Chapter 8: Motivators and Influencers on Graduate School Enrollment for Undergraduate Students in the Liberal Arts and Sciences

U.S. educational institutions are under increasing pressure to have a more diverse student body at the undergraduate and graduate level. While many research efforts currently focus on matriculation from high school to undergraduate institutions, there is less empirical information regarding motivations of students attending graduate school. Through structured interviews with current graduate students pursuing research-intensive graduate degrees within the liberal arts and sciences, this research shows that students are often not predisposed to continue on to graduate studies. An important finding is that parental level of education did not often provide the motivation nor the specific information needed to transition into graduate programs. Rather most students made the decision to pursue advanced degrees through experiences as undergraduates. Faculty and graduate students often encourage undergraduates, regardless if they were first-generation college students or not, to pursue graduate school as well as provide them with information and research-based opportunities. These findings offer insights into the steps educators can take to help improve the prospect of graduate school enrollment for a wider diversity of students.