Online programs: Attrition risks differ between environmental science and natural resource master's non‐thesis students

Abstract Understanding attrition risks specific to online student populations is crucial for the long‐term success of online programs. Online programs allow place‐based working professionals access to education needed for professional development and career advancement. This study was conducted to determine if educational preparation, student characteristics, and internal educational factors could predict the probability of discontinuation from natural resource or environmental science disciplines in online non‐thesis master's programs. The Cox proportional hazards model survival analysis was used to examine longitudinal data from 2017 to 2023 and assess attrition risk over time, examined time as a factor of attrition behavior, and identified predictors of attrition from two online programs. Attrition risks varied between environmental science and master of natural resources online non‐thesis programs. In the natural resource program, a statistically significant relationship was found between student age, gender, race, degree background, undergraduate grade point average, cumulative grade point average, and time between degrees. A total of 70% of discontinued students did so within the first three terms, indicating the highest risk of attrition occurred early in both programs. Different attrition risks between programs warrant further examination to provide meaningful support specific to students’ needs.