The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Fostering Doctoral Students’ Timely Completion

Timely completion is not only a reflection of an individual’s academic success but also a critical indicator of the institution’s credibility and competitiveness. The purpose of this review was to explore the role played by emotional intelligence in influencing the timely completion of doctoral students. The study employed a qualitative approach, based on existing research studies, to draw conceptual and theoretical insights on the role played by emotional intelligence in fostering timely completion. The study revealed that students with higher emotional intelligence tend to manage stress easily and initiate and maintain relationships, enabling them to handle academic challenges and meet deadlines. The paper recommends that for timely completion to be attained, universities should aim to impart personal skills to students, such as intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, stress management, adaptability, and general mood. This can be implemented during the guidance and counselling programmes of the university, like orientation, and also during the teaching and learning process. The study proposes extending Bar-On’s model of emotional intelligence to address the problem of completion among doctoral students. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on emotional intelligence and timely completion among doctoral students, unlike other categories commonly studied, such as undergraduate, secondary, and primary students