Example education dissertation topic 1:

An analysis of the effects of the introduction of £9,000 tuition fees on a recruiting university: A London Metropolitan University case study

There are two types of university within the UK higher education sector: recruiting universities (those that must actively seek out their potential undergrads) and applicant-rich universities (oversubscribed throughout subject area). The introduction of £9,000 tuition fees has already resulted in a number of changes to the UK HE sector undergraduate intake including, for example, a reduction in the number of GAP years undertaken. This dissertation chooses to look at a specific recruiting university and through an analysis of various intake trends seeks to evaluate the effect that the introduction of £9,000 fees has had on one of the least well performing (in terms of The Times league tables) institutions in the sector.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Deardon, L., Fitzsimons, E. and Wyness, G. (2011) The impact of tuition fees and support on university participation in the UK. IFS Working Paper, London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
• Wilkins, S., Shams, F. and Huisman, J. (2012) ‘The decision-making and changing behavioural dynamics of potential higher education students: The impacts of increasing tuition fees in England’, Educational Studies, not yet published.