Online Master's Students' Profile and Motives for Enrollment.

Abstract

This research addresses the profile and motives for enrollment of online master's students in three different fields of knowledge (humanities, social sciences and experimental sciences) at an online university. The data has been collected through an ad hoc questionnaire; the sample, obtained of 253 UNIBA master's students, has been analyzed using a descriptive methodology and a factor and comparative analysis of the investigation dimensions. The results include the different access profiles of the students that have been identified based on a set of sociodemographic variables. Furthermore, the differences between their motives for enrolling and the latent factors that can be identified. These results are discussed, and compared to traditional, face-to-face, master's degrees, which have had an extremely increase on enrollment in the last few years. The importance of guidance and tutoring are examined as tools to guarantee quality standards and support student's perseverance and overall success.