Which Master of Business Administration (MBA)? Factors influencing prospective students' choice of MBA programme - an empirical study

Factors which influence students' selection of a Master of Business Administration programme are identified and the variation in their relative importance across the student population investigated. This research also identifies the features of a university which attracts students, as well as e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of higher education policy and management Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 473 - 483
Main Author Blackburn, Greg
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Taylor & Francis 01.10.2011
Routledge
Subjects
Australia
Business Administration Education
business education
Career Planning
College Choice
Course Descriptions
Decision Making
Educational Facilities
Educational Quality
Enrolment influences
Foreign Countries
Graduate Students
Grounded Theory
Higher education
Influences
International students
Management education
Masters programs
MBA
Qualitative Research
Reputation
school choice
Selection
Structured Interviews
Student Attitudes
student behaviour
Subject selection (Students)
University choice
University of Queensland
University students
Australia
Queensland
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Summary:Factors which influence students' selection of a Master of Business Administration programme are identified and the variation in their relative importance across the student population investigated. This research also identifies the features of a university which attracts students, as well as examining the students' perceptions of the management school as compared to the university as a whole. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 76 current Master of Business Administration students. The data were analysed using a grounded theory approach and five key themes emerged from the data: repute, syllabus, quality, facilities and career. While these five themes reappeared throughout interviews, their definitions and relative importance varied widely. The conclusions drawn from this research are that numerous factors influence a postgraduate student's choice of Master of Business Administration programme and that prospective students are well informed when making their decision. The reputation of the university appears to be a key factor.
Bibliography:Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management; v.33 n.5 p.473-483; October 2011
Refereed article. Includes bibliographical references.
ISSN:1360-080X
1469-9508
DOI:10.1080/1360080X.2011.605222