Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify perceived situational, dispositional and institutional barriers which had a negative impact on doctoral students' completing their degree requirements, identify faculty perceptions of the barriers encountered by their students, and develop recommendations which may serve to minimize the influence and impact of the identified barriers. This study proposed to answer the following questions: (1) Do graduates and non-graduates encounter the same barriers? (2) Are there barriers which affect one group more than the other? (3) Do the two groups identify similar barriers as having had greater impact? (4) Are there specific barriers which can be identified as the primary reasons why doctoral degree students do not complete their degree requirements? (5) Do faculty members perceive the same barriers that the graduates and non-graduates do? The invited sample for this study consisted of 489 graduates and non-graduates from the College of Education, Texas A&M University, who had been admitted by the Graduate College during the period August 1975 to July 1980. A questionnaire was developed from previous research studies described in the review of literature. The data producing sample was made up of 212 students (137 graduates & 75 non-graduates). The findings of this study are based on data extracted from the Graduate College records of all members of the invited sample, the 212 questionnaire responses and the perceptions of 12 faculty members. There were 36 barriers listed in the questionnaire, in 27 cases the graduates and non-graduates experienced similar impact. Graduates were more affected by financial, program difficulties and writing style requirements. The non-graduates were affected more by divorce, peer pressure, lack of academic preparation, changing educational objectives, time limits and residency requirements. The faculty perceptions were consistent with the student reported barriers in most cases.
Murrell, Jack Preston (1987). A study of the barriers perceived as having impact on degree attainment by doctoral students in the College of Education, Texas A & M University. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -754227.