Navigating time-to-degree: Supervisory responsibilities in Chinese doctoral education

The timely completion of PhD programs has emerged as a critical concern in doctoral education globally. This study examines the influence of supervisory responsibilities on PhD completion rates and time-to-degree (TTD) within Chinese doctoral programs, while also considering individuals’ previous work experience. Data were collected from a prestigious comprehensive research university in China, which has conducted a continuous survey of PhD graduates since 2015. Given its extensive doctoral enrollment and diverse range of disciplines, this university is highly representative of the average standard of high-level research universities in China. Using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and Log-rank test, our analysis reveals significant disparities in PhD completion rates and TTD based on students’ previous work experience. Notably, students with previous work experience exhibit lower PhD completion rates and extended TTD. The regression of the Cox proportional hazards model indicates that academic guidance and emotional support positively influence PhD completion rates while reducing TTD; conversely, academic ethics requirements exert a significant negative effect on these outcomes. The results of the grouped regression analysis indicate that these three supervisory responsibilities have significant effects on students without work experience but no significant effects on those with work experience. Therefore, academic departments should strengthen the formal regulation of supervisors’ emotional support and academic ethics requirements, clarify the boundaries between supervisory financial support and extraneous tasks, and address the increasingly diverse backgrounds and needs of doctoral students.