The time to degree or dropout amongst full-time master’s students at University of KwaZulu-Natal

Authors

  • Temesgen Zewotir School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
  • Delia North School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
  • Mike Murray School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2015/20140298

Keywords:

competing risk, hazard, model fitting, survival function, throughput

Abstract

Universities around the world are grappling with strategies to increase throughput and minimise dropout rates of postgraduate students. This study focuses on students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and we attempt to estimate the time that it takes for these students to successfully complete or drop out from a master’s programme. We used survival analysis to identify the factors which affect this. The results of this analysis showed that having some form of financial aid and/or being a student in the Faculties of Humanities or Management, all significantly shortened the length of time that it took to eventually drop out from a master’s programme. For students who successfully completed a master’s degree, having some form of financial aid, being of international origin and/or being registered in the Faculties of Health, Humanities, Law or Management, all helped to significantly shorten the length of time it took to successfully complete a master’s programme. Students in the Faculty of Medicine, however, took longer to successfully complete their studies. Black Africans took less time to complete their master’s degrees when compared with otherwise identical students from the other race groups.

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Published

2015-09-25

How to Cite

Zewotir, T., North, D., & Murray, M. (2015). The time to degree or dropout amongst full-time master’s students at University of KwaZulu-Natal. South African Journal of Science, 111(9/10), 6. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2015/20140298

Issue

Section

Research Article