Date of Conferral

8-1-2024

Date of Award

August 2024

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Jen Oullette-schramm

Abstract

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 model by Hanson et al. provided a conceptual framework to describe and seek to understand the different factors related to retention and time to degree and suggests interventions to increase candidates’ likelihood of degree completion. The key research questions explored HELs’ perceptions of their successes and challenges to increase the completion rates in their doctoral programs. The basic qualitative approach included semistructured, open-ended interviews with HELs. The findings of the study indicated that HELs' insights on program strengths and weaknesses can be harnessed to improve doctoral student completion rates, fostering positive social change. This study is significant in that the findings could contribute to suitable solutions to address low completion rates through HELs’ perspectives. HELs might have the knowledge, background, or experience in dealing with completion rates of doctoral programs that can suggest solutions or suitable recommendations to the problem of low completion rates. The social benefits of addressing low completion rates could improve doctoral programs and the completion rates of doctoral students. Increased doctoral program completion, informed by leaders' experiences, can drive social change through knowledge creation, workforce development, and inclusivity.

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