Why it is Important to Include your own Undergraduate Students in your Postgraduate Recruitment Activity
Emma Price, Head of Postgraduate Recruitment, University of Derby
It has been a fast paced and challenging landscape in higher education in recent years, particularly in postgraduate student recruitment. Following the pandemic, a healthier job market emerged, yet the escalating cost of living has led to a decline in domestic postgraduate numbers for many UK universities. Simultaneously, competition for international students has intensified. Throughout the 2023/24 academic cycle, we saw continuing students being the hardest hit by the economic circumstances, with the cost of living crisis influencing attitudes towards further study and career choices amongst graduates. Prospective domestic postgraduate students also face further financial challenges, with the narrowing gap between the average UK postgraduate tuition fee and the loans from Student Finance England, resulting in reduced funds available for living costs. Equally, prospective international students encounter challenges due to government policy shifts and finances obstacles.
To ensure they are well placed to compete in this arena, many institutions have started to invest significant resources in their postgraduate recruitment activity. While universities often focus on external outreach and marketing strategies to attract prospective postgraduates, there is an invaluable resource that is sometimes overlooked: engaging with your own undergraduate students.
The transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study can be a pivotal moment in a student’s academic journey. It presents an opportunity for them to delve deeper into their chosen field, develop specialised expertise, and contribute to cutting-edge research. However, many undergraduates may feel uncertain or uniformed about the prospect of pursuing further studies after completing their undergraduate degree. This is where universities can play a crucial role in guiding and nurturing their own undergraduate students.
Recent insight research from The Student Room indicates that 86% of current undergraduate students are open to postgraduate study and one-third of those (32%) said they were considering it as an option. Additionally, in 2022, Savanta stated in their Postgraduate Success report, ‘Universities can find huge postgraduate recruitment opportunities with their current undergraduates – 48% of prospective postgraduates would definitely consider their undergraduate institution – among others – for postgraduate study’. So, undergraduate students are interested in pursuing postgraduate study; therefore, universities need to ensure they are engaging with them and informing them about their options.
Ways to engage with your undergraduate students
Informed decision making is essential for students as they consider their next steps after undergraduate studies. Engaging with students and providing relevant information helps them weigh up their options, consider return on investment, evaluate potential outcomes, and make decisions which align with their career goals.
It’s crucial not to assume that your undergraduate students are aware of postgraduate opportunities at your university. Many undergraduates might not be familiar with the various options available or know where to access information, so it is important that you engage and inform them. It is also important to ensure you do not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach with regards to the activity you deliver to your undergraduate students as they will want to receive information in a variety of ways.
These are some strategies you could use to ensure your undergraduate students are informed about postgraduate opportunities at your institution:
Promotion of postgraduate opportunities: Ensure that information about courses, scholarships, and discounts (such as the alumni discount), and funding options is readily available and effectively communicated. Utilise various communication channels such as email, newsletters, social media platforms, university apps and campus events to reach out to them.
Events: There are a range of events you could host for current undergraduate students to find out more about your postgraduate offer which could include presentations and information sessions (which cover the benefits of postgraduate study), the application process and funding options, pop up stands in areas of high footfall and subject specific events which provide valuable insights into certain disciplines.
Incorporate information into the curriculum: Integrate information about postgraduate study into relevant courses, workshops or seminars, for example, dedicate a session to discuss postgraduate studies within a particular field or discipline.
Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration: Collaborating with key internal stakeholders is an important way to ensure that accurate and consistent messaging is being communicated. Having numerous colleagues communicating postgraduate messages can significantly increase the coverage and impact of your messaging. It also fosters diverse perspectives and approaches, enriching the overall message and making it more relevant and engaging to different audiences.
Collaborate with academic colleagues and encourage them to have conversations about postgraduate study in their one to ones with undergraduate students. Academic colleagues offer invaluable insights into various fields of study and potential career pathways. Students I have worked with have expressed appreciation for these conversations, noting that they find them valuable and confidence-boosting when considering their next steps.
Collaborate with the university’s careers service to provide workshops and resources specifically geared towards postgraduate study.
Collaborate with your student finance team to ensure that messaging around funding is clear and concise so students can make an informed choice about the financial viability of postgraduate study and ensure it is provided in a timely manner to reduce the stress for students later in the cycle.
