Publication
Title
Master degree under crisis : the salient motives of business students to enrol in a postgraduate programme
Author
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore why students decide to enrol in a business postgraduate programme at Damascus University in the current Syrian crisis. Design/methodology/approach Exploration of students' motives was generated in this study using semi-structured interviews. On the basis of saturation sampling, 11 interviews took place in the leading Syrian university providing postgraduate programmes, Damascus University. Findings The results from the interviews indicate the existence of six different motives for students to enrol in a postgraduate study: self-motives, professional motives, social motives, academic motives, lack of vision, and delaying military service, which is directly caused by the current war conditions in Syria. Practical implications Understanding postgraduates' motives is essential at the national level, the institutional level, and also at the individual level to make better future plans related to opening new programmes or altering admission criteria. Recommendations to higher education policy makers are highlighted in the study. Originality/value The majority of previous studies concentrate on students' motives to pursue postgraduate studies during financial crisis. However, very little is known on why students decide to enrol in a business postgraduate programme in a war context.
Language
English
Source (journal)
International journal of educational management. - Bradford
Publication
Bradford : 2018
ISSN
0951-354X
DOI
10.1108/IJEM-02-2017-0038
Volume/pages
32 :4 (2018) , p. 538-549
ISI
000432594500002
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 12.06.2018
Last edited 06.12.2021
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