Top Grad School Research 2009 by James

QS Topgradschool.com Applicant Research 2009 Masters and PhD David McClelland

QS Intelligence Unit Trusted. Independent. Global

QS Topgradschool.com Applicant Research 2009, Masters and PhD

Author David McClelland is the Senior Operations Manager at QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. He has seven years of experience in the international education sector. Specialising in potential Masters and PhD students from traditional and non-traditional backgrounds, David has spent much of the previous six years travelling the globe advising candidates from every major education market on their future study options and universities on their international recruitment strategies. The author would like to thank Nancy Messih for her contribution to the writing of this report.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd QS links high achievers from the graduate, MBA and executive communities around the world with leading business schools, university postgraduate departments and employers, through websites, events, e-guides and technical solutions. QS organizes the QS World MBA Tour, the largest business education event in the world and the QS World Grad School Tour, the leading postgraduate studies information event. QS also has an extensive product range, including print and online publications and software solutions. QS produces the annual Topmba.com Applicant and Recruiter Research, several annual reports including the Global 200 Top Business Schools and the annual World University Rankings in partnership with the Times Higher Education. QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd 1 Tranley Mews Fleet Road London NW3 2DG United Kingdom The entire content of this publication is protected by international copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher. Tables and charts may not be reworked or presented in any other form without written permission from the publishers and excerpts, tables or charts must be sourced: QS Topgradschool.com Applicant Research 2009, Masters and PhD

Contents

Author

QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd

Executive Summary

Section 1

Methodology and samples

1.1 1.2

Methodology 7 The QS Graduate Applicant Research 2009 sample 7

Section 2 The demographics of graduate applicants 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

Gender breakdown Age of graduate applicants Nationality Desired mode of study Broad subject of interest

Section 3

Current employment details

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

Current work situation Work experience Industry sector currently employed Current salary

Section 4

General study plans

4.1 4.2 4.3

Desired countries of study 13 Reasons for choosing a country in which to study 13 Preferred application method 14

Section 5

Masters studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; study preferences

5.1 5.2 5.3

Course length preference Study motivations Criteria for selecting a university

Section 6

PhD studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; study preferences

6.1 6.2

Study motivations Criteria for selecting a PhD program

8 8 9 10 10

11 11 11 12

15 15 16

17 17

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Section 7

Research methods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; choosing a university

7.1 7.2

Usefulness of each research method Most popular research methods

Section 8

Financial support

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4

How do graduates expect to fund their studies? What is the maximum amount applicants would consider paying? Percentage of total fees to be covered by loan Would prospective graduate applicants still consider taking a program if they received no scholarship?

Section 9

Career prospects

9.1 9.2 9.3

Criteria for identifying a graduate employer Most popular industry sector Target salary

18 21

23 23 24 24

25 25 25

Section 10 Expectations 10.1 10.2

Hours of work per week Where prospective candidates see themselves in ten years time

26 26

Section 11 Standardised test completion 11.1 11.2 11.3

Tests taken Preparation materials Study methods

27 27 27

eXeCUtIVe SUMMARy

This executive summary presents the main results of the QS Graduate Applicants Research 2009, a survey of 35,000 international prospective graduate (Masters and PhD) students carried out in late 2008 and early 2009. The survey offers a unique insight into the characteristics, motivations and aspirations of prospective graduate students worldwide and reveals how they inform themselves about their future study options. This survey was last carried out in 2007.

Key ﬁndings in 2009  Prospective graduate students are, on average, getting younger.  The proportion of females considering graduate study has increased. In Europe there are now more female prospective graduate study applicants than male.  The gap between the two most popular study destinations – the US and UK - has narrowed from 17.8% in 2007 to 11.8% in 2009.  Online social networking sites (eg Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace) are being extensively used for research into study destinations, universities and programs.

Demographics Over 3,000 (3,079) registrants at the QS World Grad School Tour completed the online questionnaire, representing an 8.8% response rate. The average age of applicants is 24 years and 11 months. There are regional variations, though male applicants are, on average, one year older than females.

Chart 1: Gender by region Gender % Overall Asia China Europe India Latin America North America

Male 59.6 48.5 44.7 45.4 78.7 53.1 44.1

Female 40.4 51.5 55.3 54.6 21.3 46.9 55.9

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 In Europe, there is a significant number of women considering graduate study. This trend has continued since 2005 when 65.4% were male and only 34.6% were women.

Current and future employment Almost 10% (9.9%) of applicants have been in employment since completing their undergraduate degree. Of those surveyed, only 8.7% had no work experience. This compares

