Identifying and ranking the university selection criteria for Master of Science (MSc) from the viewpoint of students using Fuzzy TOPSIS

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

1 M.Sc. in Business Administration, Economics and Social Science faculty, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Management Department, Economics and Social Science faculty, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this research is to identify and rank the significant factors in the selection of a university for graduate-level education from the viewpoint of students.
Materials and Method: The literature on university rankings was first examined and 14 general factors were extracted with related indicators. Then, interviews were conducted with 15 students. Furthermore, a set of significant factors was gathered by considering the literature and student views. In the next step, to confirm these factors and indicators, 40 questionnaires were filled by students. Then, the results were verified by the T-test. Confirmed indicators (16 indicators) were re-classified and distributed in the form of a questionnaire with linguistic expressions among 20 other students. Then, using the data of this questionnaire and implementation of the fuzzy TOPSIS approach, the ranking of the significant factors in the selection of a university for a master degree was obtained. Finally, the status of factors obtained from the previous steps was presented.
Result and Discussion:  The results of the research show that in the proposed framework, the University Reputation factor is the most important factor from the students’ point of view. This factor includes the following indicators: public universities, university location, the age of the university, and the number of graduates employed in the work environment after graduation.
 

Keywords

References

Abolghasem Baremani Mohammad Salehi, & Sadeghi, M. (2011). Factors affecting quality of higher education from the perspective of students at this stage. Journal of Educational Research, 6(26), 19. Retrieved from https://www.magiran.com/paper/1545384?lang=en
Adams, J. E. (1997). A Study to Determine the Impact of a Precollege Intervention Program on Early Adolescent Aspiration and Motivation for College in West Virginia. Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/29268
Anderson, P. (2002). CHOICE: CAN WE CHOOSE IT? 153–173. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203443118-11
Arab, S. M., & Zanjirchi, S. M. (2016). Finding bottlenecks and improve service quality higher education with the approach of the Theory of Constraints (Case Study: Yazd University). Management Research in Iran, 20(3), 127–148. Retrieved from https://www.magiran.com/paper/1579788?lang=en
Arabzade, M. (2011). The causes of migration of Iranian students to study in Malaysia. Azad Islamic University.
Arasteh, H., & Rezaei, S. (2013). Marketing in Higher Education: Identifying Criteria and Information Resources in University Selection. Journal of Educational Planning Studies, 3(5), 33–52.
Asadi, M. (2017). The Role of University Autonomy Factors on the Ranking of European Universities. Journal of Higher Education Letter, 9(36), 31.
Azar, A., & Rajabzadeh, A. (2008). Applied decision making (MADM approach). Knowledge View.
Bahramchoobin, M., & Safari, A. (2017). Evaluating and Ranking Entrepreneurial University Factors: Case of Isfahan Province Universities. journal of Entrepreneurship Development, 9(4), 691–710.
Barkhordari, S., & Mehregan, N. (2009). The Application of Dually Competitive Models to Explain Competition in Iranian Universities. Qurterly Journal of Research and Planing in Higher Education, 15(4), 35-undefined. Retrieved from https://www.magiran.com/paper/736417?lang=en
Beigi, A., Qaheri, H., Jazi, A., & Alavi, L. (2011). Catheter-related Complications in Hemodialysis Patiens. Journal of Isfahan Medical School (JIMS), 29(163), 1325–1331. Retrieved from http://jims.mui.ac.ir/index.php/jims/article/view/687
Briggs, S. (2006). An exploratory study of the factors influencing undergraduate student choice: the case of higher education in Scotland. Studies in Higher Education, 31(6), 705–722. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070601004333
Briggs, S., & Wilson, A. (2007). Which university? A study of the influence of cost and information factors on Scottish undergraduate choice. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 29(1), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600800601175789
Bruckmeier, K., & Wigger, B. U. (2014). The effects of tuition fees on transition from high school to university in Germany. Economics of Education Review, 41, 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECONEDUREV.2014.03.009
