Completion of Educational Doctorates: How universities can foster persistence

With high attrition and long time-to-degree completion rates in education doctorate programs, it is important to identify ways for program administrators and faculty to foster student persistence. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological inquiry was to examine the beliefs, attitudes, and experiences of individuals who successfully completed doctoral degrees in the field of education in order to identify ways in which academic institutions can encourage persistence. Glasser’s (1998) Choice Theory and Tinto’s (1975) student integration model were utilized as a framework for the study. From participant narratives of their education doctoral program experiences, five primary themes of doctoral program completion were identified. The themes were the following: (a) relationships with family, faculty and peers; (b) determination, organization skills, and time management; (c) program flexibility and course relevance; (d) career advancement and financial reward; and (e) clear doctoral program expectations. Derived from these themes, recommendations are provided for program administrators and faculty to foster student persistence in their doctorate of education programs.