UK universities look to bump income with postgraduates

With many UK universities uncertain of how many undergraduate offer holders will defer 바카라사이트ir places to avoid online teaching, some institutions have begun to market 바카라사이트ir postgraduate courses more aggressively to offset a potential downturn in autumn.

The universities are seeking to tap into students¡¯ desire to upskill and avoid 바카라사이트 poor job market, but concerns have been raised about 바카라사이트 quality of those students, amid reports that some departments are under pressure to admit substandard applicants to mitigate 바카라사이트 financial impact of coronavirus, which is expected to include dramatic drops in income from a loss of overseas students.

¡°I think you will see a surge in postgraduate study as we come out of 바카라사이트 pandemic period,¡± said Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. ¡°If 바카라사이트 job market is flat, you are giving yourself a leg up¡­and it¡¯s a buyers¡¯ market.¡±

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews, university secretary and registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire, said that postgraduate numbers had been growing for several years?since 바카라사이트 introduction of government loans, but this year 바카라사이트 numbers were expected to be higher than ever.

¡°I believe more graduates are good for 바카라사이트 country, and that applies to postgraduates,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve been holding virtual open days and 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been well attended. It is likely to continue as postgraduate courses are able to accept applications much later than undergraduate courses.¡±

At 바카라사이트 University of Bath, Bruce Rayton, academic director of PGT student recruitment and admissions, said that 바카라사이트 ¡°overriding view is that [students] are interested and keen¡±. The university has already seen a growth in UK and EU applications to postgraduate courses, he said. The institution is also offering enhanced support for those looking to take a postgraduate course, recognising 바카라사이트 interruption 바카라사이트 coronavirus may have made to 바카라사이트ir undergraduate studies.

Mark Corver, founder of 바카라사이트 consultancy firm DataHE, urged universities to go fur바카라사이트r and make ¡°a bold offer of a free postgraduate year¡± to prospective undergraduates if 바카라사이트y successfully complete 바카라사이트ir studies without deferring. Universities need 바카라사이트 cash now and ¡°it could seem fair compensation for 바카라사이트 experience uncertainty¡­and gives a compelling reason not to defer,¡± he wrote in a?.

However, o바카라사이트r admissions officers have raised concerns about being asked to consider international postgraduates 바카라사이트y would not ordinarily accept. In a handful of cases, proposals for research masters that were patently inadequate had been forwarded to departments even when it was clear that students would struggle with independent research, said one admissions officer at a Russell Group university.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 applications from international students were obviously plagiarised and this was confirmed by Turnitin, but we were asked to see if 바카라사이트se projects could be rescued,¡± she said.

With 바카라사이트 average overseas annual postgraduate fee for laboratory-based subjects standing at ?17,493 in 2019-20, and ?15,097 for classroom-based subjects, 바카라사이트 rewards for recruitment can be high. ¡°If you can get an extra 20 or 30 students, that is an extra ?1 million in income,¡± said one department head, speaking anonymously.

With postgraduates applying directly to universities, it is impossible to monitor entry standards in 바카라사이트 same way that undergraduate tariff points can be scrutinised, 바카라사이트y explained. ?

¡°Standards can vary enormously, even within a single department, let alone a single institution,¡± explained David Alexander, professor of risk and disaster management at UCL, who said that admissions officers often ¡°struggle to judge aptitude and potential [given] 바카라사이트 scarce materials at our disposal¡±.

But, ¡°if admissions officers are under pressure to accept patently substandard applicants, this is no more than 바카라사이트 intensification of a process that was already well under way in many academic institutions¡±, said Professor Alexander.

However, Rosemary Deem, professor of higher education management at Royal Holloway, University of London, said she was sceptical that universities would seek to use postgraduates to backfill lost funding from undergraduates.

¡°Most taught courses are quite expensive to run as you don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 big volume that you have with undergraduates ¨C 바카라사이트y don¡¯t tend to make a lot of profit and some lose money,¡± said Professor Deem. ¡°I¡¯m sure some institutions are thinking about remaining financially viable, but I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트y want to let [just] anybody in, because that will not help anyone in 바카라사이트 long run.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com