Becoming a Ph.D. Scholar: A Study of Doctoral Students’ Experiences and Challenges

Abstract

Doctorate is a highly esteemed academic degree. PhD education is crucial in today's knowledge driven economy because it help to create new knowledge and skills for the benefit of the economy and for the intellectual society as a whole. Although obtaining a doctorate is a challenging path. The demands are high and the journey can be challenging both mentally and physically. PhD students frequently encounter number of challenges and unexpected barriers and difficulties in the developing nation like Pakistan during their PhD studies, which make it difficult for students to finish their PhD programs on time. Therefore, the current study sought to investigate how scholars perceived their PhD studies and also brought attention to the difficulties that the scholars encountered when working on their coursework and research. Data collected from PhD students of public and private universities of Karachi by using qualitative research method approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Prominent themes are emerged through the application of thematic analysis that includes 1) PhD as a pathway to social and financial Status, 2) Academic experiences includes a) Supervision experiences b) Challenges in research process c) Learning Avenues d) Key Challenges in Publication e) Coursework experiences and requirements 3) Personal adversities includes a) Programme Cost: Highly expensive programme b) Health associated Issues c) Balancing job expectations and academic demands. The research results indicate issues students faced at PhD program that need to be resolved so they can concentrate on their studies instead of dealing with these inconveniences.

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