A HEFCE Postgraduate Support Scheme funded project

1. Sustaining the postgraduate sector in the UKMichelle Morgan Phillip LewisKingston University Coventry UniversityProject Leader Institutional Lead A HEFCE Postgraduate Support Scheme funded project

2. Aims and objectives • Setting the scene • Expansion and retraction in the postgraduate sector • Background research to the HEFCE Postgraduate Project • The Postgraduate Experience Project • Aims and objectives • Outcomes

3. Broad types of PG qualifications Setting the scene • Doctorates by Research • Masters by Coursework also known as ‘Taught’ Master • Professional /’Taught’ doctorates • Masters by Research • Masters of Business Administration (MBA) • Integrated Masters (UK) • Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates QAA suggests that Postgraduate qualifications at present can broadly be classified into two groups: those that are substantially taught (TPO)and those with a significant research component (Research). Smith et al., 2010

4. UK Postgraduate growth - enrolments UK growth been underpinned by EU and Non-EU students Source: statistics derived from HESA Bekhradnia, B. (2005) Postgraduate Education in the UK: Trends and Challenges Higher Education Policy Institute. In: The Future of Postgraduate Education, Supporting the Students of Today and Tomorrow: London, March 2005

5. UK qualification changes ‘Other Higher Degrees ‘ have increased at the expense of ‘Other PG’ qualifications Postgraduate conferment in the UK in 1994/5 to 2011/12 Source: statistics derived from HESA Other higher degree includes masters degrees obtained/not obtained primarily through research, Masters in Teaching and Learning, pre-registration masters degrees leading towards obtaining eligibility to register to practice with a health or social care or veterinary statutory regulatory body and postgraduate bachelors degrees at level M. Other postgraduate qualifications includes supervised research at level D, E and L for institutional credits, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at level M and E, other postgraduate qualifications obtained primarily through research, fellowships, diplomas and certificates at level M, Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) 5, professional taught qualifications at level M other than a masters degrees, Level M Diplomas in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, and other taught qualifications at level M.

6. PG expansion- International comparison +17.9% +2.5% Note: 2003/4-2010/11 +12.3% +19.5% +19.1% Source: Morgan (2013)

7. Type of qualification growth Qualifications awarded in 2000/1 and 2007/8 ‘Other higher degrees’ All types of masters qualifications ‘Other PG qualifications‘ Australia = Other PG quals Canada= Graduate diplomas USA = First Professional Degree UK = Other PG quals and PGCE Source: Morgan (2013)

8. Why the expansion and retraction?

9. Research to-date • Not possible to make general comparative conclusions although intuitive • Research may not be applicable to other international HE environments • No international comparative research

10. Postgraduate Taught Courses over 20 years using the product lifecycle • Noticeable growth in PG started in mid 90s • Why? • Government commitment to increasing PGT market? • For career advancement rather than self-fulfilment? • Creeping notion that PGT required for a career? • Employers raising the qualification bar due to • pool of well qualified graduates/ employer demand? • When downturn in economy, increase in uptake in HE? • Growth • 03/4-10/11 PG enrolments grew by 45% • PG= Other Higher Degrees (e.g. Taught Masters) + 13.1%, • Doctorates -1%, Other PG -12.4% • In 2011, Higher degrees account for approx 66% of all • PG enrolments • In 2010, fulltime mode became most popular mode • for the first time in the UK • All Engineering and Technology PG +10.3% between • 06/7-10/11 • Decline • Enrolments between 11/12 and 12/13 • UK Domiciled -5.9% • EU Domiciled -7.3% • Non-EU -4.5% • Overall mode split FT 55.3%:PT 44.7% • Fulltime -4.2 • Part-time -7.4 Revenue/Profit Star Cash Cow Question mark Dog Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Time (Statistics derived HESA, 2013)

11. UK Science Engineering, Maths and Technology Source: Statistics derived from HESA , 2013 http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1973/239/

12. Postgraduate Taught Courses over 20 years using the product lifecycle • Reasons for decline • Visa requirements? • Overseas competition? • Declining number of 18 Year olds thus smaller • pool of undergraduates? • Reasons for decline • Perception of real value of PGT qualification in • market place? • Employers require different skills? • Reasons for decline • Impact of UG study debt? • Lack of course funding? Revenue/Profit • Reasons for decline • No adaption of the product? • Not listening to needs of market? • Not taking account of competition? • No new question marks? • No new Cash Cows? Star Cash Cow Question mark Dog Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Time (Statistics derived HESA, 2013)

