Insights from focus group on postgraduate publications
- Nick Butler (Unlicensed)
Student recruitment hired Litmus to run focus groups on Vic's recruitment publications.
Faculty handbooks (plus the Guide to postgraduate study)
Here's what Nick Butler picked up from watching a focus group of 7 postgrads looking at faculty handbooks (and also the Guide to postgraduate study).
PG students:
- often don’t know exactly what they want to study, especially the level of study (e.g. Hons vs Masters)
- like the student profiles
- wanted information about what careers PG a programme leads to, how it improves your career prospects and earning power (so student profiles covering this would be powerful)
- want admission and enrolment information up front (in publications anyway)
- like visual summaries of programme options (e.g. the tables in the Guide to postgraduate study)
- want to know about scholarships
- want contact information
A couple of them also considered PG options while planning their UG study.
Guide to postgraduate study
Here are the key insights from the report from Litmus (above) that included a focus group on the Guide to postgraduate study.
Reasons for studying at Vic go beyond rankings
Some people feel being in the top 1% of the world for law, humanities, social sciences, etc, and being number 1 in New Zealand for research is nice to know, but there are other reasons for studying at Victoria (proximity, lifestyle, faculty, lecturers, etc.), and these are the key features that need to be advertised.
Enhancing your employability - students want info on PG study and your career prospects
Most people are embarking on postgraduate study to enhance their employment options, and are therefore seeking value for money from their postgraduate qualifications. They therefore like this section of the publication, and feel the content under each heading is relevant. However, some people feel this section could be enhanced by making reference or providing examples of the type of roles and the higher income that can be expected from undertaking postgraduate study at Victoria.
Funding your study and admission - students want to know about scholarships and tutor or research assistant jobs
People find this section of the publication relevant. They particularly want to know information on available scholarships, and feel more detail could be included in this section. People also would like to see ways to earn money to fund their study e.g. tutoring or undertaking research assignments or support given to find employment over the summer, and information on Jobseeker’s Allowances.
Faculty information - they want brief, at-a-glance, practical key details about programmes
Most people like that the faculty information is short and succinct and contained mostly to two pages. They value the commentary, research strengths and the table outlining qualifications, duration, entry requirements, closing dates, etc.
Our students - profiles are popular
People considering a post-graduate qualification at Victoria like the inclusion of student stories in the publication.
Acknowledging contribution and networking opportunities - they want to feel they're a valued part of a community
People considering a postgraduate qualification at Victoria often have a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills they have gained in the workplace. People feel there is insufficient acknowledgement of their experience in this publication and would like to know that they will be a valued part of the university, both as learners and contributors.
Contact information - needs to be easy to find
Some people do not notice the contact information at the back of the document, and others feel it should be placed under each faculty. Most people would also like the name and contact details of the faculty coordinator included in the contact information.