An Analysis of Stress Levels of Female Graduate Students in an Online Program

Abstract

This quantitative study was designed to investigate the differences in stressors and demographic variables of women enrolled in an online master's degree program in education. Participants were women with multiple personal, career, and family responsibilities. Survey data and demographic data were used to identify which stressors were most frequently experienced and whether there was a significant difference between stress scale scores and demographic variables. Seven hundred and fifty women completed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale — Revised (Hobson, 1998) and non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data. Findings indicated the stressors most common to female graduate students were related to family, finances, and health-related issues. The results also suggested there were significant differences among the demographic variables of age, ethnicity, program start date, number of courses completed, and marital status.For institutions of higher education these findings may offer insight for incorporating student services such as learning communities, flexible financing options, and accelerated programs to allow for increased retention of women in online programs. For women seeking to enroll into an online graduate program, this study may provide insight into assessing their resources for successful completion of an online master's degree