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QS Research - study trends
A survey conducted by QS Research, has, for the first time, identified significant trends among those seeking postgraduate opportunities internationally. The survey, based on a sample of more than 1,500 people attending the QS World Grad School Tour - for people interested in postgraduate masters and research programmes – drew responses from across the world, giving a clear global picture of the market for postgraduate programmes and those students interested in them.
The range of subjects of interest to potential postgraduate students continues to be very wide, despite the dominance of the business, finance and management areas. The Table shows the subject areas respondents were particularly interested in (they could select more than one option). The data confirms the impression of internationally active institutions over the last few years.
Although specialist masters programmes in the areas of business, finance and management continue to be popular among international students, a wide variety of other academic areas are growing in popularity. Law and International Relations are disciplines gaining favour amongst those wishing to study at postgraduate level. The number of LLM students has increased fivefold over the last 20 years, reflecting the enormous global demand for lawyers able to work in varied and international environments. Similarly, the popularity of international relations and other social sciences now represents 22% of all postgraduate interest.
Preferred Subject & Level of Study
Study Type | No. of Responses | Percentage |
Masters: Business/Finance/Management | 577 | 40 |
Masters: Engineering/Science | 251 | 18 |
Masters: IT/E-commerce | 349 | 24 |
Masters: Law | 111 | 8 |
Masters: Social Sciences/International Relations | 320 | 22 |
Masters: Other | 215 | 15 |
Research: PhD | 220 | 15 |
Research: Other | 32 | 2 |
Source: QS TopGraduate Masters & PhD Applicant Survey