Cabrera, A. F., & La Nasa, S. M. (2000). Understanding the College-Choice Process. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2000(107), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.10701
Canton, E., Venniker, R., Jongbloed, B. W. A., Koelman, J., Meer, P. van der, Vossensteyn, J. J. (2001). Higher education reform: getting the incentives right. Retrieved from https://research.utwente.nl/en/publications/higher-education-reform-getting-the-incentives-right
Cekerol, K. (2012). The Demand for Higher Education in Turkey and Open Education. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 11(3), 344–356.
Davis, H. D., Noland, D., & Deato, N. (2001). Novel approaches to college choice: A survey of postsecondary opportunities. Annual Meeting of the Association Research, Retrieved from: Www. State. Tn. Us/Thec/Policyinit. Html.
Delaney, A. M. (1998, May). Parental Income and Students’ College Choice Process: Research Findings To Guide Recruitment Strategies. AIR 1998 Annual Forum Paper. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED422810
Fumasoli, T., Gornitzka, A., & Maassen, P. A. (2014). University autonomy and organizational change dynamics. In ARENA.
Gaehtgens, P. (2003). German-Australian Conference on Higher Education Financing.
Gilaninia, S., & Sharif, B. (2010). Evaluation of factors influencing in university place selection among applicants (University society students study free of Gilan province). Journal of Social Sciences, 4(10), 61.
Goldasteh, A., Abolqasemi, M., Farasatkhah, M., & Vajargah Fathi, K. (2016). Comparing of Effective Factors in Student Recruitment in Nonprofit Higher Education Subsystem for 2025 Vision of Iran. Journal of Science & Technology Policy, 7(4), 81–99.
Hayes, T. (2007). Delphi study of the future of marketing of higher education. Journal of Business Research, 60(9), 927–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.12.009
Hosseini, M., Nahavandi, P., Ahmady, S., & Moghadamifard, Z. (2015). The Factors affecting Preference to select foreign universities for studying view points of graduated students from abroad universities. The Journal of Medical Education and Development, 10(3), 188–198.
Jafari, P., & Aliesmaili, A. (2013). Factors Affecting the Pre-college Student’s Choice of Islamic Azad University. Iranian Higher Education, 5(1), 187.
Kallio, R. E. (1995). Factors influencing the college choice decisions of graduate students. Research in Higher Education, 36(1), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02207769
Karimibirgani, F., Hajipour, R., & Gharasufloo, A. (2016). Factors Effecting Student Entering to Late Imam Khomeini Maritime University. Journal of Teaching in Marine Sciences, 2(6), 67–79.
Kariminejad, H., Ghourchian, N., Gaafari, P., & Mohammad Davoodi, A. (2019). A Model for improving the Quality of Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Higher Education Universities and Institutes (Case Study: Guilan Province). Journal of Management and Planning in Educational Systems, 12(22), 13–46.
Kim, J. K., & Gasman, M. (2011). In Search of a "Good College": Decisions and Determinations Behind Asian American Students’ College Choice. Journal of College Student Development, 52(6), 706–728. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2011.0073
Kinzie, J. M. J. D. S. A. |Cummings. H. (2004). Fifty Years of College Choice: Social, Political and Institutional Influences on the Decision-Making Process. New Agenda Series. Volume 5, Number 3. Lumina Foundation for Education. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ed484237
Maringe, F. (2006). University and course choice. International Journal of Educational Management, 20(6), 466–479. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513540610683711
Maxwell, G. S. (Graham S., Cooper, M., Biggs, N., Australian National Training Authority., & National Centre for Vocational Education Research (Australia). (2000). How people choose vocational education and training programs : social, educational and personal influences on aspiration. Retrieved from https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/how-people-choose-vocational-education-and-training-programs-social,-educational-and-personal-influences-on-aspiration
Mohammadi Roozbahani, Kiyanoosh Taromi, A. (n.d.). Applicants, Motivational Factors for University Admission. Qurterly Journal of Research and Planing in Higher Education, 11(3), 103-undefined. Retrieved from https://www.magiran.com/paper/319355?lang=en
