Factors related to the graduate study demand of the 4th year students, School of Public Health, Walailak University

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the desire to pursue graduate studies among fourth-year students in the School of Public Health, Walailak University. A total of 224 fourth-year students were included in the study, representing the entire population. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.96. Pearson’s Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were employed to analyze the data at a significance level is 0.05.

          The findings revealed that 42.41% of the fourth-year students expressed a desire to pursue graduate studies in the School of Public Health. The reasons for pursuing graduate studies at a very high level were faculty staff (42.41%) and personal reasons (40.63%), at a high level were curriculum and instruction (45.98%), facilities and amenities (44.64%), economic factors (41.52%), affordability of tuition fees (40.63%), information and outreach (39.73%), and institutional reputation (39.29%), and at a moderate level was family support (49.55%). The following factors were found to be significantly associated with the desire to pursue graduate studies: undergraduate GPA, personal reasons, family support, institutional reputation, faculty staff, curriculum and instruction, affordability of tuition fees, facilities and amenities, information and outreach, and economic factors (p-value < 0.05).

          The findings of this study will be utilized by the School of Public Health, Walailak University, to inform policy development, planning, and strategies for graduate student recruitment and retention. The school will also strive to maintain the quality of its faculty, enhance its academic reputation, and ensure that its curriculum offers contemporary content relevant to current needs.