ABSTRACT Institutions of higher education are encountering shifting trends in student enrollment and must embrace interdisciplinary approaches to address student recruitment and retention. This study explores reasons why students choose to leave an online MSW program. Data were collected through telephone interviews with students leaving the program during a five-year period. A thematic coding analysis indicated life issues, communication from faculty and administration, internship difficulties and work-life balance were among the most frequently expressed reasons affecting student retention. Results indicate online programs must account for a balance between academics and external factors in order to address the needs of adult students.

中文翻译：

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超越年级：在线MSW计划中的学生保留率

摘要高等教育机构在招生方面正遇到变化的趋势，因此必须采用跨学科方法来解决招募和留住学生的问题。这项研究探讨了学生选择退出在线MSW计划的原因。数据是通过电话采访收集的，这些学生在五年期间离开了该计划。一项专题编码分析表明，生活问题，师生之间的沟通，实习困难和工作与生活的平衡是影响学生保留率的最常见原因。结果表明，在线课程必须解决学术和外部因素之间的平衡，以便满足成年学生的需求。