Ph.D. Completion Project
Completion and Attrition Templates
Download the Aggregate Demographic Completion Templates (Excel)
Download Program Completion and Attrition Templates (Excel)
- Instructions for Completing the Program Completion Template
- Instructions for Completing the Attrition Template
Aggregate Demographic Completion
The Ph.D. Aggregate Demographic Completion Templates are designed to collect baseline completion information by demographic and broad academic field prior to the implementation of activities supported by the Ph.D. Completion Project
Aggregate Demographic Completion Templates will be completed for:
- Engineering
- Humanities
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physical Sciences
- Social Sciences
Each template includes eight worksheets to record completion data for the following demographic groups:
- Male
- Female
- American Indian or Alaskan Native
- Asian
- Black
- Hispanic
- White
- Other
Each institution aggregates completion data across the broad academic field identified above for participating Ph.D. Completion Project programs. The aggregate demographic completion data will not be shared with those outside of the Ph.D. Completion Project. Data will be checked for accuracy using the consistency checks included in the template.
Ph.D. Completion Template
The Ph.D. Completion Template contains completion data previously submitted to CGS by your institution and new internal consistency checks. The first check verifies that the number of those admitted to Ph.D. candidacy is less than or equal to the number of those enrolled in the entering cohort. The second check verifies that the number of degrees awarded (years 3 through 10) plus those continuing after year 10 is less than or equal to the number admitted to candidacy.
Two additional columns provide "apparent total attrition" and "apparent post-candidacy attrition" (described below) for each cohort. These estimates, derived from completion data, should be useful for comparison with the attrition data that will be assembled for the Attrition Template. [The accuracy and usefulness of these estimates will be proportional to the number of years tracked]
The Completion Template data should be checked for accuracy against the original submitted with your Project proposal. Rather than leaving blank fields, please enter "0" when appropriate. Any problems indicated by the consistency checks are highlighted in yellow and should be corrected or resolved before proceeding to develop data on attrition. Follow the steps below to resolve inconsistencies:
Step 1. Resolve inconsistencies relating to reported candidacy*.
The candidacy consistency check determines if the number admitted to candidacy is equal to or less than the entering cohort size; an entry of TRUE indicates consistency; an entry of FALSE indicates an inconsistency that should be corrected before proceeding.
Step 2. Resolve inconsistencies between candidacy and degree data.
The degree consistency check determines if the number of degrees awarded in years 3-10 plus enrollment after 10 years is less than or equal to the total admitted to candidacy; an entry of FALSE indicates an inconsistency that should be corrected before proceeding.
HINT: A common reporting error includes the provision of cumulative sums across the 10+ years since enrollment, rather than of discrete annual completion data.
Step 3. Resolve inconsistencies reflected in the calculated apparent total attrition
calculated as follows:
Apparent total attrition = entering cohort - (minus) the sum of Ph.D. degrees awarded, years 3-10 - (minus) the number still enrolled after 10 years.
A negative number indicates an inconsistency in reported data, generally that either step 1 or step 2 has not resulted in resolving inconsistencies in the Completion data.
Step 4. Resolve inconsistencies reflected in the apparent post-candidacy attrition
(last column), calculated as follows:
Apparent post-candidacy attrition = number of the cohort admitted to candidacy - (minus) the sum of degrees awarded years 3-10 - (minus) the number still enrolled after 10 years.
A negative number indicates an inconsistency in the reported data, generally that either step 1 or step 2 has not resulted in resolving inconsistencies in the Completion data.
*By candidacy, we mean the successful completion of coursework and qualifying examinations. If your program or institution uses a different definition, please indicate the appropriate definition in the space provided on each template.
Ph.D. Attrition Template
The Ph.D. Attrition Template allows reporting of data on cohort attrition for common categories for each year after initial enrollment of the cohort. Any problems with the Completion data should be corrected or resolved before proceeding to develop data on attrition. The steps below require data entry or resolution of data generated automatically from Completion data:
Data transferred automatically from the Ph.D. Completion Template (no action required):
- The cohort size
- The degrees awarded for each of the years 3 to 10 following first enrollment
- The number of students who are still enrolled in the program after 10 years
For each category below, enter* the number of students (enter "0" when appropriate) from each cohort who/se:
- Left the Ph.D. program without completing a master's degree (within first 4 years following initial enrollment)
- Left the Ph.D. program after completing a master's degree without candidacy (within first 4 years following initial enrollment)
- Left the Ph.D. program after completing a master's degree and achieving candidacy (within first 4 years following initial enrollment)
- Transferred out (i.e., left program to continue Ph.D. at another institution)
- Stopped out (i.e., took a leave of absence with an intent to return; this may be difficult information to obtain - again, make your best effort to determine or estimate)
- Completed the Ph.D. degree at some time during the year (years 1 and 2 only)
- Did not complete the Ph.D. but are continuing in the program for the following year
- Status in the program is unclear or unknown
*To be provided by the graduate school, in collaboration with doctoral departments
Two examples of completed attrition templates are provided, one based on submitted Project data and one created to represent a complete 10-year data set over several cohorts (reflecting a goal of what may be available at the end of the Ph.D. Completion Project). These examples are intended to serve as models as you complete an Attrition Template for each program.
