1 school of health in social science 2011 pg entrants’ survey analysis
TRANSCRIPT
1
School of Health in Social Science2011 PG Entrants’ Survey
Analysis
2
Contents
• Objectives• Methodology• Results• Summary • Recommendations• Appendix: Questionnaire
3
Methodology
• All new PG students were invited to complete the survey online (emailed out by the School)
• 48 started and 46 completed the survey between 26 October and 5 December 2011, a response rate of 25%
• There is no weighting or quotas applied to the results, percentages are rounded.
4
Objectives
• To find out which information sources postgraduate students use when considering studying at the University of Edinburgh and how useful they find these sources.
• To find out what information students find most influential when choosing to study a particular subject at the University of Edinburgh.
• To find out the primary reasons why students choose to study their particular subject at the University of Edinburgh and to identify any gaps where they would have liked more information.
• All above mentioned information should inform the School’s marketing activity, for example, key messages, advertising and communications
5
Results
6
1. Student Population
7
Demographics
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Other
RUK
Scotland
25+
21-24
Male
Female
Actual
Survey
Age
Gender
Country of residence
Gender, age of survey and region of residence among survey respondents were representative of the whole PG population in the School. None of the variations from the actual student population is statistically significant.
No of responses: 48
8
Subject areas
0% 10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Nursing
Counselling
ClinicalPsychology
IntegratedService
Improvements
Actual
Survey
The response rates for Counselling and Clinical Psychology are significally different from the actual; student population. Counselling is significantly underrepresented in this survey, while Clinical Psychology is overrepresented. Therefore, caution is advised when interpreting results.
No of responses: 48
9
2. Information gathering
10
Timing
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Wh
ile p
urs
uin
ga
ca
ree
r
As
a m
as
ters
stu
de
nt
Fin
al y
ea
r o
fy
ou
ru
nd
erg
rad
ua
ted
eg
ree
Be
fore
th
e f
ina
ly
ea
r o
f y
ou
ru
nd
erg
rad
ua
ted
eg
ree
%
More than a third of students began considering postgraduate study while pursuing a career. More than half (56%) started considering PG study during their undergraduate degree, while only 8% during a masters degree.
Marketing activities should therefore be mainly directed at both professionals and UG students in the relevant areas.
When did you begin to consider postgraduate study?
No of responses: 48
11
Motivation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
To obtain a postgraduatelevel qualification
To study your subject inmore detail
To improve youremployment prospects
For personaldevelopment
To change career
As a prerequisite to aPhD
%
For two thirds of students the motivation for postgraduate study was to obtain a PG level qualification and to study a subject in more detail. More than half also want to improve their employment prospects, while slightly less were motivated for reasons of personal development.
Why did you choose to undertake postgraduate study? Please choose all that apply.
No of responses: 48
12
Only 58% of respondents answered this question. Almost a third of them had used Prospects, Education UK and the Clearing House websites, each. Clearing House was not offered in the survey as an answer option but was recorded under ‘Other’ and should be included in the questionnaire in future years as a multiple choice option.The School should utilise the top ranked external websites for promoting their offerings to prospective PG students, by reviewing copy (key messages), by making sure all details and links to the UoE website are correct and by potentially considering advertising.
4%
7%
7%
14%
18%
21%
25%
29%
29%
32%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Find a phd
Masters Portal.eu
Hot courses
Target courses
Online search engine
Find a masters
Postgraduate search
Clearing House
Education UK
ProspectsExcluding the main university websites, which of the following websites did you use when considering which university to apply to? Please choose all that apply.
Information sources: External websites
No of responses: 28
13
Only 60% of respondents answered this question.University rankings are highly used; 79% of students used UK university rankings and still more than half World university rankings. Due to the importance of rankings they should be utilised in the School’s key messages and across all marketing channels.A fifth of students had seen a video on the University website. Social media were rarely or not at all used.
0%
0%
0%
0%
3%
3%
3%
3%
7%
14%
21%
52%
79%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Official UoE Twitter feed
Official UoE subject Twitter feed
UoE iTunes U channel
Free introductory online lecture
Official UoE Facebook page
Official subject Facebook page
Academic blogs
Official UoE YouTube channel
Student blogs
Video on UoE website
World university rankings
UK university rankingsWhich of the following online tools did you use when considering which university to apply to? Please choose all that apply.