Mohammadi Roozbahani, K., & Taromi, A. (2006). Applicants, Motivational Factors for University Admission. Qurterly Journal of Research and Planing in Higher Education, 11(3), 61–74.
Mohammadyari, M., Khoshdel, A., Mohseni, A., Yarmohammadi, R., & Yarmohmmadi, H. (2015). Identifying the Effective Factors in absorbing and Eliminating the Barriers of Students Entrance to AJA. Nurse and Physician Within War, 3(8), 41–48.
Mortazavi, H., Tabatabaee, A., Golmakani, E., & Tabatabaeichehr, M. (2014). Principles of marketing to attract nursing students: offer solutions. Journal of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, 5(2), 1153–1157.
Nicolescu, L. (2009). Applying Marketing To Higher Education: Scope And Limits. Management & Marketing, 4(2), 35–44. Retrieved from http://www.managementmarketing.ro/pdf/articole/134.pdf
Noland, D., & Deato, N. (2001). Tennessee Higher Education Comission Higher School Student Opinion Survey.
Pampaloni, A. M. (2010). The influence of organizational image on college selection: what students seek in institutions of higher education. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 20(1), 19–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241003788037
Perna, L. W. (2006). STUDYING COLLEGE ACCESS AND CHOICE: A PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL MODEL. In HIGHER EDUCATION: (pp. 99–157). https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4512-3_3
Price, I., Matzdorf, F., Smith, L., & Agahi, H. (2003). The impact of facilities on student choice of university. Facilities, 21(10), 212–222. https://doi.org/10.1108/02632770310493580
Rahimian, A. (2018). University Branding; New Necessity of Higher Education (Case Study: Karaj Branch of Payame Noor University). Journal of Management and Planning in Educational Systems, 11(1), 139–158.
Rajabzadeh, M. (2011). Guide to admission to universities abroad 2011. Academia Cafe Forum. Guide to Admission to Universities Abroad 2011.
Razini, R. (2005). Designing the model of human resource recruitment using MADM (case study of imam sadiq university). Imam Sadiq University.
Roshan, A. R. (2013, June). Higher education market. Economic Thought, 28.
Roudposhti, M. S., & Mirghafouri, S. H. (2008). Identification and Ranking of the Effective Factors on Improvement of the Quality of Educational Services in Higher Education (A Case Study: Management Faculty of YAZD University). Iranian Higher Education, 1(2), 67.
Saeediyakia, M. (2007). Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship. Kia Publications.
Salisbury, M. H., Umbach, P. D., Paulsen, M. B., & Pascarella, E. T. (2009). Going Global: Understanding the Choice Process of the Intent to Study Abroad. Research in Higher Education, 50(2), 119–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-008-9111-x
Shin, J. C., Toutkoushian, R. K., & Teichler, U. (2011). University rankings: Theoretical basis, methodology and impacts on global higher education. Springer Science & Business Media, 3, 1.
Smith, A. (1996). Symposium: equal opportunities women of european university. University of Berlin.
Valey, T. L. Van. (2001). Recent Changes in Higher Education and Their Ethical Implications. Teaching Sociology, 29(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.2307/1318778
Van Heerden, N., Wiese, M., North, E., & Jordaan, Y. (n.d.). A marketing perspective on choice factors considered by South African first-year students in selecting a higher education institution. Retrieved from https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/sabinet/sabr/2009/00000013/00000001/art00003
Wang, T. C., & Chang, T. H. (2007). Application of TOPSIS in evaluating initial training aircraft under a fuzzy environment 870-880._Yang, T., Hung, C. C. (2007). Multiple-attribute decision making methods for plant layout design problem. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 23(1. Expert Systems with Applications, 33(4), 870–880.
Yamamoto, G. T. (2006). University evaluation-selection: a Turkish case. The International Journal of Educational Management, 20(7), 559–569.
Zahirinia, M., & Behroozian, B. (2012). A Comparison of Factors Affecting Men and Women Entry to University. Women and Society (Sociology of Former Women), 3.
Zakersalehi, G. R., & Zakersalehi, A. (2010). The Study of Science Centers Manager’s views on academic autonomy in Iran. Iranian Higher Education, 3(1), 33. Retrieved from https://www.magiran.com/paper/850770?lang=en
Zare Banadkouki, M. R., Vahdatzad, M. A., Ulya, M. S., & Lotfi, M. M. (2017). The Pathology of University Ranking Systems from the Perspective of Higher Education Documents in Iran. Journal of Library and Information Science, 20(1), 52–87.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics