The Effectiveness and Impact of Doctoral Student Professional Development: A Case Study of the ACJS Doctoral Summit

Doctoral student attrition is a consistent and ongoing problem, particularly among women and minority students. Attrition results in negative consequences for students, departments and institutions, and the broader academic community. Although efforts to support doctoral students exist, challenges remain. The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Doctoral Student Summit (DSS) is a unique model of comprehensive professional development aimed at developing doctoral students’ technical and inter/intrapersonal skills across multiple professional domains. The DSS supports students in degree completion, the development of positive academic identities, and the building of strong academic communities. The current case study documents the effectiveness and impact of a unique model of professional development through analyzing quantitative and qualitative survey data from doctoral students in criminology, criminal justice, and related fields. Implications are discussed.