Information sources: Online tools
No of responses: 29
14
3. Decision-making
15
Choices
79%
21%
0%
First choice from theoutset
First choice amongstthose who offered aplace
First choice amongstscholarship offers
Was the University of Edinburgh your…?
The University was the first choice from the outset for 79% of students, and for the remaining 21% it was first choice among those institutions that offered them a place. What would make the School of Health in Social Science first choice from the outset to even more students?
No of responses: 43
16
Previous study
74%
13%
13%
No
Yes, studiedpostgraduate degree atUoE
Yes, studiedundergraduate degreeat UoE
Yes, studied aborad atUoE
Almost three quarters of students were new to the University of Edinburgh, while a quarter had studied here before (half of which at UG and half at PG level). This should be taken into account when considering advertising the School’s PG offerings. Only about a quarter of students can be targeted internally (e.g. through direct communication), while three quarters need to be targeted externally, either through UoE’s own external marketing channels (e.g. website) or paid advertising (e.g. external course search pages). Key messages also need to be looked at in this context.
No of responses: 43
Have you previously studied at the University of Edinburgh?
17
Most used UoE information sources
0
0
5%
5%
13%
13%
29%
20%
20%
13%
10%
28%
7%
24%
35%
42%
5%
10%
3%
12%
13%
20%
10%
27%
23%
28%
28%
23%
44%
38%
50%
44%
0
7%
5%
5%
2%
0
5%
10%
10%
3%
10%
2%
4%
9%
0
5%
3%
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3%
2%
2%
2%
0
86%
85%
80%
76%
70%
63%
59%
54%
53%
52%
52%
45%
37%
33%
9%
4%
10%
10%
Virtual open week
Postgraduate recruitment fair
Overseas agent
On-campus open day
Contact with non-academic staff
Visiting UoE on a day other than open day
Contact with academic staff in subject area
Email/phone enquiry to University
Publication/website specific to subject area
Online degree finder
Printed prospectus
Recommendation current student/graduate
University rankings
Recommendation from friend or colleague
School of Health in Social Science website
University website
Extremely useful
Quite useful
Not very useful
Not useful at all
Didn't use
There is a striking number of students who never used the University’s information tools. Only the University and School’s websites were used by more than two thirds of students. The School should focus on utilising these two information sources in the best possible ways, e.g. by making sure all content is correct and reflecting the School’s key messages and USPs, by regularly updating content (also news/events), by looking into possibly improving the navigation and investing in rich content (images, video…) etc. Recommendations from friends/colleagues or from students/graduates and Rankings were used by still more than half of students as well.
How useful did you find the following when considering whether to study at the University of Edinburgh?
No of responses: ca 45
18
Most used UoE information sources
0
5%
0
5%
7%
10%
13%
13%
13%
20%
24%
28%
35%
42%
20%
29%
5%
3%
10%
12%
44%
28%
28%
20%
13%
23%
38%
23%
50%
44%
27%
10%
10%
7%
10%
10%
10%
5%
5%
5%
2%
3%
4%
9%
0
2%
0
3%
5%
0
2%
0
0
0
0
0
2%
3%
2%
0
0
0
10%
0
Virtual open week
Overseas agent
Postgraduate recruitment fair
On-campus open day
University rankings
Printed prospectus
Online degree finder
Visiting UoE on a day other than open day
Contact with non-academic staff
Publication/website specific to subject area
Recommendation from friend or colleague
Recommendation current student/graduate
School of Health in Social Science website
University website
Email/phone enquiry to University
Contact with academic staff in subject area
Extremely useful
Quite useful
Not very useful
Not useful at all
Looking at only those students who did use the University’s/ information sources, and by ranking their feedback on usefulness by average score, the most useful source of information is contact with academic staff in the subject area, followed by email/phone enquiries to the University. The University and School’s websites still came 3rd and 4th, and recommendations from current students/graduates and from friends/colleagues 5th and 6th. PTO
How useful did you find the following when considering whether to study at the University of Edinburgh?
No of responses: ca 45
19
Most used vs most useful UoE information sources
The University and School’s websites appear in both the top 5 used and top 5 useful information sources, as do recommendations from current student/graduates. Marketing efforts should be focused on utilising and further improving the websites, and on encouraging interaction between prospective students and current PG students as ambassadors. Staff (both academic staff and those who deal with email/phone enquiries in the first instance) should also be made aware of the impact they have on prospective students’ decision-making.
