The Majority Of Current Postgraduate Students Wouldn't Have Embarked On A Postgrad Qualification Had

May 20, 2011 - PRLog -- The study (of 672 students) indicates that the rise in tuition fees could have a major impact on the numbers applying for postgraduate courses in the future as almost a third (30%) of current under grad and post grad students said they would not do a post grad course had they had to pay £9,000 fees.

The research shows that the biggest deterrent to doing a post grad was that they are too expensive (66%) and lack of funding options (51%).

Top level findings
•   59% of current PG students said they would have reconsidered studying at a PG level had they paid £9,000 a year for the UG degree.
•   73% believe studying a PG level makes you more employable
•   66% of those not doing postgraduate study have said they would consider it if it wasn’t so expensive
•   15% of potential PG students say they don’t have enough information about the opportunities
•   64% find professional accreditation of a course more appealing
•   62% would expect to change universities to study at a PG level rather than staying at their UG institute.
•   47% say they would consider studying PG abroad
The research looked at the motivations to study at a postgraduate level, the implications of the rise in fees, which universities are most popular and what influences students decision making.

672 students took part and the study was carried out across 4 weeks in April/May 2011, amongst users of The Student Room and PostgraduateStudentships.co.uk

To access a full report visit http://insight.thestudentroom.co.uk

Jamie O’Connell, Marketing Director, The Student Room said: ”With the cost of a degree set to rise significantly and with more students in large debt as graduates it is no surprise that people will think very carefully whether they want to potentially add to that debt by studying at a postgraduate level. Just as the UK HE sector and government are strengthening the information available to UG applicants to help ensure they make informed decisions, so to there needs to be clearer information provided by institutes as to what tangable benefits stheir students get from studying postgraduate qualifications. For example there is belief shown here that studying a postgradate qualification improved career prospects, depending on the sector that is not always the case and universities need to be transparent about this.

Jane Penrose, Director, Postgraduate Studentships said: “This survey shows that Universities will need to be very careful how they price their postgraduate courses following the undergraduate fees rise, to ensure that postgraduate study remains both an attractive and viable option in the UK. Students are prepared to travel both within the UK and beyond to find the best postgraduate study. It’s good to see that there continues to be a clear appetite for postgraduate study, and a recognition of the benefits it brings – which makes it all the more important for the UK to ensure that obstacles don’t turn students’ enthusiasm sour, and that the excellence of the UK’s postgraduate offerings remains a positive and practical choice for students.”

ENDS

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About The Student Room
Founded in 2001, The Student Room (www.thestudentroom.co.uk) is the world's largest student web community, with 26 million page views and 3.5 million unique users each month.

Members are predominantly young people aged 14-26 who offer support and advice to each other via forums on subjects ranging from education and careers to health, music and relationships.

The Student Room works closely with several government departments and is the major advertising platform for higher education in the UK. It offers powerful ad targeting solutions for graduate recruiters and youth brands. For more information and to get insight into student opinions and habits visit http://insight.thestudentroom.co.uk