Academic Suicide: Scenarios of Doctoral Student Attrition in Russia

Abstract

Doctoral student attrition is one of the most debated problems in higher education. Related studies are few in Russia, mostly being of applied type and offering no theoretical approaches to research on departure from doctoral study. Tinto’s model of student departure based on Durkheim’s theory of suicide is the most widespread theoretical framework among U.S. and European researchers. However, Tinto’s model only considers egoistic suicide. The present study offers an integrated approach to Durkheim’s theory, demonstrating the potential of applying the entire theoretical typology of suicide to analyze scenarios of doctoral student attrition. Interviews with doctoral students who did not finish their thesis were used to identify the major challenges faced by doctoral candidates and to provide recommendations for overcoming the problem of non-completion in Russian doctoral education.