Ample literature on the retention of undergraduate students is available. However, information on the retention of postgraduate students in doctoral research is not abundant, especially when the population comprises working adult students studying on a part-time basis. This article aims to explore factors that influence retention in this group of students. The literature identified various factors that could affect the retention of these students. Besides the academic and social integration identified by Tinto, environmental factors (finances, family and employment) and time constraints also play a role in their persistence. The data was collected from PhD students at a Business School in South Africa. The results from the survey confirm the influence of these factors on retention. The inclusion of qualitative responses as part of the survey led to recommendations that consider the finer nuances of the support needed by this group of heterogeneous students.

关于留住本科生的文献很多。但是，关于保留博士研究生的研究生的信息并不丰富，尤其是当人口中有从事非全日制学习的在职成年学生时。本文旨在探讨影响这一组学生保留率的因素。文献确定了可能影响这些学生留住率的各种因素。除了Tinto所确定的学术和社会融合之外，环境因素（财务，家庭和就业）和时间限制也在其持久性中发挥了作用。数据是从南非一所商学院的博士生那里收集的。调查结果证实了这些因素对保留率的影响。