctoral students in one Canadian university department produced narratives that often featured stories of stress and struggle. Two interrelated themes emerging from the data are highlighted here: surviving financially and dealing with divisions and…

This study aimed to investigate some challenges female doctoral students experience in their doctoral journey. The study used a qualitative design and structured interviews. The theoretical framework that guided the study was that of Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecosystemic theory. A purposely selected sample of five female doctoral students from the…