The Impact of COVID-19 on Doctoral Students in Education

The COVID-19 pandemic cut through the fabric of the education system. Doctoral studies were neglected in adaptations made to education, raising the following question: What impact has the crisis had on doctoral students? The objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 health emergency on thesis work by students of the Doctoral Program in Education at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, Spain). A quantitative methodology was employed and the assessments of 86 doctoral students show that their research and socio-affective well-being have been affected by the outbreak of the pandemic. Furthermore, the effect is significantly greater in students who work and those who are taking care of others. Lastly, some limitations and proposed measures for education policies in any future states of social emergency are discussed.