Completing a higher degree is a complex and demanding undertaking for doctoral students. Along with the cognitive demands of study, there are competing personal and contextual factors which contribute to stress for students during the process. This study seeks to contribute to existing literature by acknowledging the characteristics of the…

The problem addressed through this study is that the completion rates of doctoral programs in the United States range as low as 40%. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of higher education leaders (HELs) on their successes and challenges in increasing completion rates in their doctoral programs. The list of values…

The number of doctoral recipients per year in the United States has grown considerably, yet on average, half of all students do not persist to degree completion or far exceed the expected completion timeline. Attrition and extended time to degree negatively impact both doctoral students and institutions and costs each time, money, and effort.…

This study illuminates the rich and unique experiences of alumni who successfully completed a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). During two open-ended interview sessions, eight participants revealed the barriers they encountered and successfully navigated to complete their doctoral programs. Some findings align with previously known barriers from extant…

The number of mature students in PhD programs in Canada has increased over recent years. While research suggests older adults are more intrinsically motivated and tend to academically outperform their younger peers, studies generally focus on the problems and barriers mature students frequently encounter. The purpose of this research is to fill a…

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…

This qualitative descriptive study explored the perceptions of students enrolled in online doctoral programs in the United States regarding how they defined and described connectedness as it relates to their online programs. The theoretical foundations of this study were Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Bowlby's attachment theory. Two…

Online graduate degree program offerings are increasing in popularity, and online graduate students need support to acclimate to their degree programs. Online orientations have been effective in undergraduate programs; however, there is limited research on the effectiveness of online orientations in online graduate degree programs. The problem…

Attrition is a major problem for the doctoral education system and in particular for underrepresented groups. Research has proposed several reasons for students dropping out that include both personal and programmatic variables. A review of the literature identified several factors that overlap in the research on attrition, resilience, and…

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…

This quantitative study of one doctoral department at a regional, state-supported university located in the Southeastern United States used descriptive, parametric, and non-parametric methods to determine the relationships between gender and each of the academic or graduation factors. Graduation rates were analyzed for doctoral students admitted…

Whether studying physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, mathematics, humanities, or education, approximately one in every two doctoral students fail to persist to degree completion (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Lovitts, 2001; Tinto, 2012). A quantitative comparative study focused on two populations; students currently enrolled in the…

The limited research on attrition percentages in online EdD programs comprises the problem under investigation. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of students in an online EdD higher education administration program who completed all program requirements except for the dissertation at a…

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is defined as the highest achievable degree and represents the completion of a specialized mentored project. Concerningly, graduate programs are structured in ways that can lead to inequities that exclude graduate students based on race, class, gender, ability, and additional intersecting social locations. Drawing from…

Black women in counselor education and supervision (CES) programs have historically been underrepresented in the scholarly literature, making it vital to understand how this group of women cope with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and understand…