Driving Change: Guidelines for Developing Graduate Programs to Meet High International Standards

Abstract

This study has contributed to the changes in Chulalongkorn University’s graduate program management policy. It investigated the external and internal educational environments of Chulalongkorn University. The findings were used to help Chulalongkorn University’s Graduate School in formulating policies and guidelines to develop graduate programs that meet high international standards and balance revenue and student publications. Information was obtained from the official websites of the world’s 15 leading universities, and 8 graduates or current students were interviewed. Chulalongkorn University’s external educational environment was related to the following aspects: (1) program structures, (2) graduation requirements, and (3) program strategies. The internal factors hindering the development of Chulalongkorn University’s graduate programs were as follows: (1) seniority system and faculty possessing long-held stature, (2) relatively limited collaboration with other agencies, (3) failure of the content and nature of master’s programs to address business and industry requirements, and (4) emphasis on the scale of a project but failure to focus on the critical thinking process. Four recommendations for the executive board of the Graduate School were suggested.