Mentorship and academic advising research frequently focuses on the needs of undergraduate students. There is, however, a need to assess the issues regarding graduate student mentorship. Master's and doctoral student advisers play a key role in laying a solid foundation for future careers, and these advisers must consider a wide range of issues affecting graduate students. While personal characteristics, academic history, financial support, and area of study are important considerations, there is one influence that may have a significant relationship to success in graduate school: family.

This study examines the influence of one's immediate family on enrollment and degree attainment in graduate programs. Men and women pursue varying careers and educational paths after completion of a bachelor's degree (Clune, 2001). While many choose to attend graduate school and to marry (Sanderson, 2000), there has been concern among educators regarding the causes of high dropout rates of doctoral students. Women have represented the majority of graduate enrollees for years (Syverson, 1997), and family life issues are a major factor affecting graduate education. In fact, it has been suggested that female students who anticipate having children should consider starting a family while enrolled in graduate school instead of waiting until after graduation (Lynch, 2002). The impact of parenthood on graduate students affects a variety of major decisions ranging from participation at academic conferences (Wilson, 2002) to tenure-track career decisions (Romano, 2001). Is there a difference in the effects of familial responsibilities on graduate enrollment and attainment for males and females?

Significance and Objectives

The significance of this study to the field of higher education is its contribution to a better understanding of graduate students' family backgrounds and their effects on graduate-level enrollment and retention. Higher education research generally focuses on factors affecting students in undergraduate programs. Consequently, there is a small body of literature on graduate student life.

The significance of this study to society in general stems from the need to prepare a fair balance of graduate students from varied family backgrounds. Because the majority of graduate school applicants are unmarried and because most graduate degree recipients have no children, there are segments of general society that do not receive graduate-level training.

This study seeks to answer the following research questions regarding the impact of one's immediate family and the pursuit of graduate education:

  1. Is there a relationship between marital status and gender among graduate school applicants?
  2. Is there a relationship between parenthood status and gender among graduate school applicants?
  3. Is there a relationship between marital status and gender among graduate degree recipients?
  4. Is there a relationship between parenthood status and gender among graduate degree recipients?

Methodology and Procedures

Participants

Survey data were retrieved from the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B) sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics in the United States Department of Education. Participants for this study belonged to the cohort of undergraduate students who completed their bachelor's degree during the 1992-1993 academic year. The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) identified students for the B&B study.

Data Collection

The 1992-1993 degree completers provided not only demographic information but also career and educational expectations after college. A sample of students from the 1992-1993 cohort was contacted in 1994 and 1997 for updated information on employment and academic accomplishments. All data refer to post-baccalaureate education and may include a post-bachelor's certificate.

Analysis

The NCES online program Data Analysis System (DAS) calculated percentages for graduate applications and degrees earned by gender, marital status, and parenthood status based on weighted samples of the survey group. The data were analyzed for statistically significant differences using chi-square tests.

Results

First, it is necessary to examine the relationship between marital status and applying to graduate school. Table 1 provides the number of participants who applied to graduate school, based on their marital status and gender.

Table 1. Graduate School Applicants, by Marital Status and Gender

X2 =157.4, df = 1, p < 0.001

Figure 1 offers a visual representation contrasting the percentage of participants who applied to graduate school, based on their marital status and gender.

These results show that men and women who applied to graduate school were more likely to be unmarried than married, but the difference was slightly greater for men than for women.

Second, data analysis addressed the relationship between parenthood status and applying to graduate school. Table 2 displays by marital status and gender the number of sample subjects who applied to graduate school.

Table 2. Graduate School Applicants, by Parenthood Status and Gender

X2 = 847.4, df = 2, p < 0.001

Figure 2 is a bar chart illustrating the proportion of graduate applicants with and without children, for males and females.

Results of this analysis indicate that men and women who applied to graduate school were more likely to have no children than any children. The percent of applicants with more than one child is about two percent lower than the percent of applicants with one child. Of those applying to graduate school, the percentage of males with no children was slightly higher than the percentage of females with no children.

Third, this study examined the relationship between marital status and graduate degree attainment. Table 3 displays by marital status and gender the number of participants in the sample who earned a graduate degree.

Table 3. Graduate Degree Recipients, by Marital Status and Gender

X2 = 83.2, df = 1, p < 0.001

Figure 3 is a graphic representation according to marital status and gender of the percentage of study participants who earned a master's or doctorate.

Findings from the study suggest that men and women who earned a graduate degree were more likely to be married than unmarried; however, the marriage rate is higher for females than for males.

Fourth, this research project sought to identify a relationship between parenthood status and graduate degree attainment. Table 4 illustrates the proportion of graduate degree earners by parenthood status and gender.

Table 4. Graduate Degree Recipients, by Parenthood Status and Gender

X2 = 225.7, df = 2, p < 0.001

Figure 4 is a chart representing the proportion of graduate degree recipients by parenthood status and number of children, for males and females.

Results of this study show that men and women who earned a graduate degree were more likely to have no children than any children. There was a higher rate of degree attainment for males with no children than for females with no children. The percent of students earning a graduate degree and having more than one child is higher than the percent with only one child.

Discussion and Recommendations

Graduate student advisers can better serve their advisees by understanding the influence of one's immediate family on graduate school success. Graduate program application rates are lower for men and women who are married than for those who are unmarried. Advisers, admissions counselors, and recruiters would benefit by targeting potential graduate students who are married. Further, graduate schools could increase graduate student enrollment by providing services for students with children since men and women with dependents apply at a significantly lower rate than those who do not have children. Enrolled graduate students who are married and/or have children need to juggle the demands of family life. Academic advisers who understand these factors can provide the support and encouragement necessary to succeed in a post-baccalaureate program.

There is a need for a wider range of literature on the family–graduate school connection so that advisers and mentors can better understand and support the graduate learning experience. Specifically, additional research is needed to examine these relationships in light of the timing of marriage and parenthood, such as before or after completion of the bachelor's degree. Future studies should determine the influence of marriage and parenthood status on time to degree. Further research should consider additional demographics of survey participants such as ethnicity, citizenship, and age. Socioeconomic characteristics of participants such as employment, income, and parent's education should be analyzed. Finally, future research is needed to assess these relationships by degree and academic discipline.