Widening Participation from Undergraduate to Postgraduate Research Degrees: A Research Synthesis

This research synthesis was commissioned by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to investigate research and summarise findings about widening participation from undergraduate to postgraduate research degrees. 

It discusses the evidence in this area about UK-domiciled students, but with some reference to international evidence where appropriate. It is clear that this is a complex and somewhat under-researched area, but one which is growing in importance. Undergraduate and postgraduate student numbers have risen rapidly in recent years and although there has been stability at postgraduate research level, there is increasing recognition both of the need to ensure equality of access to research degrees to secure the diversity and vitality of the research workforce and of general ​‘inflationary’ pressures on qualifications, pushing people towards gaining higher qualifications still. The synthesis shows that, in contrast to initial access to higher education, there is little research on entry to postgraduate study, including postgraduate research degrees. 

There is some research on the effect of academic and financial factors on research degree entry and a reasonably well-developed body of work focusing on women’s underrepresentation at doctoral level, especially in the sciences. The evidence base relating to potential inequalities on the basis of ethnicity and social class is more limited, with some obvious gaps. Beyond that, there are a range of areas where there is very little or no previous research, including non-doctoral research degrees, the application process for research degree study, sources of advice, graduate aspirations, transfer of subject and institution between undergraduate and postgraduate research levels, sources of maintenance support and the influence of family commitments, student debt, disability and sexuality.