No of responses: ca 45
TOP 5 used sources
1. University website
2. School’s website
3. Recommendation from friend/colleague
4. University rankings
5. Recommendation from current student/graduate
TOP 5 useful sources
1. Contact with academic staff in subject area
2. Email/phone enquiry to University
3. University website
4. School’s website
5. Recommendation from current student/graduate
20
Most influential factors
51%
52%
54%
38%
36%
27%
20%
27%
11%
13%
22%
25%
9%
4%
7%
9%
47%
39%
35%
36%
33%
36%
38%
25%
31%
31%
24%
23%
27%
29%
18%
4%
2%
4%
7%
16%
9%
13%
7%
25%
13%
20%
18%
39%
16%
29%
40%
7%
0%
0
4%
2%
7%
7%
9%
14%
11%
11%
18%
11%
18%
27%
20%
22%
0%
4%
0%
9%
16%
18%
27%
9%
33%
24%
18%
2%
31%
11%
16%
58%
Degree content
Reputation of the University
Location of University
Reputation of subject area
Career opportunities
University rankings
Quality of teaching
Funding to study programme
Transferable skills training courses
Current students/graduates testimonials
Profiles of academic members of staff
Costs of study
Links to industry
Speed of university making an offer
School of Health facilities
Research assessment exercise
Extremely influential
Quite influential
Not very influential
Not influential at all
I was not aware of this
How influential were the following in choosing to study your degree at the University of Edinburgh?
No of responses: ca 45
The degree content is the most influential factor to students when students make their decision, followed by reputation (of UoE, and the degree subject), as well as the location. Career opportunities are influential to over two thirds of students, and University rankings/ Quality of teaching/ Funding to more than half too. These top ranked factors should be covered and feature prominently on the website.
Maybe surprisingly at PG level, the profile of academic staff is influential only to less than half of the students, and more than three quarters of students are unaware of the RAE.
21
Additional information needs
0 2 4 6 8 10
Course content
Degree structure
Application process
Programme delivery
Careers
Assessment
Funding
Testimonials
Facilities
Only half of the respondents replied to this question, the other half may have received all information they required prior to applying. The most common additional information need was more detail on the course content. Course content pages on the School’s website should be reviewed and updated if necessary.
What, if anything, would you have liked more information about when researching your degree at the University of Edinburgh?
No of respondents: 25
22
Uniqueness of studying at UoE
6
6
6
4
3
3
3
2
2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Location
Degree content
Structure (inc Theory & Practice)
Rankings
Reputation
Teaching quality
Studied here before
Staff
Assessment
Responses to this open-ended question were varied. Most frequently mentioned were the location, the content of the degree and the structure of the degree (e.g. combining theory and practice). PTO.
When deciding where to study your subject, what were the unique elements offered by the University of Edinburgh that made you choose here?
No of respondents: 31
23
Uniqueness of studying at UoE - comments
Location, degree content, esp. combination of theory & practice, rankings & reputation
“Based in Scotland, previously studied here at undergrad and felt that the quality of teaching was good.”
“Programme has good reputation, found interview day well done and friendly, orientation of course appealed to me. “
“Style of course (periods of teaching and periods on placement)” / “Course that linked working and studying together, it was applied. “
“Here is one of the best universities in Scotland, especially in nursing and medicine.”
“A specialized degree in PhD Clinical Psychology; positioning of the Clinical Psychology department in school of health in Social Science; a clear focus on children and adolescent mental health issues; range of CPD courses, and overall university world and UK ratings. “
“Counselling model of the dialogue between psychodynamic and person-centred approaches used by the dept of counselling here “
24
Association
22%
6%
72%
The University ofEdinburgh
CHSS
School of Health inSocial Science
Degree programme
Which one of the following do you associate yourself with most?
At PG level almost three quarters of students associate themselves most with their degree programme, and only just over a fifth with the University of Edinburgh. A small number of students (6%) associated themselves most with the School. (In comparison: At UG level 50% of students associated themselves with the University and 50 with the degree programme). Marketing efforts should be focused on promoting the individual PG programmes and their benefits (within the context of the University and School).
