HEFCE (2007) PhD research degrees Entry and completion 

January 2005/02A Summary Part 1

Ornette ClennonKevin Gallimore

Trevor Brown

Presentation overview

I. Factors which influence completion rates of PhDs / Research Degrees

I. HEFCE (2007) PhD research degrees Entry and completion

II. Research perspective

II. Summary Factors which improve completion rates

1.1 HEFCE (2007) ‘PhD research degrees: Entry and completion

The report examines the rates of completion for a cohort of UK HEI students who began on a doctorate degree mainly by research in academic year 1996-97.

intended to inform discussion • about the quality of supervision of postgraduate• research time• rate of PhD completion

Entry to PhD programmes HEFCE (2007) • progress directly from the

same HEI. UG, MSc• 12% PT35 %• from a different HEI. • 9 % PT27 %• did not qualify at UG or MSc

level in the year before• 78 %. PT38 %

The progress of students 1996-7 to 2002-3 HEFCE (2007)

18 % full-time change to part-time

11% part-time students change to full-time

11% FT and 28 % PT remain on programme 7

years later

10 % of students

take a break min

1Y

4 % change institutions

Outcomes Definition of completion

HEFCE (2007)

A student is defined as completing when • they have been awarded a PhD and • the ‘qualification obtained’ has been returned through the

individualised HESA student record.

This will typically be up to a year after the student submitted their thesis for assessment.

Completions HEFCE (2007)

5 years 57 % FT PhD

19 % PT PhD

7 Years 71 % FT PhD

34 % PT PhD

7 Years 5 % FT MPhil

3 % PT MPhil

MPhil, PhD or both (7Y) 74 % FT 37 % PT

Differences in completion rates between institutions full-time students

Individual institutional and departments;

Significant and material variation in PhD completion rates

Accounting for all other student and programme factors

Differences in completion rates between institutions Part Time HEFCE (2007)

Institutional variation in PhD completion rates

Variation is not materially different from random

variations between individuals

Outcomes HEFCE (2007)

part-time students have fewer of the characteristics associated with high completion = lower completion rates

Students with financial backing

Students from overseas

Younger students

Students following Natural Sciences

Higher rates of completion

1.2 Research findings

Broad themes from educational leadership

A qualitative multiple case study analysis four major themes:

(1) quality of academic experiences

(2) online learning environment

(3) support and assistance

(4) student self-motivation

(Ivankova and Stick 2007)

Completion time In Economics PhDs

NO DIFFERENCE in time-to-degree between

– men and women, – married and single students, – older and younger students, – larger or smaller Ph.D. programs.

Finish faster• Supported by fellowships, • Hold a prior Master's

degree.

Finish slower• Take jobs before

completing their degree,• Have children (women not

men)

(Siegfried and Stock 2001)

Gender

No overall gender

difference completion

• In applied fields Men, more likely to drop out for attractive jobs

No overall gender

difference TTC

•male graduates were more satisfied with quality of supervision than females

(Mastekaasa 2005)

(Seagram, Gould et al. 1998)

Identity transformation problematic for women.

Cultural expectations can cause tensions between women’s social relationships and academic performance.

Cultural Expectations 

Academic Performance 

Values 

(Carter, Blumenstein et al. 2013)

Finance Financial Student Aid

Students finish faster

Increased probability of finishing successfully

(Glocker 2011)

See next slide

Financial supportImproves completion rates and time to completion

Slower completers received more years of support

Faster comple

tion

Slower comple

tion

(Seagram, Gould et al. 1998)(Ehrenberg and Mavros 1995)

Natural Sciences reported receiving more years of teaching assistantships and research

assistantships than respondents from the other disciplines.

Student Ability

• Ability makes a difference • But in science and engineering

(once ability has been controlled for)

– ethnic differences vanish – females only lag slightly behind males

(Baker 1998)

Student self-sabotaging behavioursOvercommittin

g

Procrastination

Perfectionism

(Kearns, Gardiner et al. 2008

Student Factors

• Anxiety• ProcrastinationIndividual

• Peers, • Supervisors • Faculty

Relational

• Program, • Facilities, • Annual Review

Structural

(Liechty, Liao et al. 2009)

Structure

Progress

Plan Commitment

Goal Commitment

Supervisor SupportTime Commitment

Structure

(de Valero 2001)(Martinsuo and Turkulainen 2011)

Peer support & socialisation

Progress

Peer SupportSupervisor

SupportSocialisation

(Martinsuo and Turkulainen 2011) (de Valero 2001)

Early warning signs of problems with timely completion

(Manathunga 2005)

Constantly changing the topic or planned work ,

Avoiding all forms of communication with the supervisor

Isolating themselves from the school and students

Avoiding submitting work for review

2.Summary Factors which

improve completion rates

Financial backing -

monitored and

supported

Support and assistance

Socialisation -

department,

relationships, peers

Structures- support,

plans commitmen

ts, time guidance

self-motivation, commitmen

ts

Supervisor support

Quality of academic

experiences

Online learning

environment

Culture and gender –

conscious of the effects of cultural

expectations

PT - needs specific

structure, support (internal

and external)

and socialisation

Individualised inclusive experience

References

• Baker, J. G. (1998), "Gender, race and PhD completion in natural science and engineering." Economics of Education Review, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp 179-188.

• Carter, S., M. Blumenstein, et al. (2013), "Different for women? The challenges of doctoral studies." Teaching In Higher Education, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp 339-351.

• de Valero, Y. F. (2001), "Departmental factors affecting time-to-degree and completion rates of doctoral students at one land-grant research institution." Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 72 No. 3, pp 341-367.

• Ehrenberg, R. G. and P. G. Mavros (1995), "DO DOCTORAL STUDENTS FINANCIAL-SUPPORT PATTERNS AFFECT THEIR TIMES-TO-DEGREE AND COMPLETION PROBABILITIES." Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp 581-609.

• Glocker, D. (2011), "The effect of student aid on the duration of study." Economics of Education Review, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp 177-190.

• Ivankova, N. V. and S. L. Stick (2007), "Students' persistence in a distributed doctoral program in educational leadership in higher education: A mixed methods study." Research in Higher Education, Vol. 48 No. 1, pp 93-135.

• Kearns, H., M. Gardiner, et al. (2008), "Innovation in PhD completion: the hardy shall succeed (and be happy!)." Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp 77-89.

• Liechty, J. M., M. Liao, et al. (2009), "FACILITATING DISSERTATION COMPLETION AND SUCCESS AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN SOCIAL WORK." Journal of Social Work Education, Vol. 45 No. 3, pp 481-497.

• Manathunga, C. (2005), "Early warning signs in postgraduate research education: a different approach to ensuring timely completions." Teaching In Higher Education, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp 219-233.

• Martinsuo, M. and V. Turkulainen (2011), "Personal commitment, support and progress in doctoral studies." Studies In Higher Education, Vol. 36 No. 1, pp 103-120.

• Mastekaasa, A. (2005), "Gender differences in educational attainment: the case of doctoral degrees in Norway." British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp 375-394.

• Seagram, B. C., J. Gould, et al. (1998), "An investigation of gender and other variables on time to completion of doctoral degrees." Research in Higher Education, Vol. 39 No. 3, pp 319-335.

• Siegfried, J. J. and W. A. Stock (2001), "So you want to earn a Ph.D. in economics? How long do you think it will take?" Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 36 No. 2, pp 364-378.