Postgraduate coursework students

Transition can be a particularly hard process if you are….well, invisible!

UWA currently has slightly more than 1500 students enrolled in courses classified as Postgraduate Coursework (PCW) degrees. PCW students are an unusual cohort. Their tertiary education backgrounds are varied and they are likely to have had some sort of break in their study. It is also more likely that they are mature age, working in full-time employment and paying full fees. PCW students are generally more intrinsically motivated (with clearly defined personal objectives and goals) but can be significantly more vulnerable if they are unable to position themselves amongst the rest of the student population.

Some groups of PCW students at UWA are well defined and typically well supported (such as the Graduate School of Management and the Faculty of Education) and are able to create a specific and unique identity. Others, however, find themselves in third year units and research projects where it is difficult to link with other students. PCW students are not part of the undergraduate cohort but are often not treated as 'real' postgraduates.

A survey of all PCW students who commenced in 2004 (response n=122) indicates that almost 80% of commencing PCW students either agreed or strongly agreed that they felt overwhelmed by their first year of study, 63% did not attend any form of Orientation or welcome, and 79% had difficulty balancing study with other commitments (Learning, Language & Research Skills, 2004).

If we are seeking to increase the number of PCW students attending UWA in the future, it may well be timely to think about this cohort and what they need and expect from their institution. Some questions to ponder:

• Are there ways we can make these students more visible?

• Do your 'pgrad' email lists include PCW students?

• Are you teaching PCW students in your 3rd year units?

• Are the PCW students in your school or faculty treated as a 'real cohort'?

• Are PCW students invited to present their projects in postgraduate seminar series?