Benefits of engaging with your undergraduate students
Engaging with undergraduate students within the context of postgraduate recruitment activity offers numerous benefits for both students and institutions:
Belonging, trust and confidence: Undergraduate students are already familiar with the culture, resources, and opportunities offered by their institution and already have a sense of belonging. They may have established relationships with academics, peers, and support services, which can foster a sense of trust and confidence in the postgraduate options promoted by the university. When institutions proactively engage with students and address their concerns, it builds trust and confidence in the institution’s’ commitment to student success and support. Students feel valued and supported, which enhances their overall experience and satisfaction. Activity can be delivered to students across all years of study and the earlier your activity begins, the more informed and confident your students will become.
Tailored guidance: By engaging with undergraduates, universities can provide tailored advice, guidance, and support to help students navigate the transition to postgraduate study. Whether it’s information of specific courses, the application process or student finance, this personalised guidance can demystify the postgraduate journey and empower students to make informed decisions about their next steps.
Retention and success: Engaging with students and addressing their concerns can contribute to higher retention rates and success by ensuring that students are fully informed before they start their postgraduate journey. When students feel supported, they are more likely to remain committed and achieve their goals.
Alumni pipeline: Nurturing relationships with undergraduate students during the postgraduate recruitment process can lay the foundation for a strong alumni network. Alumni who have had positive experiences are more likely to remain engaged, potentially contributing as advocates for future generations of students.
Feedback mechanism: Engaging with undergraduates allows universities to gather valuable feedback on their postgraduate portfolio and recruitment efforts. By gathering feedback from current students about their needs, preferences, and areas for improvement, institutions can refine their offer to better meet the evolving demands of prospective postgraduates.
Engaging with your own undergraduate students enables the university to provide advice, guidance, and support, and create a seamless pathway for undergraduates to transition into postgraduate students. By addressing concerns, you are empowering students to make well-informed decisions. In doing so, universities not only strengthen their postgraduate courses but also reaffirm their commitment to supporting the development and professional aspirations of their students, which in turn could contribute towards their overall satisfaction, success, and long-term relationship with the university.
It is not without its challenges
Postgraduate study often represents the pinnacle of academic pursuit for many students. Whether driven by a desire for knowledge, to specialise in a particular field, or aspirations for career and/or salary enhancement, pursuing a postgraduate degree is a significant decision. It is also a decision that many prospective postgraduate students find particularly difficult in the current climate.
Financial considerations: Postgraduate study can often be expensive, including tuition fees, living costs, and potentially lost income from not being in full time employment. Undergraduate students may be particularly sensitive to these financial considerations especially given other rising costs. Universities should ensure that discussions around student finance are embedded in their activity and students know where to access information about scholarships, bursaries, and payment options to allow students to make decisions about the financial viability of postgraduate study.
Careers prospects and employability: Prospective students are increasingly scrutinising the return of investment of a postgraduate degree in terms of enhanced careers prospects and employability. They want assurance that their postgraduate studies will lead to employment opportunities and give them a competitive edge in the job market. It is therefore important to provide information about the career outcomes of postgraduate alumni and offer tailored careers support throughout the duration of their degree.
Balancing work and study commitments: An increasing number of postgraduate students are looking to pursue further studies while balancing work and/or family commitments. Balancing these competing priorities can be challenging and may deter some students from considering postgraduate study completely. Where universities offer flexible modes of study, including part time, online, or evening classes, to accommodate the diverse needs of the postgraduate pipeline it is important that these are advertised to students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, engaging with your own undergraduate students in your postgraduate recruitment activity offers universities significant benefits. Overall, your activity can contribute to your institution’s income generation, research excellence, contributions to society and long-term institutional success. Through this engagement, universities are also able to provide more personalised advice and guidance to students, foster trust and confidence and potentially boost student satisfaction and retention rates. Additionally, actively engaging with undergraduate students enables universities to gather valuable feedback, address concerns and implement changes to improve the postgraduate offer and supporting activity.
While postgraduate recruitment presents its fair share of challenges, universities have a unique opportunity to tap into a pool of talented and motivated students already studying at their institution. By proactively addressing student concerns and implementing targeted strategies to attract, support and retain students, universities can create an enabling environment that empowers undergraduate students to make informed choices about their next steps cultivating a diverse and dynamic postgraduate community that fosters innovation, excellence, and lifelong learning.