15. Study debt and course Choice in England UK applicant M Integrated Sandwich? 4 years x £9K and 1 year placement fee x£1000 =£37K funded via a student loan + Cost of living for 4 years = £48,224 Grand total study debt = £85,224 UK applicant M Integrated full-time? 4 years @ £9K per year = £36K funded via a student loan + Cost of living for 4 years = £48,224 Grand total study debt = £84,224 UK applicant BSc/BENG? 3 years @ £9K per year = £27K via a student loan + Cost of living for 3 years = £36,168 Grand total study debt = £63,168 UK applicant BSc/BENG plus MSc? 3 years @ £9K per year (£27K) via a student loan + 1 year MSc @ £6K= £33K + Cost of living for 4 years = £48,224 Grand total study debt = £81,224 UK applicant BSc/BENG Sandwich? 3 years @ £9K per year (£27K) and 1 year placement fee x£1000 =£28K funded via a student loan + Cost of living for 3 years = £36,168 Grand total study debt = £64,168 UK applicant BSc/BENG with a Foundation and Sandwich? 1 year @ £4600, 3 years @ £9K per year (£27K) and 1 year placement fee x£1000 =£32,600K funded via a student loan + Cost of living for 4 years = £48,224 Grand total study debt = £80,824 *UK average cost of living expenditure per year of UG study = £ 12,056 £4,834 for rent (£92.96 per week), £1,956 for food (£37.61 per week, £316 for household goods (£6.07 per week), £42 for insurance (80p per week), £2,074 for personal items (£39.88 per week), £1,524 for travel (£29.30 per week) and £1,310 for leisure (£25.19 per week). http://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/money-and-funding/average-costs-of-living-and-study/

16. KPM SME Postgraduate approach Thick Sandwich or OU Company HE BSc/Eng MSc/Eng PHd Student HE Company 9 year olds in Japan KPM employing Fast Adopters BSc/Eng MSc/Eng PHd Pre objective training GIEC • Vendor University • Students • Hobbyists • Kids in bedrooms • Professionals. Global Internet Engineering Community Company Train High School vendor Graduates USA, Germany, France, India, Portugal, Brazil etc • GRABCAD

17. Key findings of an HEA STEM ITG Report • Conducted over a year, 8 schools, 233 completed questionnaires (90% of attendance at Sept Orientation, focus group • Sample = 48% UK dom and 35% Non-EU dom, 42.7% =F and 57.3%=M, 47%= 1st and 53%= 2nd generation,36.5%= work and 39.5% =work • Major funding issues • Primary funding method for 2/5s of sample= parents • Entry route, generational and domiciled differences • Study anxiety • 2/3s of sample anxious but domiciled and entry route differences • Women and those coming from work less likely to believe had very strong study skills • Expectation of quality increased with age and generational status (first expected higher) • Belief employers value a PGT qualification more than UG but evidence suggests not the case (e.g. Connor et.al., 2010). See hard copy report or access via http://www.improvingthestudentexperience.com/library/PG_documents/Individual_Project_Report_Morgan_2013_Final_August_2013.pdf

18. Key issues from the report • Expectations and experience of study • Need to define PGT attributes as different from UG • Need toolkits for support (HEFCE developing) • Feedback needs to be fit for purpose • Less tolerance at this level of poor feedback • Face to face • One size fits all teaching problematic • Finance • Fee levels important • Poor access to funding especially for UK dom and 1st generation • Reliance on ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ • Is the funding arrangement sustainable? • Entry route (work or uni) • Cultural capital • Different skill base • Outcome expectations • Reasons and value • Student belief gives advantage in workplace • Employers state no indicator of leadership or work wisdom (Connor et al, 2010: Leitch, 2006) • Do employers want PGT graduates? • Study and life demands • Balancing life demands with study modes available • Poor support for different modes of study • Different needs and expectations to UGs • Greater pressure at this level than UG Commuting impacts on retention

19. Postgraduate Experience Project • HEFCE funded PG Scheme • Grant pot of £25 million • Test options for finance and activity to support PGT study • Support transitions • Postgraduate Experience Project PEP – 11 UK institutions, STEM • Project title • Investigating the expectations and attitudes towards postgraduate taught (PGT) STEM study, and post study Outcomes from the perspective of students’, universities and employers to support and sustain PGT growth in the UK – A collaborative project • The broad project outcomes are to: • Obtain local and national baseline data on student perceptions, motivations, expectations and experiences • of PGT study as well as exploring the enablers and barriers to study through a range of data collection • processes; • Obtain local and national baseline data on university and employers perceptions, attitudes, expectations • and experiences of PGT study; • Look at the big picture by drawing out broad themes through pragmatic research and by ‘sewing’ the • different strands of data together to create a collage of knowledge allowing further detailed research to be • undertaken; • Achieve a practical understanding and deliver practical and pragmatic outcomes; • Recognise the research limitations for the project.

