Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

PhD Motivation

Research has revealed that three out of 10 full-time PhD students have still not completed their doctorates seven years after starting their studies, and figures for part-time students are much worse, with only one third submitting a thesis. Most Irish postgraduate students are funded with taxpayers' money or charitable grant funds. The loss to the public purse of non-completion is nothing compared to the expense borne by the students themselves, measured in terms of lost earnings and insurance contributions. It is proposed to examine the motivational issues faced by these postgraduate students throughout their course of study and to identify issues that cause concern and potentially prevent completion.