The intention of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) undergraduates to further studies : the influence of family, academic and individual-related factors

Education is one of the key elements for a country’s growth. The Malaysian government has consistently allocated a huge budget to the education sector every year. As a result of this effort, the number of undergraduates and Master’s degree graduates of Malaysia’s institutes of higher learning has increased over the years. However, the Malaysian Tracer Study statistics show that the percentages of undergraduates who intend to pursue a Master’s Degree has dropped from 78.9 per cent (2007) to 73.3 per cent (2015). The number of Master’s Degree graduates of Malaysian universities has shown a drastic fall from 26 per cent (2010) to only 7 per cent (2015). This study aims to determine the factors that influence the intention of undergraduates to pursue a Master’s Degree. Three main factors are identified in this study, namely family, academic, and individual-related factors. The study sample is Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) graduands (bachelor’s degree level) of 2016. Data were collected via a survey
using the convenience sampling technique. The questionnaires were distributed to UUM graduands. A total of 447 graduands were included in the study. The methods of analysis include descriptive analysis, preliminary analyses (including missing value analysis, outlier analysis and VIF analysis), and logistic regression. The results of the analyses show that CGPA, scholarship and business-related programs during undergraduate studies are significant in influencing the undergraduates’ intention to pursue a Master’s Degree. This study suggests that policy makers pay more attention to providing financial aid for postgraduate studies, and university authorities provide more incentives to encourage high performing undergraduates to pursue a Master’s Degree.