with 7.9% in 2007, indicating an upward trend. We believe this is a result of prospective postgraduate applicants realising earlier in their studies that an undergraduate qualification is not sufficient to achieve their career objectives. This year sees an increase in applicants currently working in banking, accountancy and financial services from 16.6% in 2007, to 20.3% in 2009. This is thought to be a result of the number of candidates pursuing further qualifications within these fields, due in part to the global difficulties the sector is currently experiencing. Over 80% (81.7%) of all prospective graduate candidates favour a study program length of between 10 and 24 months. This indicates a willingness of candidates to undertake a significant break from paid employment - 83.5% favour full time study (up from 78.3% in 2007.) Only 6% favour a program of 10 months or less. Worldwide, 63.5% of applicants currently earn below US$20k. However, on a regional level, this average varies considerably. Only 17.4% of North American applicants earn below US$20k compared with 67.4% from Latin America. By contrast, expectations of salary after postgraduate study are ambitious - 33.2% of candidates target a salary of US$70k and above on completion of their Masters or PhD degree. However, 85% of candidates questioned expected to have to work more than 40 hours a week to achieve this remuneration. Employment success is a key focus for postgraduate candidates. Over 70% (71.1%) want to continue their education to improve their employment prospects. Meanwhile, 55.6% of future PhD students are motivated by the impact the degree will have on their future career. Unsurprisingly, 72.6% of prospective PhD students expressed a desire to pursue future employment in academia. Ten years after graduation, 53.1% of graduate program applicants see themselves as a senior manager/director/CEO of an organization and 23% want to run their own business. Financial services, banking and accounting, and consulting are the most popular future industries to work in, indicating these sectors are still attractive despite the current global economy. Long-term career prospects, closely followed by salary and benefits, training and development are the most important criteria for candidates selecting their first post-masters or PhD employer.

Financing study As indicated in section 3.4, well over half of all applicants, 63.5%, are currently earning less than US$20k per year. It is therefore, unsurprising, that more prospective students than ever before, 61.3%, hope to fund their postgraduate studies with a scholarship, up from 57.5% in 2007.

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Self-finance: In 2007, 10.5% of prospective graduate candidates sought to finance their studies from personal savings. This figure has fallen to 9.8% in 2009. Meanwhile, the number of applicants looking to part-finance overseas studies with a loan has remained steady since 2007, at 68%. North America contrasts strongly with other regions in this respect. Only 47.5% of prospective postgraduate students hope to rely on a scholarship to fund their studies; 43.2%, are considering a loan, despite this financing option being more readily available in North America than elsewhere; and 27.2% of candidates estimate they can fund more than US$80k of their study costs personally.

Selecting a university and course The UK and US continue to be the two most popular study destinations, however, the gap between these two competitors is diminishing. In 2009, 67% of candidates expressed a desire to study in the US (down from 75.8% in 2007). This compares with 61.4% wishing to study in the UK (up from 58% in 2007). Two factors are seen to be contributing to this trend: the weak pound has made the UK a more affordable destination for international postgraduate study, and the US visa system continues to pose difficulties for international students. The top ten countries, considered by prospective postgraduate students, as ideal international study destinations are: US (67%), UK (61.4%), Canada (32.4%), Australia (31.8%), France (21%), Spain (18.5%), Germany (17.4%), Italy (14.7%), Netherlands (14.4%), and Singapore (14.2%). International recognition is the most important factor in selecting a study destination, followed by cultural interest/ lifestyle and scholarship/financial aid availability. Reputation of the program (55.3%) and the university itself (51%) are the two most cited criteria for university selection among prospective Masters candidates. For PhD applicants, reputation of their chosen subject area is more important (56.7%) than the overall reputation of the institution (44.7%). Measuring reputation is assisted by the use of rankings. The THE-QS World University Rankings emerges as the most favoured rankings exercise, cited by 41.1% of respondents as used in their university selection. Program cost is not a major contributing factor for Masters (15.9%) and PhD applicants (9.4%) when selecting a university at which to pursue their postgraduate study. However, the availability of funding for studies is - 39.6% Masters, 47.6% PhD. Worldwide, the most popular subject areas to study at graduate level are finance, accounting, management and economics (FAME), 38% and science, technology, engineering and maths

(STEM), 26%. This remains unchanged from 2007 – (FAME 31.4% and STEM 20.1%). Only in India are these reversed, with 37.3% pursuing STEM subjects and 27.2% FAME. In North America a staggeringly low number (7.3%) wish to pursue STEM subjects.

Information choices No comparable figures from 2007 or earlier are available for this section. A mix of online media and direct contact prove to be the most popular methods for gathering information on further study University websites are used by 97.3% of applicants wishing to find information on Masters and PhD degrees. This is closely matched by 94.6% who value direct contact with admissions officers and 93.1% who deem contact with alumni to be beneficial in finding out about an institution or program. Almost 95% (94.4%) of applicants value education fairs as a way to research Masters and PhD degrees. The most popular are the QS World MBA Tour and QS World Grad School Tour, British Council and online fairs. Search engines are used by 93.7% of applicants exploring their university or program options. This is dominated by Google (81.9%), followed by Yahoo (30.2%). Applicants also use specialist university web tools such as TopMBA.com/ Scorecard, 44.2% and Studyabroad.com, 23.5%. The emergence of social networking sites as sources of information has increased significantly over the last two years. Facebook has cemented itself as the number one site for information gathering with 16.8% of applicants using it. This is followed by LinkedIn, 5.9% and MySpace, 3.2%. Specialist program/discipline websites are valued by 92.9% of prospective graduate applicants. However, despite the increase in popularity of these sites, 89.4% of applicants still find printed materials of value.

Tests and applications No comparable figures from 2007 or earlier are available for this section. Over half, 64.9%, of all applicants have taken some form of the TOEFL® test. In North America, where the TOEFL® test is not required, 43.2% have taken the GMAT® and 44.2% the GRE®. When preparing for these tests, 77% of candidates prefer selfstudying as opposed to enrolling on courses and 69% prefer using books/CD-ROMs over online preparation. However, when applying to university, 94% of applicants prefer to complete the process online.

