Graduate schools have become an essential element within the education sector. Erolling into a graduate school is a significant investment for an individual and requires that one evaluates both professional and personal long-term goals (Blagg & Blom, 2018; Tran, 2017). Enrolling for a graduate education has several benefits among them career development, increased professional prospects, and enables a professional to acquire in-depth knowledge enabling the person to be more productive on one’s niche (Chan, 2016; Fernandez et al., 2019). The education system in Qatar has diversified and more individuals are enrolling for graduate schools within local universities. Different institutions in Qatar have several graduate courses, which has helped in creating competition among the schools. Every institution creates an environment that will lead to satisfaction among their students aimed at acquiring positive reviews and become more competitive (Shanka et al., 2006). University graduate students alumni consider a wide range of factors to determine whether the learning environment was conducive and the worth of the investment
The graduate school plays an essential role in shaping individual attributes and competencies among the alumni students. Some of the competencies gained include management and soft skills, research and analytical skills, teamwork and leadership, problem solving and decision-making, as well as initiative and enterprise skills. Under management and soft skills, enrolling for a graduate course equips an individual with attributes required in enhancing individual productivity and career growth in their respective workplaces (Wickam et al., 2015). Additionally, graduate courses expose the learner to research work as the student must conduct a thesis or a dissertation, which helps in sharpening research and analytical skills (Munns et al., 2014). Graduate school curriculum emphasizes on the importance of teamwork and leadership within organizations making it essential to perform exceedingly well in their workplaces (Shook & Keup, 2012). Problem solving and decision-making are vital in graduate school since they facilitate career growth while initiative and enterprise skills sharpens the capability of an individual to be more creative at the workplace by introducing new ideas (Baird & Parayitam, 2019). Consequently, the key competencies and attributes that graduate student alumni acquire enable them to be more open-minded, effective communicators, and encourage them to value diversity at the workplace (Kumar, 2009). Based on these competencies, pursuing graduate education is essential because it facilitates career growth for an individual.
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The image and reputation of a university has its foundation on its ability to equip its graduate students with the key competencies outlined above. The alumni students will review the institution based on the effectiveness of the knowledge acquired and the impact it will have on career growth. Alumni students are likely to review the performance of the institution in facilitating a learning program for each of the competencies outlined above (Mbawuni & Nimako, 2015). For instance, the alumni student will determine whether the learner was adequately prepared with different analytical skills before the exposure to a research study. Furthermore, the alumni student can also determine whether the assigned supervisors were accessible and helpful in the course of the study. On the other hand, the employers have an opportunity to review a university offering graduate courses by determining how well an employee engages in teamwork and the exhibition of leadership skills (Polziehn, 2011). Moreover, the employers will easily determine whether graduate student alumni associated with a specific institution ability to introduce new ideas in the organization and the effectiveness of their problem-solving skills. The reviews from both alumni students and employers play an essential in shaping the image and reputation of an institution (Drydakis, 2016; Mcadoo, 2010). Consequently, it will be essential for all institutions enrolling graduate students to identify strategies that they will utilize available resources in equipping learners with all the key competencies. A positive image and reputation will increase the competitiveness of an institution in the education sector.
References
Baird, A. M., & Parayitam, S. (2019). Employers’ ratings of importance of skills and competencies college graduates need to get hired. Education and Training , 61 (5). https://doi.org/10.1108/et-12-2018-0250
Blagg, K., & Blom, E. (2018). Evaluating the Return on Investment in Higher Education an Assessment of Individual-and State-Level Returns . https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99078/evaluating_the_return_on_investment_in_higher_education.pdf
Chan, R. (2016). Understanding the Purpose of Higher Education: An Analysis of the Economic and Social Benefits for Completing a College Degree . JEPPA , 6 (5). https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/roychan/files/chan_r._y._2016._understanding_the_purpose_aim_function_of_higher_education._jeppa_65_1-40.pdf
Drydakis, N. (2016). The effect of university attended on graduates’ labour market prospects: A field study of Great Britain. Economics of Education Review , 52 , 192–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.03.001
Fernandez, M., Sturts, J., Duffy, L. N., Larson, L. R., Gray, J., & Powell, G. M. (2019). Surviving and Thriving in Graduate School. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education , 34 (1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156x.2019.1589791
Kumar, A. (2009). Personal, Academic and Career Development in Higher Education . Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203938348
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Mcadoo, A. (2010). Factors Affecting the Institutional Perception of Alumni of the University of Arkansas . https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/215462503.pdf
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Shanka, T., Quintal, V., & Taylor, R. (2006). Factors Influencing International Students’ Choice of an Education Destination–A Correspondence Analysis. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education , 15 (2), 31–46. https://doi.org/10.1300/j050v15n02_02
Shook, J. L., & Keup, J. R. (2012). The benefits of peer leader programs: An overview from the literature. New Directions for Higher Education , 2012 (157), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20002
Tran, K. (2017). Is Graduate School Worth It? Evaluating the Return on Investment in a Master’s Degree . https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/229588249.pdf
Wickam, M., Furco, A., & Ardichvili, A. (2015). Enhancing Employability Skills in Graduate Business Programs: Service-Learning in Capstone Courses a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the University of Minnesota in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy . https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/76360191.pdf
