FINDINGS OF
POSTGRADUATE STUDENT
QUESTIONNAIRE
CONDUCTED SEPTEMBER 2005
Analysis completed March 2006
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CONTENTS Page
1. Introduction and background to the questionnaire. 3
2. Issues arising from the questionnaire.
2.1. PGT Students.
2.1.1. Choosing PGT at Liverpool. 4
2.1.2. Academic background of students. 5
2.1.3. Living, working and finance issues. 5
2.1.4. Satisfaction. 6
2.1.5. Next step after PGT. 7
2.2. PGR Students.
2.2.1. Choosing PGR at Liverpool. 7
2.2.2. Academic background of students. 8
2.2.3. Living, working and finance issues. 8
2.2.4. Satisfaction. 9
2.2.5. Next step after PGR. 10
3. Comments from questionnaire. 10
4. Demographic analysis of questionnaire.
4.1. PGT students 20
4.2. PGR students 21
APPENDIX: Analysis of data from questionnaire.
a. Responses analysed according to PGT or PGR status of students. 23
b. PGT responses analysed according to residency status of students. 45
c. PGR responses analysed according to residency status of students. 50
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1. Introduction and background to the questionnaire.
This questionnaire was undertaken in order to inform the on-going review of the University of
Liverpool PGT provision. It was conducted by emailing all postgraduate students registered
with the University of Liverpool in early September 2005. At this point in the Academic Year,
it captured data from students registered for the 2004/5 session. However, this date meant
that a number of postgraduate students had completed their research projects and
submitted their dissertations so were no longer actively monitoring their email.
The questionnaire was designed for both postgraduate taught (PGT) and research (PGR)
students, with some differences in questions for the two groups. Unfortunately, individuals
were not prevented from continuing with the questionnaire if they failed to answer a point, so
not all questions were answered by all respondents. Thus, there were there a significant
number of "unknown" responses to questions and it was not possible to readily identify the
programme that each student was undertaking. Therefore, the replies (which often included
student names) were manually checked against Spider student records to identify and
separate PGT and PGR students and their programmes of study. Overall, 31 responses
were discounted from the analysis as insufficient information was available to identify
whether they came from PGT or PGR students. This left responses from 128 PGT and 121
PGR students that were valid.
In this report, the main issues arsing from the questionnaire are presented first, along with a
summary of the comments received. This is followed by a discussion on the demographic
validity of the responses in view of the numbers and types of postgraduate students who
responded to the questionnaire. A detailed analysis of the data for the PGT and PGR
students is presented in Appendix A, including an analysis by residency status, in order to
examine the responses of international students.
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2. Issues arising from the questionnaire.
2.1. PGT Students
2.1.1. CHOOSING PGT AT LIVERPOOL
Why are you taking a postgraduate taught course?
Overall, the main reason given was for "career enhancement" (66% of sample), followed by
"an active interest in the subject" (52%). This dual emphasis on work and subject was also
reflected in the next two most popular responses "to improve job prospects by gaining a
more focussed qualification" (38%) and "to specialise in an area of interest followed at
undergraduate level" (33%). Approximately a quarter of replies also agreed with each of the
statements "professional requirement", "as preparation for taking up an area of research"
and "to gain a qualification in the UK".
When looking at the responses of UK, EU and Overseas students, separately, the UK
students placed even greater emphasis on "career enhancement" with 76% of them putting
this as their main reason. 10% of the UK students also stated that they were taking a PGT
programme due to "lack of other opportunities". "Career enhancement" was the main reason
as well for 53% and 52% of Overseas and EU students, although the latter group placed "an
active interest in the subject" higher at 65% in contrast to the overseas students where only
34% chose this response. Overseas students were more keen "to gain a qualification in the
UK" (39%) and around 30% agreed with the statements that they wished to "improve (their)
English by taking an award in the UK" and "experience another culture".
What made you pick Liverpool?
Academic reasons dominated this response with "course content" (61%), "academic
reputation of University" (45%), and "academic reputation of Liverpool in subject area" (43%)
being the three most chosen options. A connection with Liverpool provided the next two
most popular responses; "live in area" (28%) and "already studied at Liverpool" (25%).
UK and EU students were more concerned with "course content" (65% and 70% of each
group respectively) than overseas students where, although this aspect still was the most
important, only 50% of them chose this response. 43% of the UK students chose Liverpool
as they "live in the area", had "already studied previously at Liverpool" (38%) or due to
"contact with course staff" (25%). Thus, familiarity seemed to play a large part in their choice
of institution. Overseas students had the largest range in reasons for choosing Liverpool but
numbers responding to individual points were relatively low so may not be reliable.
