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^aCardiff Institute for Society, Health and Ethics, Cardiff University, 53 Park Place, Cardiff, Wales CF10 3AT. E-mail: ElgarF@Cardiff.ac.uk

^bDepartment of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Canada

Doctoral completion and times-to-completion are issues of growing concern in the university community. Research on student completion difficulties has focused on student characteristics and student-supervisor relations. This article addresses the administration of graduate programs ¾ more specifically, graduate deans' knowledge of and attitudes toward doctoral completion rates and times-to-completion. A survey was carried out involving graduate deans from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Data showed most deans were unable to report doctoral completion percentages and completion times. Still, they rated completion at their universities as relatively good. Their lack of information may hinder attempts to improve trends in doctoral completion. Improved surveillance of students' progress in doctoral programs may aid deans in evaluating the impact of program requirements and economic factors on doctoral completion and graduate studies in general.

Higher Education Policy (2004) 17, 325-336. doi:10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300059

graduate deans; doctoral completion; doctoral times-to-completion; postgraduate studies; doctor of philosophy; Canada; UK; USA