Abstract
After the degree structure of German universities changed from a one-cycle to a two-cycle system with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, bachelor graduates’ options have been (1) entry into the labour market, (2) enrolment in a master’s programme at the same or (3) some other university. While previous studies concentrate on individual-level or regional context factors, we focus on universities’ institutional characteristics and their impact on graduates’ decisions whether and where to continue higher education. Using multilevel models and data from a cohort of bachelor graduates in Bavaria (Germany), we analyse the impact of individual- and university-level characteristics separately for four fields of study. In general, mobility between bachelor and master is not particularly common, even within Germany. While certain effects are found in all four fields of study, there are also field-specific effects. Among the university characteristics, university type has the most pervasive impact. However, graduates’ perception of the quality of education and tutoring can influence their decision, as well as the local research orientation and master opportunities.
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Notes
- 1.
In Germany, higher education is tax-funded and most study programmes are non-contributory. Therefore, material costs assume the form of going without income for a longer period of time or of lost income during studies.
- 2.
This is in line with status reproduction theory, which argues that the driving aspiration in educational decision-making is to reach at least the same educational level as one’s parents. If a parent has an academic degree, it will be a (pre-Bologna) one-cycle degree, so that the student’s subjective aspirational level should be above a bachelor’s degree.
- 3.
Such efforts have been successful: In several federal states in Germany, universities of applied sciences can apply for the right to award doctoral degrees if they demonstrate sufficient research strength in a given field or area.
- 4.
For Hungary, however, Nyüsti and Veroszta (2015) find no such connection.
- 5.
One research university chose not to participate in the Bavarian Graduate Panel.
- 6.
We are very grateful to our collaborators at all participating universities and universities of applied sciences for providing complete lists.
- 7.
These items are: access to courses (available places); match of course content with examination requirements; scheduling of courses; coordination of the contents of courses/modules; transparency of course content, requirements and organisation; appropriate distribution of workload; alignment with (current) practical requirements; alignment with (current) research questions; opportunities for specialization; linkage of theory and practice.
- 8.
Some interdisciplinary master’s programmes are open to graduates from more than one field (e.g., “Cognitive Neurosciences” admits graduates from biology, psychology and medicine).
- 9.
Together with those graduates who did not take up master level studies, mainly to enter the labour market, each bar would add up to 100 percent of graduates.
- 10.
As universities of applied sciences offer fewer master’s programmes, their graduates frequently change to a research university in order to pursue a master’s degree. Such transitions make up 29 percent of all changes of institution. The percentage is lower (1 percent) in law, economics and social studies, equal (32 percent) in maths and natural sciences, and higher (51 percent) in engineering.
- 11.
In light of the strong influence exerted by university type, it would be interesting to calculate separate models for research universities and universities of applied sciences as a robustness check and to uncover patterns only present within the two types. The data structure, however, does not permit running separate multilevel models. Results of ordinary logistic regression models on the other hand cannot be compared directly due to the method change.
- 12.
Of the transitions to other universities, 44.0 percent occurred within Bavaria, 39.3 percent were transitions to universities in other parts of Germany and 16.8 to institutions in another country (most often Austria).
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Falk, S., Klug, C., Reimer, M. (2022). Going on for the master’s degree. Does the university make a difference for graduates’ decisions?. In: Jungbauer-Gans, M., Gottburgsen, A. (eds) Regionale Mobilität und Hochschulbildung. Higher Education Research and Science Studies. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-36156-3_3
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