A DOCTORAL DISSERTATION IS DIFFICULT TO WRITE

Did you know that the majority of doctoral students do not finish their doctoral programs? Furthermore, a large number of those who finish take a very long time, sometimes up to ten years. Many doctoral students simply walk away instead of writing the dissertation. And what is the reason? Yes— a doctoral dissertation is difficult to write.

Dissertation Facts

Facts on Completion Rates of Doctorate

The doctoral dissertation is one of the most challenging projects in all of academia!
Here are the facts on the attrition and completion rates for the doctorate

  • Most experts agree that the dissertation is the biggest obstacle to earning that doctoral degree.
  • About 50% of the US students who start a doctoral program never finish.
  • Dissertation writing is one of the most challenging activities any individual may ever face in his or her lifetime.
  • Even the most talented doctoral students find that they are often under-prepared for the challenges of writing their dissertations.
  • For most doctoral students, completing the academic course work is easy; writing the dissertation is not!
  • Although they have the academic ability to succeed, of those who graduate, less than 25% of doctoral students finish the doctorate in 5 years; 45% finish in 7.
  • Overall, attrition in U.S. doctoral degree programs is more than 50%.
  • In the US, attrition is highest in the humanities, only 12% complete within five years.
  • Within 10 years, the completion rate for engineering is 64%, life sciences (63%), social sciences (56%), math and physical sciences (55%) and humanities, (49%).
    WriteDis Seminars remove the mystery in writing a doctoral dissertation.
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