Non-linear path to a doctorate: a comparison of direct- and indirect-pathway doctoral students at Russian universities

Zhuchkova, Svetlana; Terentev, Evgeniy

doi:10.1007/s10734-023-01087-9

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Few exceptions have shown that students with higher academic achievements at school and with more educated parents are more likely to pursue a doctoral degree [33]. Furthermore, students who had more than a 5-year gap before entering a doctoral program are more productive in publishing [34]. Finally, students that got their previous degrees in the same university have more chances to get a degree [27].…”

Section: National Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building a strong foundation: How pre-doctorate experience shapes doctoral student outcomes

Zhuchkova,

Bekova

2023

PLoS ONE

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The effectiveness of doctoral programs has been a major topic of interest for national policies, universities, and researchers for decades now. However, studies that try to identify factors associated with doctoral students’ success usually focus on characteristics measured during doctoral training, while the role of pre-doctorate characteristics remains underexplored. This research aims to fill this gap by examining whether and how various aspects of pre-doctorate experience–academic achievements, research experience related and unrelated to the dissertation topic, and teaching experience–contribute to the successful defense of the doctoral dissertation. Using data from a survey of the Russian doctoral programs’ graduates (N = 985) and regression analysis, we show that research experience related to the dissertation topic is the only pre-doctorate characteristic associated with the successful defense of the dissertation. At the same time, the effect of this type of research experience vanishes when controlling for support from the supervisor and department that students receive during their training. The results of the study can be used for designing criteria for doctoral students’ admission campaigns and introduction of integrated, or fast-track, doctoral programs, as well as to broaden our understanding of the relative importance of environmental vs. individual factors of doctoral students’ outcomes.

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Section: National Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%