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Non-linear path to a doctorate: a comparison of direct- and indirect-pathway doctoral students at Russian universities

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Abstract

Worldwide, research reports increasing proportions of nontraditional doctoral students including those who return to a doctorate after a short or prolonged gap (indirect-pathway students (IPS)). However, studies lack knowledge about background, motivation, educational experience, and outcomes of IPS and differences between them and direct-pathway students (DPS) in regard to these characteristics. Our research aims to fill this gap using data from a survey of doctoral students at Russian universities (N = 5007). We compare three groups of students: DPS, interrupters (IPS with a less than 5-year gap), and returners (IPS with a longer gap). The analysis shows that returners stand out from the other two groups of students: they more frequently study part-time, have a full-time job, are married and have children, and enter doctoral programs with their own specific topic of dissertation. During their studying, returners less frequently interact with their supervisors and face a bigger amount of problems related to lack of academic skills, problems with knowledge of a foreign language, and family duties and the need to combine studying with work. At the same time, such students are more satisfied with their programs, develop more skills during their doctoral journeys, less often have difficulties with their supervisors or want to withdraw, and demonstrate a higher level of publication activity. We conclude that the master-apprentice model of doctoral education, elements of which are still highly widespread in Russia, could be more suitable for these students. Our findings raise questions about the necessity of doctoral programs’ diversification.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Notes

  1. To see the document: https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_140174/.

  2. See statistics of the Federal State Statistics Service: https://rosstat.gov.ru/statistics/education (in Russian).

  3. See more about the project: https://high-edu-quality.ru/research_project (in Russian).

  4. Doctoral students who study at research institutes were not included into the sample.

  5. There are two modes of study available to doctoral students: (1) full-time and (2) part-time. These modes differ by the length of the study (3–4 years depending on the area of research for the full-time programs, and 4–5 years respectively for the part-time programs) and volume of the class workload. Part-time mode also does not allow doctoral students to receive the social bonuses provided by the full-time mode such as government scholarship, place in the student dormitory, and a draft deferment.

  6. There are three forms of financing available to doctoral students: (1) tuition-free, (2) tuition-based, and (3) covered by employer. In the first case, funding for studying at doctoral programs is provided for students by government; in the second case, students pay for their doctoral education themselves; in the third case, some company covers costs for education. Usually, the latter option requires from students to work for the company for several years after finishing the program.

  7. Kruskal-Wallis H statistics.

  8. See Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation №2122 (30.11.2021): https://base.garant.ru/403137971/ (in Russian).

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Acknowledgements

This article is an output of a research project implemented as part of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University).

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  1. Center for Sociology of Higher Education, HSE University, Moscow, Russia

    Svetlana Zhuchkova & Evgeniy Terentev

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Zhuchkova, S., Terentev, E. Non-linear path to a doctorate: a comparison of direct- and indirect-pathway doctoral students at Russian universities. High Educ 87, 1729–1747 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01087-9

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