Understandably, "contact with IRRO staff" (16%) and "quality of the pg prospectus" (16%)
were factors not cited by other groups.
When you accepted a place at Liverpool, how many other institutions were you
seriously considering for your postgraduate work? What institution was your
second choice?
47% of respondents did not consider any other institution and 43% only considered 1-3 other
places. The only other institution that was considered by a significant number of students
was Manchester (8%). However, individuals reported considering 34 other UK Universities, 5
EU Universities and 3 USA Universities as second choice.
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2.1.2. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND OF STUDENTS
76% of the respondents reported having an undergraduate degree with 9% not having one
but it should be noted that 15% did not answer this question. 21% had a 1st Class Honours
degree, 20% a 2.1 and the largest proportion, at 30%, a 2.2 classification. 30% had a BSc
degree and 26% a BA but no clear pattern emerged of subjects studied. The highest number
of respondents came from those with Engineering degrees (13%).
2.1.3 LIVING, WORKING AND FINANCE ISSUES
Where have you been living during your studies?
The majority of students were living in "other rented accommodation" (43%) although a large
number also lived in their "own home" (33%) or with "parents" (7%). The questions may not
have actually helped distinguish between a student responding "own home" when they were
with their parents but overall, a large proportion were living at what they considered "home".
University-based accommodation accounted for 13% of the responses.
Considering the responses of the UK, EU and overseas students separately, the proportion
of UK students living at home increased to give 49% of them in their "own home" and 11%
with "parents". University residences were used by 22% and 21% respectively for EU and
Overseas students but only 5% of UK students. Overseas students mainly opted for "other
rented" (63%).
Have you being undertaking paid work during your course and if so, how many
hours per week do you normally work in paid employment?
This response can be divided between students registered as full-time and part-time. The
vast majority of part-time students were working more than 20 hours a week (78%) so were
presumably studying whilst continuing with a full-time job.
Of the full-time students, 37% of them undertook no work but a significant proportion (21%)
worked more than 15 hours a week. This proportion was greatest for the Overseas students
where 31% were working in excess of 15 hours per week.
How difficult have you found it to finance your studies?
and
Where have you found financial help?
Overall, 47% of PGT students found it "very difficult" or "difficult" to finance their studies with
24% finding it "quite easy" or "easy". However, only 10% of Overseas students reported
finding it "quite easy" or "easy".
Parents (38%) were the most common source of financial help for all PGT students,
although 35% of home and 26% of EU students also received significant help from
employers. These students receiving help from their employers were the only group to report
in any numbers that they had found it "quite easy" or "easy" to fund their studies. Notably,
50% of Overseas students received help from their parents, with no other response except
"bank loan" (13%) recording more than 10%. In the comments section for this question,
several students pointed out that the questionnaire did not let them choose "self" and many
students were self-funded.
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Other finance issues.
Looking at the open comments on finance, a theme picked up by more than one student was
the high level of the overall fees and, in particular, the limited funding opportunities available
for Overseas students. Students also found dealing with the finance office difficult - a typical
response with regards to this office was "staff are extremely unhelpful, uncooperative and
uninformed".
2.1.4. SATISFACTION
Have your academic studies at Liverpool lived up to your expectations?
The majority of students responded "completely"(33%), "almost"(30%) or "reasonably"(22%)
with 64% of home and 74% of EU students responding "completely" or "almost". Overseas
students were slightly less satisfied with their academic studies with 58% responding
"completely" or "almost" and 16% recording "some exceptions" or "not at all".
What was good about your course?
and
What academic changes should there be?
PGT students generally commented favourably about their course, welcoming the more
personal aspect of postgraduate tuition due to lower numbers than experienced at
undergraduate level. One response was "Genuine and helpful feedback from tutors for
advice relating to modules. Teaching group sizes in which students, as individuals, do not
get lost in". The support they received from tutors did, however, seem to depend on the
particular course. Comments ranged from "good support network of tutors and administrative
staff" to "tutors gave no or very little help". Some PGT students commented that they had
difficulty with their research projects in the Summer due to staff being absent. Comments on
the course structure also varied from "course designed to actively promote integration of
students from different countries and backgrounds - most impressive" to "6 week modules
are too intensive and stressful. Work life balance goes out of the window for each module".
Part-time students, in particular, found varying attendance and study days within a term
could be a problem.
What would you like to change outside your course?