20. Collaborators

21. Aims and objectives for the different key stakeholders Applicants and students Business and industry (B&I) Universities and community • Understand the employers expectations of • the skills PGT graduates should possess • Identify the employer outcome • expectations of recruiting a PGT graduate • Look at their perception of the value of • PGT study • Explore experiences of employers on • university industrial advisory groups in • terms of influencing curriculum changes • Identify employer needs locally and • nationally • Explore experiences of PGT graduate • employers in general and of members and • employment specialists on the SG • Explore university • attitudes, planning and • development • approaches to PGT study • Look at university • responses to PEP findings • Explore approaches to • PGT supporting the local • economy • Explore applicants and student • perceptions, motivations, • expectations of PGT study • Explore the barriers of applicants and • students to PGT study • Explore the experiences of students • undertaking PGT study • Explore the outcomes of students as • a result of undertaking PGT study • Explore which variables impact on • attitudes, expectations , the retention • of PGT students (e.g. part-time, full- • time, domiciled and generational • status, age, gender, social class, • ethnicity, discipline and route into • study such as from work or University);

22. Capturing applicant and student behaviour across STEM MSc courses Data collection for applicant/student groups (A/S) below will be collected under ethic guidelines. Each group will produce a dataset. Each dataset aims to capture A/S behaviour. A/S Dataset 1 A/S Dataset 2 A/S Dataset 3 A/S Dataset 5 A/S Dataset 6 A/S Dataset 4 Group A. Potential applicants who enquire but do not apply Group B. Applicants who apply, get an offer but decline Group C. Applicants who apply, accept but notify the university of non-attendance before commencement Group D. Applicants who apply, accept, do not enroll and do not notify the university of non-attendance before commencement Group E. Applicants who enroll but withdraw after commencement Group F. Applicants who enroll, stay the course and complete Data collection for group B This group of applicants will be contacted by the 0.5 researcher at each institution and asked to complete a short anonymous survey. Data collection for group A This group of applicants will be contacted by the 0.5 researcher at each institution and asked to complete a short anonymous survey. Data collection for group E This group of students for all participating universities will be contacted by the Primary Research Hub at Kingston and asked to complete a short anonymous survey. • Data collection for group F • This group of students within each institution will be given the opportunity to engage in the: • Sept 2014 questionnaire • Focus groups • End of course and exit survey • Each institution provides the Primary Research Hub with their STEM DHLE statistics for the Full cohort finishing in late 2015 who complete DHLE in Jan 2016. Data collection for group C This group of applicants will be contacted by the 0.5 researcher at each institution and asked to complete a short anonymous survey. Data collection for group D This group of applicants will be contacted by the 0.5 researcher at each institution and asked to complete a short anonymous survey. These are critical groups in understanding student behaviour as there is so little intelligence on these groups. Groups C to F are the applicants who could produce A/S Dataset 6 through the allocation of fee scholarships (FS). In return for the FS, applicants/students will be required (as far as is possible) unlike Group F to engage in a range of data collection activities throughout the duration of their course in order to obtain a dataset for the characteristics of Group F. See the Schedule for Scholarships and Research activities for more information. This creates dataset 7.

23. Thank you for listening Any questions? Phillip Lewis aa5041@coventry.ac.uk Michelle Morgan michelle.morgan@kingston.ac.uk Author and Editor of www.improvingthestudentexperience.com Editor and Contributor to Improving the Student Experience-A practical guide for universities and colleges (Routledge, 2012) and Supporting Student Diversity in Higher Education (Routledge, 2013) References Higher Education Statistics Agency (2013) http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1973/239/ Morgan, M. (2013) Supporting Student Diversity in Higher Education- a practical guide, Oxon: Routledge. Smith, A., Bradshaw, T., Burnett, K. Docherty, D., Purcell, W. and Worthington, S. (2010) One Step Beyond: Making the most of Postgraduate education. London: Department forBusiness, Innovation and Skills.