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Go Abroad And Graduate On-Time: Study Abroad Participation, Degree Completion, And Time-To-Degree, Heather Barclay Hamir

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Over the last four decades, participation in postsecondary education has grown, yet degree completion rates have not risen at a proportional rate (Bound, Lovenheim & Turner, 2009; National Center for Educational Statistics, 2008; Turner, 2004) and the length of time to graduation is increasing (Tinto, 1993; Turner). At the same time, the benefits of degree completion for the individual and society are well documented (McMahon, 2009). Significant research since the 1970s explored factors related to student retention and attrition in an effort to understand and intervene in these processes. Building on Astin’s (1984) Theory of Student Involvement, Kuh and associates …