PGT students, especially more mature ones with family commitments, travelling from outside
Liverpool, wanted better transport and more parking spaces in the University. They did not
feel safe at night if working late and would have liked to be more in contact with other
postgraduate students - they did not always have access to a common room in their
department to eat lunch and did not know much about any central facilities. This sense of
isolation was especially true for international students who commented that it was hard to
settle and that they could do with more support.
Would you recommend studying at Liverpool to a friend or another family
member?
88% of the respondents would recommend Liverpool with 96% of the EU students in the
survey responding yes to this question.
Considering the open responses made on this point, there were many more positive than
negative comments. Most students liked the city and the University, praised the academic
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staff and the course and were happy with their choice. A few complained about Liverpool
being a racist or horrible city or that the course was badly organised with poor University
facilities and unhelpful staff. However, these negative attributes were not seen by the
majority with others commenting that "the level of teaching and learning is demanding but
very high" and "Liverpool is a lively city and most of its people are friendly and helpful".
1.5. NEXT STEP AFTER PGT
What do you want to do next?
Overall, 38% wanted to "find a job" and 36% wanted to "register for an MPhil/PhD". 15%
also wanted to "take a break from studying". 57% of the EU students wished to "find a job"
whereas this was the case for only 29% of UK students. Although 24% of Overseas students
wished to "return home", an equal number wished to "work in the UK".
2.2. PGR STUDENTS
2.2.1. CHOOSING PGR AT LIVERPOOL
Why are you taking a postgraduate research degree?
Overall, as for PGT, the main reason given was for "career enhancement" (62% of sample),
followed by "an active interest in the subject" (56%). Subject importance was also reflected
in the next most popular response "to specialise in an area of interest followed at
undergraduate level" (46%) with the work-related aspect "to improve job prospects by
gaining a more focussed qualification" cited by 36%. Approximately a quarter of replies also
agreed with each of the statements "professional requirement", "as preparation for taking up
an area of research" and "to gain a qualification in the UK".
When looking at the responses of UK, EU and Overseas students, separately, the UK
students placed great emphasis on "career enhancement" (70%), "an active interest in the
subject" (66%) and "to specialise in an area of interest followed at undergraduate level"
(54%). "Career enhancement" (67%) and "to improve job prospects by gaining a more
focussed qualification" (67%) were the main reasons chosen for the rather small number of
EU PGR students. Overseas students also chose "Career enhancement" most often (46%)
but not at the same % levels as the other groups. 29% of the overseas students wished "to
gain a qualification in the UK" but compared to the PGT students, they were much less
interested in using a research degree to improve their English or experience another culture.
What made you pick Liverpool?
As for PGT students, academic based reasons were major factors in this choice but for PGR
students the supervisor was particularly important with the highest response being
"particular academic member of staff" (50%), followed by "course content" (36%), "academic
reputation of Liverpool in subject area" (36%) and "academic reputation of University" (31%).
A connection with Liverpool also provided popular responses; "already studied at Liverpool"
(31%) and "live in area" (27%).
The importance of the supervisor was confirmed even when the responses of the UK, EU
and Overseas students were considered separately with "particular academic member of
staff" being chosen as the top reason for coming to Liverpool by each group. Interestingly,
the existence of scholarships only seemed to influence the decision of EU students (44% of
them) to any large extent although as this sample only consisted of 9 students, their
response should not be treated as wholly representative. Overseas PGR students, in
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contrast to PGT students, did not see that IRRO had influenced their decision to come to
Liverpool at all.
When you accepted a place at Liverpool, how many other institutions were you
seriously considering for your postgraduate work? What institution was your
second choice?
51% of respondents did not consider any other institution and 42% only considered 1-3 other
places. The only other institutions that were considered by a significant (but still small)
number of students were Manchester (5%) and Leeds (4%). However, individuals reported
considering 30 other UK Universities and 2 EU Universities as second choice.
2.2.2. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND OF STUDENTS
90% of the respondents reported having an undergraduate degree with, surprisingly, 2% not
having one. 24% had a 1st Class Honours degree, 27% a 2.1 and the largest proportion, at
38%, a 2.2 classification. 43% had a BSc degree and 17% a BA with backgrounds in
Biological Sciences (26%), Physical Sciences (13%) and Engineering (12%) being the most
common. 50% of the PGR students had previously studied for a PGT award, 45% of them
within the UK, with 26% taking a MSc, 14% a MA and 5% a MRes degree. It was not
apparent from the sample that class of first degree correlated with taking a PGT qualification
as approximately similar proportions of PGRs with 1st Class results took such awards as
those with 2.2 results. However, due to the larger numbers who had 2.2 degrees, more
students with this class of degree took PGT before enrolling as a PGR.
