Factors Affecting the Successful Completion of Online Graduate Programs Among Single Mothers

Single mother students face serious barriers to advance their education, which impedes their ability to pursue and complete their degrees. The purpose of the present study was to explore graduate student single mothers’ experiences attending an online education program. The study used a phenomenological research design, in-depth interviews, and Moustakas’s transcendental phenomenological model for data analysis. The findings indicate that single mothers were motivated to complete their graduate degree to be better in their roles as mothers, providers, and career professionals. Positive social implications could result in an increase in retention and graduation rates for this population. (37 minutes) Recommended Citation Palermo-Kielb, K. (2020, October 1-2). Factors affecting the successful completion of online graduate programs among single mothers [Paper presentation]. Walden University Research Conference 2020 (online). https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/researchconference/2020/papers/7