Unpacking Doctoral Education in China: An Exploratory Study of Student Experiences Across Conventional and Integrated Doctoral Programs

The growing demand for highly skilled professionals has driven significant innovations in doctoral education. Integrated doctoral programs accelerate the training process and promote specialized research by combining master’s and doctoral studies into a single pathway, which has driven widespread adoption worldwide. However, there is a gap in our understanding of how students who attend integrated doctoral programs experience their doctoral education. This study presents an exploratory analysis of doctoral students’ self-reported experiences across program types, focusing on supervision quality, mental well-being, career aspirations, and overall satisfaction. The study reports findings from a survey conducted among final-year doctoral students (N = 22,382) across 338 higher education institutions in China. The results reveal that students in integrated doctoral programs tend to report lower levels of overall satisfaction with their doctoral experience. Specifically, they indicate greater challenges related to doctoral supervision, higher levels of mental well-being concerns, and lower aspirations regarding academic careers. These findings suggest that to better support integrated doctoral students’ personal and professional development, educators and policymakers should focus on further leveraging the advantages of integration, refining admission criteria, and enhancing support systems at all levels.