2.2.3 LIVING, WORKING AND FINANCE ISSUES
Where have you been living during your studies?
As for PGT students, the majority of PGR students were living in "other rented
accommodation" (45%) with a large number also living in their "own home" (31%) or with
"parents" (11%). University-based accommodation accounted for 11% of the responses.
Considering the responses of the UK, EU and overseas students separately, the proportion
of UK students living at home increased to give 43% of them in their "own home" and 18%
with "parents". University residences were hardly used by home and EU students but 37% of
Overseas students chose this option. Both Overseas students (51%) and EU students (89%)
mainly opted for "other rented".
Working: PGR students were not asked this question.
How difficult have you found it to finance your studies?
and
Where have you found financial help?
Overall, 41% of PGR students found it "very difficult" or "difficult" to finance their studies with
26% finding it "quite easy" or "easy". 52% of Overseas students reported finding it "very
difficult" or "difficult". Of the 9 EU students that responded, none found it "very difficult" or
"easy" with 44% finding it "neither easy nor difficult".
Unlike PGT students, parents were not the most common source of financial help for PGR
students. Research Councils funded 53% of the UK students, followed by 26% funded by
employers. However, a significant proportion of UK (40%) and EU (44%) students did
receive funding from parents and partners, indicating that families were still contributing to
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their finances. Overseas students received considerably less help from families for PGR
(14%) than for PGT with 31% receiving help form their employers and 23% from their home
government. Again, students pointed out that the questionnaire did not let them choose
"self" and many students were self-funded. There was no obvious correlation in the difficulty
that students experienced in funding themselves according to their source of funding; almost
equal numbers of Research Council funded students found it "difficult", "neither easy nor
difficult" or "quite easy".
Other finance issues.
Looking at the open comments on finance, PGR students considered the bench fees to be
too high and also, as for PGT students, found difficulty dealing with the finance office. One
student commented that "The finance department is the most muddled and inefficient body I
have ever had to deal with".
2.2.4. SATISFACTION
Have your academic studies at Liverpool lived up to your expectations?
The majority of students responded "completely"(21%), "almost"(31%) or "reasonably"(31%)
but the numbers who were completely satisfied were less than for PGT students. Thus, 59%
of home, 44% of EU and 40% of Overseas students responded "completely" or "almost".
The EU students recorded the lowest level of satisfaction with 33% of the rather small
sample noting "some exceptions" or "not at all".
What was good about your course?
and
What academic changes should there be?
The quality of the experiences of PGR students depended, mainly, on their relationship with
their supervisor and the facilities offered by the department. There was praise for the
electronic journals although some students did not have the 24 hour access to the library
and department which they sought. One appreciated "the quality of the supervision and the
PG seminars within the department" whilst another stated "my supervisor is very busy and
does not have time for his students". Some students had "good access to lab facilities" whilst
others echoed the statement that they "would like to see more funding to have better
equipment in the labs". Several wished for more contact with other PGR students.
What would you like to change outside your course?
PGR students, in common with PGT students, wanted better transport and more parking
spaces in the University. Again, they did not feel safe at night if working late and some were
isolated although this did not seem as marked as for PGT students. Several expressed the
view that flexible accommodation, near the University, just for postgraduates (and their
families) was needed.
Would you recommend studying at Liverpool to a friend or another family
member?
91% of the respondents would recommend Liverpool with 93% of the UK students in the
survey responding yes to this question.
Considering the open responses made on this point, there were many more positive than
negative comments. Most students liked the city and the University, praised the academic
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staff and the research opportunities and were happy with their choice. A few had problems
with their research supervisor which affected their level of satisfaction.
2.2.5. NEXT STEP AFTER PGR
What do you want to do next?
Overall, 51% wanted to "find a job" although, unlike PGT students, the largest response for
Overseas students (54%) was to "return home". All students, whether home, EU or overseas
were looking for jobs either in the UK or abroad that involved research or lecturing in Higher
education or industry. As some of the categories of response had significant overlap and at
this stage it is not known what these students did in fact do, no clear picture arose of their
final decision.
3. Comments from questionnaire.
The mind maps that follow contain the summarised comments of the respondents. The first
map shows general issues that arose whilst the other maps are concerned with specific
aspects. Responses with the red lines are from PGT students and the blue circled
responses are from PGR students.
(NOTE Pages of detailed tables, mind mapsand chart material not attached)
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