Ph.D. Completion and Attrition: Findings from Exit Surveys of PhD Completers

This is the third in a series of publications from the Ph.D. Completion Project. It paints a broad picture of the various aspects of the doctoral experience of Ph.D. completers, as reported by 1,406 students who completed Ph.D. degrees in 18 universities between March 2006 and August 2008. Heading the list of major factors graduates contributed to Ph.D. completion were financial support, mentoring/advising, and family support. Other factors that students identified as contributing to their success were social environment and peer group support, program quality, and professional/career guidance.

ISBN: 1-933042-22-2

Authors: Robert S. Sowell, Nathan E. Bell, Sheila Nataraj Kirby, and Scott Naftel

To access a member PDF copy, go here.