What does the study show?
The PhD students at AU are generally very satisfied with the PhD course. But the PhD programme is also associated with uncertainty, stress and loneliness. In this context, being part of a collegial research environment is of great importance for the well-being of the PhD students.
Satisfaction with the research environment
74 percent feel that they are part of the research community locally.
82 percent feel that they are respected as co-researchers.
89 percent stated that their supervisor recognised their efforts.
Satisfaction with the research environment is particularly marked at ST and Health. At Arts and BSS, on the other hand, the PhD students experience a competitive research environment and a hard and negative tone.
Stress and loneliness – most widespread at BSS and Arts
The PhD programme is also associated with a feeling of uncertainty and a heavy workload.
31 percent often feel exhausted.
13 percent experience strong stress symptoms.
13 percent feel lonely at the workplace.
16 percent feel that they are alone with their project and lack academic sparring.
59 percent often feel uncertain about whether their work is good enough.
Both stress and loneliness are most widespread amongst the PhD students at Arts and BSS.
Teaching steals time from the PhD project
The PhD students find that they spend a lot of time on the work they do besides their research, among other things on teaching.
56 percent think that the work has a scope that affects their research. Conversely, 85 percent say that the work is instructive.
Satisfaction with the supervision
AU’s PhD students are generally satisfied with their supervisor. At both ST and Health there is a tendency for the supervisor to take more control than at BSS and Arts. Here, on the other hand, the students work more independently on their project.
The PhD Planner is not used
Even though there is general satisfaction with the supervision, only half of the PhD students use the obligatory interim evaluations to gain an overview of the project. And things look bad when it comes to the PhD Planner administrative system. Only one in four say that they use the planner. At Health it is only one in six and at some departments it is not used at all.
Data: The questionnaire on which the survey is based was sent to 2,244 PhD students and of these 1,780 submitted answers. This results in a response rate of 79.
Source: Quality in the PhD process prepared by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at AU at the request of AU’s Talent Development Committee.
Read the complete report and the report for each of the main academic areas
Translated by Peter Lambourne.