Marketing in higher education: attributes valued by students of specialization courses

Abstract

The competitive job market and the pursuit for knowledge attract new graduates and graduated professionals to specialize through specialization courses. However, the significant increase in the number of institutions offering this type of service makes studies about education marketing a necessary tool for attracting students. In this sense, the main objective of the present study is to identify the features that lead the students of a private higher education institution of the city of Piracicaba to choose their specialization courses. For this purpose a descriptive survey was carried out with a quantitative approach, by means of applying a questionnaire collecting motivating factors of communication, quality and convenience, e and questioning the demand for other institutions. The results indicate that the students who affirmed comparing the institution and its courses with others offered in the market made their decisions based on the three types of motivational attributes studied. That is, students seek a combination of good information, quality and convenience to define their choices. On this basis, the results can help the definition of higher education institution strategies in terms of education marketing and competitive politics.