TESTING THEORIES OF DOCTORAL STUDENT PERSISTENCE AT A HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION

Little empirical work exists which tests theories of doctoral student persistence. Among these studies, there is limited representation of minority students. To counter this state of affairs, this study uses a sample of four doctoral cohorts enrolled at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Focusing on the earlier stages of graduate study, I adapt theories of persistence previously employed for undergraduate students (Hurtado, 1992; Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Tinto, 1993). Testing the impact of student background characteristics, departmental context, and student social and academic integration on persistence, findings are mixed. Strongest support is found for the effect of academic integration, father's education, age, and being Latina/o. Weak support is found for the effect of departmental characteristics, such as department racial climate.