Section 1

Methodology and Samples 1.1

Methodology

The QS Graduate Applicant Research is an annual survey of prospective graduate students who attended one of the 49 QS World Grad School Tour education fairs between September 2008 and February 2009. In that time over 35,000 candidates registered to attend the events, designed to support those students seeking Masters and PhD degrees at local or international universities. Candidates registering for the QS World Grad School Tour were sent an invitation email to complete an online questionnaire, based on key issues concerning graduate study. These were categorized under a number of broad areas including: employment details, general study plans, Masters study preferences, PhD study preferences, research methods, financial support, career prospects and expectations. Each of the 35,000 registrants of the QS World Grad School Tour was asked to provide basic personal information about their study preferences, goals and ambitions in relation to postgraduate study. This information will be stored on a database that universities can use in their search to find candidates that fit their recruitment criteria. This information gives a very detailed insight into the demographics of graduate applicants and has been used to form the basis of section 2 in this report. Over the last three years (2006/07/08) we have collected information from almost 120,000 prospective graduate applicants from all over the world.

1.2 The QS Graduate Applicant Research 2009 sample Email questionnaires were sent to 35,000 candidates. Of the 3,079 candidates who submitted responses to the survey, 2,048 completed the entire process. This equates to an overall response rate of 8.8%.

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SeCtIon 2

the DeMoGRAPhICS oF GRADUAte APPLICAntS 2.1

Gender breakdown

The overall proportion of prospective male graduate applicants, 59.6% compared to female, 40.4% is still high in 2009. Figures in 2007 showed this trend emerging with 58.3% of male candidates overall compared to 41.7% female. This gap has reduced since 2005 when the ratio was 63.9% male, 36.1% female. At a regional level the proportion of female students is slightly ahead: North America (55.9%), China (55.3%), Europe (54.6%), Asia (51.5%), Latin America (46.9%). The only exception is India, which has 78.7% of male applicants compared to just 21.3% of female graduate applicants.

 Male%

60% 40% 20% 0%

North Europe Asia China India Overall Latin America America

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 For the last five years we have seen a gradual shift in Europe from predominantly male candidates to female candidates. In 2005, 65.4% of prospective graduate applicants were male, in 2006 that figure was 61.1% and it has been decreasing ever since. In 2007, 53.3% of prospective graduate applicants were male and in 2009 this percentage is now at its lowest, 45.4%. During this time there has been an increase in the number of female graduate applicants in China. In 2005, 51.9% were female, in 2006 the proportion dropped to 45.5%, but in 2007 it was back to 59.3%. Our results for 2009 now show this position has again consolidated, with 55.3% being female. India remains a male dominated student environment. In 2005, 80.4% of prospective Indian applicants were male. However, in a similar move to that experienced by female graduate applicants in China, in 2006 the proportion dropped to 69.7%. Indian male students regained their dominance in 2007 at 80.5%. In 2009 this figure now sits at 78.7%.

2.2

Age of graduate applicants

The average prospective graduate applicant is 24.9 years of age. One of the contributing factors to this is the different entry requirements of international graduate schools in relation to age, qualifications and work experience. Our research has also shown that the majority of students who

 Average age

 Average age in female

25 20

 Average age in male

15 5

 Female%

80%

Chart 2.2: Average age 2009

Chart 2.1: Gender breakdown 2009 100%

graduate from their undergraduate programs at the age of 21 or 22 years of age, are waiting an additional three years before pursuing their postgraduate studies. As data in section 5.2 reveals, many prospective graduate students are spending two to three years working before realising a Masters or PhD degree is required to fulfil their career ambitions.

Latin North Europe Asia America America

China India

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 As chart 2:2 illustrates, Latin America has the oldest prospective graduate applicants with an average age of 28.2 years. This is followed by North America (26.7), Asia (25.8), India (23.5) and China, which at 22.6 years is producing the youngest candidates interested in pursuing graduate study. On a regional level, several trends have started to emerge over the last four years. Firstly, the average age of prospective graduate applicants in China is dropping. In 2005 the average age was 24.2. In subsequent years this has fallen to 23.8 (2006), 22.8 (2007) and 22.6 (2009). We believe this is a result of the high number of students completing their undergraduate qualifications and facing increased competition for graduate jobs. This competition is forcing students to remain in university to complete a postgraduate qualification. The opposite is happening in Latin America. In 2005, the average age of prospective graduate applicants was 26.3. This has increased steadily to 26.8 (2006), 27.3 (2007) and 28.2 (2009). This trend is to be expected as it is common in Latin America for students to complete several years in the workplace before returning to specialist education. In 2005, the average age of European applicants was 26. This increased slightly to 26.6 in 2006, before decreasing and remaining steady at 24.7 over the last two years, 2007 and 2009. In India the average age of 23.5, has remained the same for three of the four years worth of data we have collected. This is due to the maturity of the education market in India and the emphasis that has been placed on international education (and indeed postgraduate education in general) for many years. If we look at the average age by gender we can see that in all regions male candidates are at least 12 months older than their female contemporaries. In North America the difference is

