Challenges to Successful Thesis Completion among Postgraduate Students
Abstract
This study utilized a descriptive quantitative approach to examine the key challenges that postgraduate students face in completing their thesis work. The target population for the research consisted of master’s, and doctoral students enrolled in various academic disciplines at Universities in Mogadishu, and a random sampling technique was employed to obtain a sample size of 124 participants. The findings of the study identified several major obstacles that graduate students encounter during the thesis process. The most significant factors were time management issues, limited access to critical research resources, and various institutional barriers that did not adequately support the thesis completion. Specifically, the study found that Institutional Factors (mean 3.49) and Time Management (mean 3.4) were considered "Highly Challenging" by the participants. Access to Resources (mean 3.38), Supervisor Support (mean 3.22), Discipline-Specific Factors (mean 3.31), and Language Factors (mean 3.25) were rated as "Moderately Challenging". Personal Obligations (mean 2.9) were also seen as "Moderately Challenging" by the graduate students. The results of this study underscore the need for universities to provide stronger support systems and address these multifaceted challenges to enable postgraduate students to successfully complete their thesis work. Recommendations for improving thesis support are discussed.