The Problem: Completing a doctorate takes years. Not every student has the endurance – or the time – to finish. Over the past decade, attrition rates in United States programs have remained near 50%. Around half of learners complete coursework requirements but can’t get over the dissertation hump, which can feel overwhelmingly open-ended and isolating.
The Solution: Enterprising universities are trying to bring doctoral students back to school, but this time with the scaffolding and personalized support to turn their Ph.D. ambitions into reality.
Exhibit A: Bay Path University’s Doctor of Education program launched in 2019 with an individualized 30-credit All But Dissertation (ABD) track. The ABD model helps students who previously dropped out complete an expedited online Ph.D. program in five semesters or less. The model places ABD students in a tight-knit cohort with a dedicated faculty advisor who respects their time constraints as working adult learners without watering down rigorous academics.
The Pros: Dissertation writing and editing are baked into the structure of each course rather than pushed to the end of the program. Candidates determine their topics by the end of the first semester. Each course incorporates learning a new tool of research or writing (such as how to choose sources or annotate a bibliography) in addition to the subject matter, and their class assignments include beginning to write a key part of the dissertation and editing it with peer and faculty feedback. Mela Dutka, co-director of the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program, calls the small-group community support system “the secret sauce” that keeps students moving forward.
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The Cons: Faculty may have to dedicate more bandwidth to coaching doctoral candidates in an individualized program, including reviewing their previous coursework and refreshing skills. Dutka says that most faculty have senior experience in education leadership and embrace the goal of retention. That can mean professors sending students check-in texts after an absence. “This is not a program that fits every potential faculty member,” Dutka cautions. “We take time and care to recruit and retain faculty committed to doctoral student support.”
Reality Check: Bay Path admits seven to 10 ABD students each year and intentionally keeps the program student-focused and nimble. “We are building the airplane as we fly,” Dutka says. “We talk with students and monitor progress, evaluate courses and make changes where we see there’s something that needs to be improved.”
The Upshot: Although the program is still relatively new, its results are overwhelmingly promising. Dutka reports that nearly 90% of ABD students have completed their degrees – significantly higher than the national average.
Danna Lorch is a Boston-based higher education writer and strategist.