Table 2.3: Nationality of applicants Country

2009 number

Percentage

2007 number

Percentage

2006 number

Percentage

India China Colombia Romania Vietnam Turkey Venezuela Thailand Ukraine Mexico Peru Indonesia US Canada Bulgaria Chile Italy Greece France UK

13135 3024 1238 1218 1175 1071 1044 995 830 826 780 748 675 675 650 616 595 544 382 336

37.8 8.7 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.1 3 2.9 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.1 1

5684 4271 3194 31 1143 747 2300 618 694 1799 2008 60 272 230 38 1502 872 691 563 313

17.4 13.1 9.8 0.1 3.5 2.3 7.1 1.9 2.1 5.5 6.2 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.1 4.6 2.7 2.1 1.7 1.0

10410 4841 758 55 896 536 709 604 206 821 196 135 1612 531 731 1021 745 487 749 579

27.7 12.9 2.0 0.1 2.4 1.4 1.9 1.6 0.5 2.2 0.5 0.4 4.3 1.4 1.9 2.7 2.0 1.3 2.0 1.5

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 almost three years. Over the last four years, male candidates have consistently been older than female candidates in all regions. The only ďŹ&#x201A;uctuation to this trend happened in 2007 when female candidates were older than their male contemporaries in all regions.

2.3

the percentage of the total. This is unsurprising considering the amount and accessibility of information available to them. The numbers of candidates from North America have increased from 2007 (0.8% US, 0.7% Canada) to 2009 (1.9% US, 1.9% Canada)

nationality

Table 2.3 show that prospective graduate applicants from India are the dominant nationality on the QS World Grad School Tour database. The QS World Grad School Tour ran six events in India in 2009 with 13,135 (37.8% of the total) candidates in attendance. This is a significant increase from 2007 when 5,694 candidates attended five events in India and made up 17.4% of the total. China also provides a high percentage of prospective graduate applicants, due to several QS events in that country. However the drop in the percentage of the total for China can be explained by the strength and number of candidates coming from Eastern European countries such as Romania (3.5% in 2009 compared to 0.1% in 2007 and 0.1% in 2006), Ukraine (2.4% in 2009, 2.1% in 2007 and 0.5% in 2006) and Bulgaria (1.9% in 2009, 0.1% in 2007). In the Western European countries of Italy, France and the UK there is a slight decreases in terms of both raw numbers and

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2.4

Mode of study

The prospective graduate applicant has long favoured full time education. In 2009, 83.5% indicated they would prefer a full time Masters or PhD program over all other options, up from 78.3% in 2007. This is an indication of the value students place on one of the major advantages of international graduate education - being in a classroom, surrounded by colleagues from all over the world.

Chart 2.4: Mode of study 100

 Distance learning

 Full time

 Part time

40 20 0

EDUCATION/TRAINING 3% PSYCHOLOGY BIOSCIENCES 2% 4% ART/DESIGN 4% ADMINISTRATION 5% FAME (Finance, LAW/LEGAL STUDIES accounting, 5% management, economics) COMMUNICATIONS/ 38% MEDIA 5% INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS/RELATIONS 8% STEM (Science, technology, engineering, maths) 26%

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 2005

2006

2007

2008

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Over the last few years the number of candidates that would favour a part time program has steadily increased: 15.9% in 2005, 16.4% in 2006, 18.4% in 2007. However we can see a large drop in 2009 to 12.5%. A likely possibility for this drop is the increased number of recent graduates now unemployed. Their change in situation has allowed them to pursue their postgraduate education full time (indeed we see a similar percentage increase on the number of prospective graduate applicants pursuing full time study as we do a decrease in those pursuing part time). Those who are in employment may also find their employers are much less ﬂexible in the current economic climate to allow them to pursue a part time postgraduate qualification.

2.5

Chart 2.5: Top ten subjects 2009

Broad subject of interest

In 2009 FAME subjects (finance, accounting, management and economics) are once again the most popular programs for prospective graduate applicants with 38% stating a desire to study in one of these areas. STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) are the second most popular subject areas with 26%. international affairs is third with 8%, followed by communications/media, law and administration all with 5%.

At a regional level, India is the only place where FAME subjects are not the most popular - 27.2% of prospective graduate applicants wish to study FAME compared to 37.3% who wish to study STEM subjects. This is unsurprising given the technical proficiency of students graduating in STEM subjects from Indian institutions. This trend is set to continue with 46% of prospective graduate candidates in Bangalore and 50% in Hyderabad expressing a desire to study STEM subjects for their Masters or PhD degrees. STEM subjects are least popular in North America. Only 7.3% of prospective graduate applicants indicated they wished to pursue postgraduate study in these fields. This is a welldocumented problem for North American institutions and a lack of technical graduates coming through the system has serious implications for the region in the long term. We have noticed a number of initiatives being taken to increase the number of graduate applicants on STEM programs in North America and also to a lesser extent in Europe and Australia. Government sponsored scholarship programs (applicable only to candidates who will stay in the destination country for a minimum period of time after graduation) and more aggressive recruitment from the relevant faculties are two examples of such initiatives. We have also seen partnerships develop between universities and employers in this sector working together to improve the situation. From 2006 to 2009 there has been a 3% drop worldwide in the number of candidates wishing to study a FAME related subject, 41% in 2006 to 38% in 2009. STEM subjects have remained fairly balanced at 26% over the last three years but we are seeing a boost in the number of candidates wishing to study international relations/affairs (up to 8% in 2009 from 5% in 2007). In 2006, this subject did not feature in the top ten most popular subject areas (less than 2%), reinforcing its recent surge in popularity.

