This is an area where students in the sciences and engineering have the edge over students in other disciplines. Aside from better funding, laboratory environments facilitate more frequent and regular advisor interaction and thus serve students better than the isolated solitude of musty library stacks. Fourth, it is time to challenge the antiquated model of the PhD thesis. To really kick-start an academic career, students need reform so the thesis is less daunting, easier to supervise and more amenable to scholarly publication. Fortunately, pressure is mounting to expedite progress through the dissertation process without adversely affecting the quality of the experience of the research itself.
Universities have to reevaluate the purpose and structure of the thesis.
Problems of funding, supervision, and educational structure are pivotal to thesis completion difficulties, but addressing these alone may do little to improve the quality of graduate student life. Recent student suicides and supervisor shootings in American universities have risen our awareness that excessive rigidity in supervision or structure can have a devastating impact on the lives of students. The thesis-writing process has a profound impact on the quality of graduate student life. Though student experiences vary, it is typically a daunting and isolating experience at some point in time. The responsibility of universities to fulfil the social and emotional needs of graduate students is no less significant than the provision of adequate funding and supervisory guidelines.