Congratulations to Nicholas Giarrusso who on Monday, May 6, 2024, confidently and successfully defended his dissertation The title of Nicholas’ dissertation is: "A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (EDD) DOCTORAL DEGREE COMPLETION AND NON-COMPLETION"
High attrition rates within doctoral programs have long plagued the field of higher education. Over the past half century doctoral attrition rates have hovered below 50% in North American institutions (Lovitts, 2001; OECD, 2020; Schneider & Yin, 2011; Sverdlik et al., 2018). As students escalate up the ladder of educational attainment the difficulty of degree completion is illustrated in the numbers. Currently, the United States high school dropout rate stands at 4.7%, with a graduation rate exceeding 93% (McFarland et al., 2019; National Science Foundation [NSF], 2019). On the contrary, less than 2% of the American population have earned a doctoral degree, with an average of 44% of doctoral candidates failing to complete their studies (National Science Foundation [NSF], 2022; Young et al., 2019). The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the professional, personal, and program-related factors influencing EdD degree completion and non-completion, as reported by students who both completed and failed to complete their EdD program.
This study will provide the field with updated research on the factors contributing to why students complete, or fail to complete, an EdD doctoral program in educational leadership, from a sampling of several accredited, non-for-profit, colleges and universities in the United States.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Robert Monson
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Shelley B. Wepner
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The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville, offered in partnership with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, utilizes a forward-thinking approach to educational leadership that is ideal for practicing and aspiring leaders in any educational context. It is designed to support the goals of educational professionals who seek to develop their leadership skills for career advancement or current job enhancement.
