Factors affecting PhD delays of domestic doctoral candidates

Abstract

PhD delays occur frequently in higher education in the world and Vietnam is not an exception. This problem results in a waste of time, effort and finance of doctoral candidates, higher education institutions and society. Thus, this study is an attempt to explore factors affecting delays of domestic doctoral candidates, thereby puts forth some recommendations for PhD students, PhD supervisors and universities. To achieve this aim, the research adopted mixed method with two research instruments namely questionnaires with 50 PhD students and in-depth interview with six of them. The results indicated that factors regarding heavy workload, family responsibilities, limited research capacity, and limited English competence affected PhD completion. There also existed psychology factor which was not sufficiently accommodated by supervisors, research community and institutions. The study will offer some sollutions to lower the delay rate which eventually enhance the training effectiveness and acquire universities’ prestige in post-graduate sector.