Undergraduate and beyond - retaining undergraduates for higher degree research study in the school of AME at uniSA

Over the past 10 years in the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering (AME) at the University of South Australia, fewer than five students studying in AME's undergraduate programs have gone on to undertake a higher degree study by research. To find out why this is the case, a survey of all AME undergraduate students was performed to gauge their interest, understanding and attitude toward postgraduate study and research as a future career. The survey results indicated that the current undergraduate program did not expose the students to the possibilities of research as a future career or the viability of postgraduate study. The results from this survey have been used to develop a first step strategy to expose undergraduate students to research at the School of AME. This paper proposes possible solutions and discusses the development of a nurturing program which has been implemented as a major strategy to address this issue. To gauge the success of this strategic program an additional survey will be performed at the completion of the strategy's first year.