SeCtIon 3

CURRent eMPLoyMent DetAILS

none

Candidates from China and India traditionally embark on their Masters degree directly after completion of their undergraduate qualification. Although these two countries have the youngest candidates, it is interesting to note that both have increased levels of experience this year. The number of prospective graduate applicants in China with no experience has dropped from 36.4% in 2007 to 25.2% in 2009. Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prospective graduate applicants with no experience have also dropped from 21.9% in 2007 to 17.8% in 2009.

3.3

Industry sector currently employed in

Unsurprisingly, considering the current financial climate, we are seeing an increase in the number of prospective graduate applicants from the financial/banking sectors. Banking makes up 6.2% of the respondents (up from 5.8% in 2007), accounting 5% (up from 4.5%) and financial services 8.9% (up from 6.3%). In contrast to this is the number of prospective graduate applicants from more technical sectors - engineering makes up 7.9% of the respondents (down from 9.4% in 2007) and information technology, 9.3% (down from 12.6%). The number of prospective students working as consultants has decreased to 7.3% from 8% in 2007.

Chart 3.3: Sector currently working in 25% 20% 15% 10%

ro u

N dum e o ct r m n-p s un ro ic fit at i I on Pu ndu s bl str ic y A sec cc ou tor nt Ba ing C nki on ng En sul gi tin ne g Ed erin uc g at F io s in n m

e a In rvi cia te for ces l ch m no ati lo on g O y

The information we have gathered in response to this question reinforces the view that prospective graduate students have more work experience than ever before. Only 8.7% of all respondents have no work experience, a drop from 14.8% in 2007. Those candidates who have between one and three years work experience is up to 51.9% from 43.6% in 2007; 22.3% have between four and six years work experience (20.7% in 2007); 9.7% have between seven and ten years (compared to 13% in 2007). In 2007, 7.9% of all prospective graduate students had over ten years of work experience - this figure has now risen to 9.9%.

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

Work experience

M il C ed on ia p s

3.2

10+ years

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

STUDENT WITH PART TIME EMPLOYMENT 4%

FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT 68%

tic

OTHER 9%

10%

STUDENT 7%

15%

TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT 12%

20%

Chart 3.1: Current work situation

Chart 3.2:Years of work experience

As previously illustrated in section 2.2, the majority of graduate applications are coming from individuals currently in full time employment. Traditionally work experience has been a prerequisite for MBA applicants, but the trend now extends to those interested in Masters and PhD education. If we include those in part time employment, 80% of prospective graduate candidates are currently outside the education system at the point of application. This is up on the 70.4% in 2007, although most of this growth is attributed to those working part time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12% in 2009, up from 5.5% in 2007.

Current work situation

3.1

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

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3.4

Current salary

Well over half of all applicants, 63.5%, are currently earning less than US$20k per year, with a further 8.9% earning US$20-26k and 9.2% earning US$25-30k. The total number of applicants earning US$30k or less is 81.6%. This clearly shows that the vast majority of prospective graduate students are either at the bottom of the career ladder or in first positions. These results indicate that candidates see graduate studies as a way of improving their work situation and earning power. It also reinforces the notion that candidates see further studies as an ideal way to progress their career.

Chart 3.4: Current salary 70% 60% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

£40,001 - £45,000

£35,001 - £40,000

£30,001 £25,001 - £35,000 - £30,000

£20,001 < £20,001 - £25,000

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 At a regional level, prospective graduate students from North America are currently earning considerably more than their colleagues from the rest of the world - 17.4% earn less than $20k compared to 67.4% in Latin America, 64% in Europe, and 75.4% in Asia. In North America we can see that 11.6% of prospective graduate students earn US$50-55k and 10.1% earn US$55-60k. These figures are in direct contrast to every other global region and could indicate that in the US, graduate qualifications are seen as important for career growth and development throughout a student’s career, not just at the beginning. This conclusion is supported by current earnings and the average age of North American candidates compared to other regions (see graph 2.2).

SeCtIon 4

GeneRAL StUDy PLAnS

4.1

Desired countries of study

The UK and US remain the two most popular study destinations for prospective graduate candidates. However, the gap between these two so-called ‘power houses’ of international graduate study, is diminishing. In 2009, 67% of prospective graduate students expressed a desire to study in the US; 61.4% wished to study in the UK – a difference of just 5.6%. This compares to 75.8% of candidates indicating a preference to study in the US in 2007 as opposed to 58% in the UK – a gap of 17.8%. Two factors are seen to be contributing to this trend: the weak pound has made the UK a more affordable destination for international postgraduate study, and the US visa system continues to pose difficulties for international students.

