The Transition to Independent Research: Who Makes It, Who Doesn't, and Why

A critical question in doctoral education is why students who succeed in the coursework (dependent) phase of their graduate education have different fates in the independent research phase of their education. In this focus group–based study, faculty were asked to talk about students who had difficulty making the transition to independent research or who did not make it at all. They were also asked to talk about students who made the transition to independent research with relative ease. The focus group discussions were analyzed using a theoretical perspective derived from theory and research on creativity and degree completion. The descriptions of students who made the transition with relative success matched closely with characterizations of highly creative people.