Faculty Mentor(s)

Adviser Dr. Houston Thompson

Reader Dr. Bonnie Perry

Project Type

EdD Colloquium - MidAmerica

Scholarship Domain(s)

Scholarship of Community Application

Abstract

The number of professional doctorates offered by universities has grown rapidly since the 1990s. Research has shown that professional doctorates offer relevant doctoral education in order to meet the needs of the modern workplace. It is therefore incumbent upon universities to understand both the needs of the marketplace and the needs of students in order to offer doctoral programs that meet the needs of both. Universities must also determine the best use of limited resources for recruiting students to their doctoral programs. To address these issues, this study examined the level of interest that potential doctoral students—those currently in graduate school and those already holding a master’s degree—had in earning a doctoral degree. Using a large convenience sample (n=934) to survey potential doctoral students affiliated with several institutions, this study discovered that 20% had no interest in earning a doctoral degree, while 25% had a definite or very high interest in earning a doctoral degree. This study further examined the attitudes, program preferences, and motivations potential students had toward earning a doctoral degree, as well as obstacles they faced. While financial considerations were a major obstacle for most, chi-square analyses and multiple regressions found that one’s field, age, and various other factors influenced one’s level of interest in different types of doctoral degrees. While no one or two variables hold the key to predicting who will pursue a doctoral degree, universities offering a doctoral degree in Leadership should place some resources in forming partnerships with the business community.

Permission Type

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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Mar 24th, 9:40 AM Mar 24th, 9:55 AM

Interest among master's degree students and graduates in earning a doctoral degree in leadership

MidAmerica

The number of professional doctorates offered by universities has grown rapidly since the 1990s. Research has shown that professional doctorates offer relevant doctoral education in order to meet the needs of the modern workplace. It is therefore incumbent upon universities to understand both the needs of the marketplace and the needs of students in order to offer doctoral programs that meet the needs of both. Universities must also determine the best use of limited resources for recruiting students to their doctoral programs. To address these issues, this study examined the level of interest that potential doctoral students—those currently in graduate school and those already holding a master’s degree—had in earning a doctoral degree. Using a large convenience sample (n=934) to survey potential doctoral students affiliated with several institutions, this study discovered that 20% had no interest in earning a doctoral degree, while 25% had a definite or very high interest in earning a doctoral degree. This study further examined the attitudes, program preferences, and motivations potential students had toward earning a doctoral degree, as well as obstacles they faced. While financial considerations were a major obstacle for most, chi-square analyses and multiple regressions found that one’s field, age, and various other factors influenced one’s level of interest in different types of doctoral degrees. While no one or two variables hold the key to predicting who will pursue a doctoral degree, universities offering a doctoral degree in Leadership should place some resources in forming partnerships with the business community.