Table 4.1: Desired country of study Country of study

Percentage of interest (%)

US UK Canada Australia France Spain Germany Italy Netherlands Singapore Switzerland Sweden New Zealand Belgium Japan Denmark Finland Ireland Hong Kong Norway

67 61.4 32.4 31.8 21.04 18.49 17.42 14.65 14.4 14.17 13.33 11.81 9.15 8.23 8.08 7.49 6.94 6.53 5.94 5.87

4.2

Reasons for choosing a country in which to study

The most important factor when deciding on a country in which to study is ensuring the qualification is internationally recognised according to 71.9% of respondents, a slight decrease from 72.5% in 2007. It is interesting to note that this is still the most significant reason for a prospective graduate student, despite the internationalization of higher education and the post-Bologna landscape of European international programs. Cultural interest and lifestyle is the second most important factor with 62.9%. Scholarship and financial aid availability is the third at 54.8%. Improving language skills and the desire to work in a chosen country afterwards complete the top five with 47.4% and 39.4% respectively.

Table 4.2: Reasons for choosing a country in which to study Reason for choosing country

Percentage

Would like to work there afterwards Scholarship/financial aid is available International recognition of qualifications Improve language skills Cultural interest and lifestyle Target school Create network Family connection Visa situation It is (or near to) the country you currently live Other

39.95 54.8 71.98 47.41 62.9 34.21 33.98 13.62 8.85 8.03 4.5

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 The top ten European countries for preferred graduate study are the UK (61%), France (21%), Spain (18.5%), Germany (17%), Italy (15%), Netherlands (14%), Switzerland (13%), Sweden (12%), Belgium (8%) and Denmark (7.5%). The top five countries in Asia are Australia (32%), Singapore (14%), Japan (8%), Hong Kong (5%) and Malaysia (4%).

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4.3

Preferred application method

The results of the survey on this particular question show, without a doubt, that prospective graduate candidates would prefer to apply online (93.9%). Only 6.1% favoured a paper application. This is shared by students in all regions.

Chart 4.3: Prefered application method PAPER 6%

ONLINE 94%

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

SeCtIon 5

MASteRS StUDentSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; StUDy PReFeRenCeS 5.1

Course length preference

No comparable figures from 2007 or earlier are available for this section. These results show that 81.7% of all prospective graduate candidates favour a program between 10 to 24 months in length. This is surprising considering the cost implications of studying for an extra year (both living costs and course fees are doubled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; although one year programs are usually charged at a premium). However, it is worth noting that most graduate programs in the US and increasingly in Europe (due to the Bologna Accord) are two-year programs, which means for many candidates their only option is a two-year course of study .

Chart 5.1: Course length preference 40% 30% 20% 10% Less than 10 months

10-18 months

19-24 months

More than 24 months

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Only a very small number of prospective graduate candidates, 6%, favour a program of ten months or less in length. There are regional variations - Italian students in particular go against this trend with 17.2% interested in shorter programs. Meanwhile, a slightly higher number of respondents, 12%, indicated they would prefer a program to run for more than 24 months. However this too varies at regional level: Canada (23.1%), Romania (27.5%), China (21.6%) and South Africa (32%).

5.2

Study motivations (Masters)

Percentage

To enable me to progress to a higher level qualification To improve my employment prospects To progress in my current career path For personal interest My employer required me to take it/ My employer required it Other As a requirement to enter a particular profession

61.28 71.09 61.77 50.52 1.67 3.11 16.07

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

50%

Table 5.2: Study motivations (Masters)

These figures do not vary significantly across regions. However, in North America 80% take a Masters degree to improve their employment prospects, compared to 41.7% who pursue a Masters degree to enable them to progress to a higher level qualification. This would suggest that North American candidates are slightly more career minded than their contemporaries in the rest of the world. In 2007, our research showed that 68.2% of prospective graduate applicants were motivated by a desire to improve their employment prospects (61.8% in 2009). Two years later and these figures show a minimal change (6.4%), suggesting that the current global financial situation has had little effect on the factors that motivate prospective graduate students to continue their studies.

Study motivations

Measuring the complex nature of individuals in relation to their study motivations is extremely difficult. Respondents to this survey were presented with a number of probable motivations and asked to choose one or more that applied to them. The results showed 71.1% wished to continue their studies in order to improve their employment prospects, and 61.8% hoped their studies would enable them to progress in their current career path. An additional 61.3% wanted to study a Masters degree in order to progress to a higher level qualification and 50.5% were motivated by personal interest.

www.qs.com

QS Topgradschool.com Applicant Research 2009, Masters and PhD

5.3

Criteria for selecting a university (Masters)

The most important criteria for a prospective postgraduate candidate when choosing which university to apply to is the reputation of the program (55.3%) and the overall reputation of the university (51%). Reinforcing the importance of careers in the thinking of prospective students we can see that 39.8% state good career and employment prospects as being their main criteria for university selection. Funding is also a major criterion for 39.6% of prospective applicants as is the location of an institution, 27.5%. Only 15.9% of prospective graduate candidates consider the cost of a program to be one of the main criteria for selecting a university.

Table 5.3: Criteria for selecting a university (Masters) Criteria for selecting a university (Masters)

Percentage

The institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation in my chosen subject The overall reputation of the institution Graduates from the institution have good career and employment prospects Funding is available for me to study a particular program The location of the institution Institution offers specific details within the program that I am seeking The cost of the program compared to other institutions The reputation of the department The way the program is assessed It was recommended to me Other

55.27 50.99 39.83 39.65 27.45 21.51 15.89 11.34 10.58 5.31 1.4

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Interesting variations across regional data arise from these figures. In North America, prospective graduate students are more interested in the university (64.7%) and the institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation within a specific subject area (70.7%) than India, where 53% consider the reputation of an institution in a specific subject area, and Europe, where only 46.7% of prospective graduate applicants consider the reputation of the institution as an important criterion. Location is also much more important to North American candidates (45.5%), than Latin American candidates (27.8%) and Asian candidates (26.4%). However, in stark contrast to Latin America (20.7%), North America is the region where cost is of least importance (10.8%).

