Beating the Doctoral Dropout Rate

The troubling secret in higher education is that
approximately 50% of doctoral students drop out
before graduating.
It doesn t have to be.
Sarah Church became fascinated by the Mock Orals
program at St. John's University in New York, which
produced a startlingly higher completion rate. From
1991 to 2006, 87.5% of matriculated students graduated.
Dr. Church s fascination grew into a study, reported,
here, of the components of the program and the
reasons for its positive effects on student
completion rates. Academic, social, and professional
integration for the students at all stages of the
degree process is the key to the program s success.
Students benefit not only from the rehearsal of their
oral defense presentations, but also from the regular
gathering of all levels of students, graduates,
faculty, and professionals for the rehearsals.
Dr. Church offers this to all institutions concerned
about increasing their rates of doctoral graduation.

Autorentext

Sarah E. Church, EdD, is an assistant professor and unitcoordinator of Teacher Education at Eugenio María de HostosCommunity College of the City University of New York.

Klappentext

The troubling secret in higher education is thatapproximately 50% of doctoral students drop outbefore graduating. It doesn't have to be. Sarah Church became fascinated by the Mock Oralsprogram at St. John's University in New York, whichproduced a startlingly higher completion rate. From1991 to 2006, 87.5% of matriculated students graduated. Dr. Church's fascination grew into a study, reported,here, of the components of the program and thereasons for its positive effects on studentcompletion rates. Academic, social, and professionalintegration for the students at all stages of thedegree process is the key to the program's success.Students benefit not only from the rehearsal of theiroral defense presentations, but also from the regulargathering of all levels of students, graduates,faculty, and professionals for the rehearsals. Dr. Church offers this to all institutions concernedabout increasing their rates of doctoral graduation.