Pre-Application Process
- Consider offering one qualified, under-privileged applicant a departmental scholarship/bursary to generate interest in your programme
- Review Programme Prospectus, Brochures and Pamphlets for accuracy, relevance and attractiveness
- Ensure curriculum meets market and institutional needs
- Review department’s website for relevance, accuracy and completeness
- Submit complete list of programme offerings to Office of Graduate Studies & Research by published deadline (usually mid-October of each year)
- Submit names of staff members to be granted access to Application Portal for decision-making purposes.
- Request training for new academic staff involved in the Applicant selection process
Promotion
- Utilise local print, television, radio and digital media advertising
- Create unique landing pages on departmental website and create links to www.mona.uwi.edu/postgrad/prospectus.php
- Consider using UWI vehicles as advertising billboard whether for specific programmes or general applications advertising
- Utilize QR codes to encourage ease of access to our landing page and enquiries from prospects
- Group department's programme offerings as a single package to attract a broader range of prospects and promote them on a department or faculty basis.
Attract applicants
- Identify high flyers in undergraduate studies within and outside of your department and encourage them to apply. This is a starting point.
- Do market research to find out where the 'best fit' persons come from and establish linkages
- Identify grants that can be used for student recruitment
- Identify other institutional resources (scholarships, Grants, bursaries) that could support your research activity and use knowledge of
that when engaging prospective students
- Ensure accurate, up-to-date and relevant programme info is available through various media (esp print and electronic). Send copies to OGSR.
- For departments with a range of programmes, how can you collaborate for out-of-town visits, fairs etc for cost-savings?
- Consider this - in what ways has the department engaged current students in recruiting and engaging new prospects?
- Determine minimum # of students for enrollment and craft a strategy to achieve that number.
- Get administrative and academic staff engaged in the department's marketing thrust. Establish recruitment priorities.
- Plan ahead so that relevant staff can be given necessary system access before the start of the admissions cycle
Follow-up
- Consider developing an incentive programme to encourage current students to give referrals
- Keep in touch with enquirers either through text messages, emails or telephone call
- Develop mobile app as a mobile tactic to encourage programme-specific enquiries.