It would seem that Asia is the region most interested in the career prospects of graduates with 44.6% of prospective graduate applicants indicating this as a criterion for selecting a university, closely followed by Europe (39.8%). North American candidates are the least interested, 27.5%.

SeCtIon 6

PhD StUDentS’ StUDy PReFeRenCeS 6.1

Study motivations

Although prospective PhD students are motivated by the impact such a degree can have on their career (55.6%) and the improvements a PhD can make to their employment prospects (51.6%), many also indicated a desire to pursue a career in academia as the biggest motivator (72.6%). An additional 53.5% of prospective PhD candidates are inspired by a personal interest to study for this graduate degree, similar in number to those interested in pursuing a Masters degree (50.5%).

Table 6.1: Study motivations (PhD) Study motivations (PhD) To enable me to pursue a career in academia To progress in my current career path For personal interest To improve my employment prospects As a requirement to enter a particular profession My employer required me to obtain the qualification Other

Percentage 72.55 55.61 53.46 51.55 14.8 3.82 5.25

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

6.2

Criteria for selecting a PhD program

A prospective PhD applicant gives particular importance to an institution’s reputation on a chosen subject area (56.7%) above the level of funding available (47.6%) and the overall reputation of the institution (44.7%). Career and employment prospects seem to be less important for prospective PhD applicants when compared to those seeking Masters qualifications. Only 28.1% indicated this criterion as a motivating factor compared to 39.8% seeking a Masters degree. It is perhaps surprising to note that only 16.4% of prospective PhD candidates look at the reputation of the specific supervisor, and 9.4% at the cost of the program, when both of these criteria were generally considered a significant factor.

Table 6.2: Criteria for selecting a PhD program Criteria for selecting a PhD program

Percentage

The institution’s reputation in my chosen subject area Funding available for me to study this particular program The overall reputation of the institution Graduates from the institution have good employment and career prospects The location of the institution The reputation of the department Offers specific details within the program that I am seeking The reputation of the specific supervisor The provision of specific scientific or academic equipment The cost of the program compared to other institutions The way the program is assessed It was recommended to me

56.73 47.6 44.71 28.13 20.91 17.55 17.07 16.35 9.86 9.38 6.97 3.37

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 At a regional level the reputation of an institution is far more important to prospective PhD applicants in Asia - 62.5% indicate this as an important criterion compared to 34.1% in Europe and 34.7% in Latin America. Meanwhile, the cost of the program carries more significance in Latin America, 22.2%, than Asia, 6.6% and Europe 8.1%. This compares to 9.4% overall.

www.qs.com

QS Topgradschool.com Applicant Research 2009, Masters and PhD

SeCtIon 7

ReSeARCh MethoDS – ChooSInG A UnIVeRSIty No comparable figures from 2007 or earlier are available for this section.

7.1

Contact with alumni The vast majority of prospective graduate applicants, 93.1%, see value in contact with alumni from institutions when making their decision on where to study. Of the 93.1% who see value, 29.3% consider it very useful. Only 6.9% consider this research method not to be useful at all.

Usefulness of research methods

overall There are a wide variety of research methods available to prospective graduate applicants with varying degrees of importance and value.

Chart 7.11: Contacting alumni

University websites are by far the most popular research method, followed by search engines, printed university brochures and fairs. However, there is very little disparity between the remaining options. This indicates that prospective graduate applicants undertake indepth research using a diverse range of methods in a bid to choose the right university for their Masters or PhD study.

table 7.1: Research methods - overall Research method

number of responses Contact with alumni 1625 Direct discussion with institution 1607 admissions officers Fairs 1627 Independent consultants/counsellors 1501 Independent rankings 1576 Interactive CD-ROMs 1403 Specialist program/discipline websites 1541 Printed directory/publication 1482 Printed university/school brochure 1631 University/school website 1847 Search engines 1663 Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

Weight (out of 4) 2.78 2.99 2.74 2.47 2.64 2.17 2.76 2.50 2.75 3.22 2.85

At a regional level, 22.1% of candidates in the Middle East consider contacting alumni not to be useful. This is the only real variation from the overall figures. Direct discussion with institution admissions ofﬁcers Almost 95% (94.6%) of prospective graduate candidates see value in direct discussion with institution admissions officers 37.1% indicated it to be very useful.

Chart 7.12: Direct discussions with institution admissions officers 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Most regions place a similar importance on direct discussions with institution admissions officers. In Africa, 48.5% of prospective graduate applicants consider this research method to be very useful, as do 37.2% of European applicants and 38.2% of North American applicants. Only in Latin America does this research method hold little value at 9.5%.

education fairs Education fairs continue to be a valuable tool for 94.4% of prospective graduate applicants researching their Masters and PhD degrees. Of this 94.4%, 22.6% believe them to be very useful, 35.1% quite useful and 36.7%, useful. Only 5.6% fail to see the value of education fairs. In 2007 only 2.6% of prospective graduate applicants saw no value in education fairs, with 81.5% indicating they found them to be either quite useful or very useful (compared to 57.7% in 2009). Although still important, there is a decline in the perceived usefulness of these events.

