Current trends in the internationalization of doctoral programs require new understandings of the formation of scholarly identity. This study explores the utility of a cosmopolitan perspective. It reports on identity projects sparked by Chinese students' participation in a doctoral workshop in Australia; it highlights the realization, retrieval,…

Using NPSAS 2012 data, this study examines graduate student debt for STEM versus non-STEM students who were enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree program in 2012. Findings showed significantly higher debt for those in non-STEM programs as well as differences by amount of undergraduate debt, race, and full- or part-time enrollment status. These…

Does one need really need boundaries between doctoral supervisor and supervisee when talking about mature learners? Drawing on reflection from her extensive experience, the author believes it is critical to maintain this divide. There is an increase in doctoral students, proliferation of doctoral programmes globally and practices which vary from…

Threshold concepts have been widely utilized to understand learning in academic disciplines and student experiences in a disciplinary curriculum. This study considered how threshold concepts might operate within an interdisciplinary setting. Data were collected through interviews with 40 doctoral students enrolled in an interdisciplinary program…

While there has been a long-standing concern about the role of policy within social work education and social work practice, most of the emphasis has been on social work education at the BSW and MSW levels. This article examines policy education at the PhD level. It first explores how policy is taught in social work PhD programs in the United…

The number of PhD students in the UK is growing exponentially, and in an increasingly competitive labour market, postgraduate research students are facing unprecedented pressure to demonstrate a range of skills within and beyond research management. Due to the popularity and broad-ranging nature of the discipline, psychology students will face…

This study examines the language, academic, and socio-cultural concerns of 24 Vietnamese international students (PhD, master's and undergraduate) studying in universities in Sydney, Australia. Alongside the obvious linguistic concerns, the salient issues that emerge from this study draw attention to the struggles these students face to adapt to…

This article attempts to build a cross-reference between a Doctoral program in Business and Administration (DBA) and the concept of 'Action Learning' made known within this programme, while also highlighting the relevance for 'Action Learning' in the authors professional daily life. The experiences made during the studies, when the concept of…

The learning curve on how to become a Teaching Assistant (TA) can be rather steep. In this paper, the authors explore three areas they wish they were advised in prior to beginning their teaching careers. The lessons are centered on balancing expectations and responsibilities in the following areas: 1) prioritizing their own work and research over…

This qualitative study examined how a national program, established by Latina/o faculty, engaged in socialization efforts to foster persistence in doctoral degree programs. The study used spiritual activism as a framework to examine the mentoring relationships fostered among program participants. Data derived from interviews with 19 program alumni…

Alongside the growing numbers of professional doctorate programmes being offered within universities in the past 20 years, there has been a growth in the academic literature associated with various aspects of these research degrees. This systematic literature review draws on the evidence of 193 academic papers to map out the existing academic…

The changing nature of doctoral education over the past three decades has taken on a triadic relationship constructed around expectations-process-purposes and has generated much commentary and critique. The intention of this paper is to focus on the notion of "purpose" from the perspective of doctoral supervisors which we have collated…

Encouraging doctoral students to publish during their candidature is becoming more widely accepted and practised, both in Australia and internationally, although it is still less common in some fields. Almost all universities in Australia now offer candidates an option to include publications in their doctoral thesis. This paradigm shift has…

Intellectual abilities alone are not sufficient to successfully progress through doctoral studies. Research indicates that modes of training and the context and conditions in which doctoral studies take place also have a significant impact on the process. However, few studies examine how taken-for-granted and self-evident practices in academia…

Interdisciplinary inquiry is widely perceived to be essential for tackling the most pressing social and environmental issues we face (Brown, Harris, & Russell, 2010). Scholars from many different traditions have argued that the magnitude and complexity of such problems require the integration of perspectives and expertise from multiple…