No of responses: 46
25
Summary & Recommendations
26
Summary
• More than a third of students began considering postgraduate study while pursuing a career. More than half (56%) started considering PG study during their undergraduate degree, while only 8% during a masters degree.
• Students’ motivation was a mixture of professional and personal development reasons. For two thirds of students the motivation for postgraduate study was to obtain a PG level qualification, and for almost as many to simply study a subject in more detail. More than half also want to improve their employment prospects, while slightly less were motivated for reasons of personal development.
• Among external websites, postgraduate search pages Prospects and Education UK were used most widely. Due to the overrepresentation of Clinical Psychology in this survey, the Clearing House website was also used by a third of respondents.
• University rankings are highly used; 79% used UK university rankings, 52% World rankings• The University was the first choice from the outset for 79% of students, and for the remaining 21% it was
first choice among those institutions that offered them a place. • Almost two thirds of students were new to the University of Edinburgh, while a quarter had studied here
before (half of which at UG and half at PG level).• The University and School’s websites were used by more than two thirds of students each.
Recommendations from friends/colleagues or from students/graduates and Rankings were used by more than half of students too.
• The most useful source of information is contact with academic staff in the subject area, followed by email/phone enquiries to the University. The University and School’s websites still came 3rd and 4th, and recommendations from current students/graduates and from friends/colleagues 5th and 6th.
27
Summary
• The degree content is the most influential factor to students when students make their decision, followed by reputation (of UoE, and the degree subject), as well as the location. Career opportunities are influential to over two thirds of students.
• Half of the respondents would have welcomed additional information before applying, mainly on course content. A few people were disappointed that they hadn’t known before that so many courses were provided online.
• Almost three quarters of students associate themselves most with their degree programme, and only just over a fifth with the University of Edinburgh. A small number of students (6%) associated themselves most with the School
28
Recommendations
• AUDIENCES:Target both professionals working in relevant fields, as well as UG students in relevant subject areas. Cross-promote the School’s PG offerings to current students at the University of Edinburgh, as they make up a quarter of the current PG student population and might be easier (cheaper) to reach.
• ADVERTISING:Consider advertising the School’s PG offerings on Prospects and Education UK.
• UNIVERSITY RANKINGS: Promote rankings as much as possible in all marketing materials (web, print, comms).
• WEBSITES:Utilise and further improve the School website as well as presence on main UoE website.
• INTERACTION:Encourage interaction between prospective students and current PG students as ambassadors. Make staff (both academic staff and those who deal with email/phone enquiries in the first instance) aware of the impact they have on prospective students’ decision-making
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:Provide more information on course content and delivery. Use the combination of theory and practice in many programmes as a unique selling point.
29
Appendix
30
Questionnaire
1. What degree are you studying?
2. When did you begin to consider postgraduate study?
3. Why did you choose to undertake postgraduate study?
4. Excluding the main university websites, which of the following websites did you use when considering which university to apply to?
5. Which of the following online tools did you use when considering which university to apply to?
6. How useful did you find the following when considering whether to study at the
7. How influential were the following in choosing to study your degree at the University of Edinburgh?
8. What, if anything, would you have liked more information about when researching your degree at UoE??
9. When deciding where to study [INSERT SUBJECT AREA], what were the unique elements offered by the University of Edinburgh that made you choose here?
10. Was the University of Edinburgh your
11. Which one of the following do you associate yourself with most?
12. If you applied to university outside of the UK, what countries were they in?
13. Have you previously studied at the University of Edinburgh?
14. Please state your gender
15. Which of the following age groups do you belong to?
16. What is your usual country of residence?
17. What tuition fee classification are you?
18. Are you studying?
19. If you would be willing to take part in further research by the University of Edinburgh, please leave your name, email address and country of residence below. This will not affect the confidentiality of your answers to this survey.
31
Programmes
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
MSc Children & Young People's Mental Health
DClinPsychol Clinical Psychology (Core Prog Route)
PgDip Counselling
MSc Counselling Studies
MSc Appl Psychology (Healthcare) Children & Young P
MSc in Advancing Nursing Practice
PgCert Cog Behaviour Therapy Children & Young P
MSc Integrated Service Imp: Health & Social Care
PhD Nursing Studies
PhD Clinical Psychology
PhD Counselling Studies
%
Actual
Survey
No of responses: 48
32