In times of economic crisis universities still make profits due to increasing numbers of postgraduate and over-seas students. A considerable number of universities in UK will this year receive more post-graduate applications than previously; additionally the numbers of international students are also increasing.

Recent media reports have argued that many students, afraid of the unstable employment market, are deciding to extend their time spent at university. 

Figures published in the press include Manchester University’s applications for postgraduate courses. The number of applicants has risen by 14%; this figure includes UK and the EU students. It is also apparent that 34% more international students are going onto postgraduate level studies. Birmingham University has seen an increase of 8% from UK and the 18% from the EU.

At UWE and across the country at postgraduate level the majority of students are international or from an EU country. International students when asked why they choose to do a postgraduate course in the UK they noted that doing so “enhanced their CV and showed their ambition to get a better job”.

Some undergraduate students taking social sciences courses, and facing the employment market crisis, commented that they are “not afraid of not getting a job.” In going onto postgraduate study they said they are instead, “looking for more qualifications in order to improve their career prospects.” Others replied that “a bachelor degree is not enough to get a good job; everyone nowadays has a bachelors”. Furthermore, many students said that the idea of enrolling in a postgraduate course was not propelled by the recent economic environment; they affirmed that before the unemployment crisis they were already planning to go on to postgraduate study.

Contrastingly some students revealed that after completing their bachelor degree they do not feel confident enough to go out into the job market. They saw a postgraduate course as a chance to develop their confidence and the necessary skills for the tough job market. One of them told Western Eye, the fact that many of his friends decided to do a postgraduate degree encouraged him to apply too.

So it seems the factors that prompted the increase in the number of postgraduate applications and students are innumerable, and are directly or indirectly, related to the economy. Each student has their own reasons to go onto a postgraduate course. Lately, the most common factor seems the ambition to improve future job prospects.