The purpose of this qualitative, naturalistic study was to explore the ways in which hidden curriculum might influence doctoral student success. Two questions guided the study: (a) How do doctoral students experience the hidden curriculum? (b) What forms of hidden curricula can be identified in a PhD program? Data were collected from twelve…

The representation of racial and ethnic minorities in the nursing workforce is disproportionately low in comparison with their representation in the general population in the United States. Despite diversity initiatives, the slight increase in enrollment of under-represented minority (URM) students in graduate schools of nursing at predominantly…

The attrition of doctoral students in U.S. higher education, especially those who are underrepresented, is an understudied problem. This study examines how underrepresented minority doctoral students experience belonging at a predominantly White institution in the Midwest to identify factors that lead to attrition. The study used a mixed methods…

Suicide is an ongoing public health crisis in the United States, which represents the second leading cause of death for college students. The literature suggests that the nature of psychopathology on college campuses has become more severe over the last several decades, with increases in suicidal ideation and depression. This has led to an…

This study sought to understand why some students at Eagle University (pseudo.) complete the doctoral program in instructional technology while others do not. The study explores factors and issues affecting doctoral attrition and completion of the Ph.D. in instructional technology (IT) in the College of Education at Eagle University, a major…

African Americans have made great advancements in postsecondary education. Over the last thirty years, enrollment and degree attainment has increased over 65% at undergraduate and graduate degree levels (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008). Yet despite these gains, African Americans continue to severely trail behind other racial and…

The purpose of this disquisition is to add to the body of educational research through practitioner, quantitative, and qualitative inquiry on the topic of academic debate. In a three-tiered study, the author conducted research for this dissertation with the intent to examine argumentation and debate in higher education. The settings for this…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of doctoral student mothers pursuing doctorates in higher education as well as the meanings ascribed to the doctorate. This study was guided by Rich's (1976) notion of motherhood as experience and as institution held in tension with postmodernism's interest in discourse and difference. As…

The largest number of licensed psychologists are centralized in California. More PsyD than PhD degrees in clinical psychology are now awarded, and California houses 16 of the 59 APA-accredited programs. Post-millennia Early Career Psychologists (ECPs) typically accumulate over $120,000 in education debt, and may be concerned with the cost-benefit…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to understand the key constructs and processes underlying the mentoring relationships between doctoral students and their mentors. First, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to evaluate the measurement structure underlying the 34-item Ideal Mentor Scale (IMS; Rose, 2003), followed by…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the characteristics and motivations that led to persistence in a doctoral cohort program of study. A phenomenological case study approach, utilizing a comprehensive interview format, was used to gain a deep understanding of the phenomenon. The case for this research was Robert Morris University's…

This qualitative study focused on counseling psychology doctoral students' perspectives regarding their practicum training experience in primary care psychology. The four participants included three females and one male. Semi-structured individual and focus group interviews were used to explore participants' experiences. The participants described…

This study sought to address the American Psychological Association's goals of providing a multiculturally safe and nurturing environment for ethnic minorities in psychology (CEMRRAT2, 2007). The current research sought to understand how safe, valued, and nurtured Mexican American women in doctoral counseling psychology programs felt. These…

Despite the growing body of research on doctoral education, little is known about how doctoral students learn to do research across the disciplines. Even though there is a lack of empirical research on the pedagogy of research in doctoral education, much of the literature anecdotally and metaphorically attributes students' learning to traditional…

There is an abundance of data that indicate that social inequality contributes to the school failure of African American and other children of color. Despite this finding, educational leadership preparation programs, have not, overwhelmingly embraced a social justice curriculum (Lopez, 2003). The purpose of this study was to understand faculty and…