Chart 7.13: Education fairs

Independent rankings and assessments Prospective graduate applicants also place value on independent rankings and assessments. Only 7% consider them to be not useful, but this has increased from 4.3% in 2007. Meanwhile, 18.7% consider them to be very useful. Overall, 52.5% found rankings to be quite useful or very useful in 2009, a decrease of 22.5% from 2007 (75%). The reason for this decrease is unknown. However, when we considered this alongside the increase in popularity of specific institution and program websites, it could be due to prospective graduate applicants becoming more focused and targeted in their planning, already having some idea of where they wish to study.

40%

Chart 7.15: Independent rankings and assessments

30%

50%

20%

40%

10% 0%

30% Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 At a regional level, Europe has the highest proportion of people (24.1%) who find education fairs very useful. Latin America has the lowest amount of prospective graduate applicants who see no value in education fairs with 4.9%. Independent consultants/counsellors A total of 85.8% of prospective graduate applicants see some value in the use of independent consultants and counsellors. Another 16.4% see them as very useful and 14.2% see no value whatsoever.

20% 10% 0%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 There is not too much regional variation in relation to independent rankings and assessments as a research tool. Latin America finds this method to be most valuable, with 24.1% considering them very useful. The Middle East finds them to be the least valuable with 12% considering them not useful.

Chart 7.14: Independent councellors/consultants 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 There are significant regional differences as to the value placed on gaining postgraduate study advice from independent consultants and counsellors. In North America, only 10.9% see them as very useful and 27.3% of prospective graduate applicants see them as not useful. This compares to Asia where 24.2% of prospective graduate applicants consider independent counsellors and consultants to be very useful, and only 8.7% as not useful.

www.qs.com

QS Topgradschool.com Applicant Research 2009, Masters and PhD

Interactive CD-RoMs Interactive CD-ROMs do not have quite the same value for prospective graduate applicants researching their Masters or PhD degree as other methods. Only 11.1% find them very useful, with 26.5% of prospective graduate applicants considering interactive CD-ROMs to be not useful. Despite an overall 73.5% of candidates seeing some value in them, as graph 7.1 illustrates, interactive CD-ROMs are the least popular research method for prospective graduate applicants.

Printed directories/publications The importance of online materials has been well documented over the last few years, but it is interesting to note the continued importance of them - 89.4% of prospective graduate applicants find printed materials to have value, of which 15.3% consider them to be very useful. Only 10.6% consider them to be not useful.

Chart 7.18: Printed directories/publications

Chart 7.16: Interactive CD-ROMS

60%

40%

20%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Regionally, 50% of prospective graduate applicants in North America consider interactive CD-ROMs not useful - only 1.9% consider them to be very useful. In Europe, 41.7% of prospective graduate applicants consider this research method to be not useful; 6.8% see them as very useful. Specialist program/discipline websites Over 90% (92.9%) of prospective graduate applicants consider specialist websites to be of value - only 7.1% consider them to be not useful. This strengthens the argument that websites and online tools continue to play an increasingly important role in communicating with candidates. Indeed 25.6% consider them to be very useful.

Chart 7.17: Special program/discipline websites 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Regional analysis of the value prospective graduate candidates place on specialist program/discipline websites throws up one major surprise in North America - 21.4% consider them to be not useful and only 19.6% find them very useful. These figures go against what are otherwise very solid global trends in favour of specialist websites. Indeed in Latin America, 27.5% find them to be very useful, as do 22.2% of candidates in Europe, 23% in Asia and 21.7% in India.

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009 Although still of significance to prospective graduate applicants it is worth noting that printed directories/publications have become slightly less important than in 2007, when 4% of prospective graduate applicants did not find this research method to be useful. This figure has now risen to 10.6%. Regionally there are variations in North America - 23.2% find printed directories/publications not useful, compared to the overall figure of 10.6%. Only 7.1% find them very useful, compared to 15.3%. University websites Prospective graduate applicants place a high level of importance on the website of a university or institution as a means of gathering information for future Masters and PhD study. Only 2.6% indicated that this method was not useful compared to the almost 50% (48.2%) of candidates who consider it to be very useful. In 2007, 8.1% of prospective graduate applicants found university websites not useful. This indicates that internet research is, possibly more than ever, one of the most important sources of information for prospective graduate applicantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future study choices. Regionally these figures do not vary significantly. For example, in Latin America only 4% see no value in university websites while 60.8% see them as very useful.

Chart 7.19: University websites 60% 40% 20% 0%

Not useful

Useful

Quite useful

Very useful

Source: Topgradschool.com Applicants Survey 2009

Search engines Online research is considered a very useful tool by 29.9% of prospective graduate candidates. This compares with only 6.3% of candidates who consider the method to be not useful. However, search engines do not hold as much value to the prospective candidate as university websites, 48.2%. In 2007, 77.4% of prospective graduate applicants considered search engines to be either quite useful or very useful compared to 60.5% in 2009. This trend suggests that search engines are increasingly being bypassed in favour of a more targeted use of the internet.

Chart 7.11: Contacting alumni

7.2