Factors Affecting Students’ Decision to Study Public Relations at University: The Case of Al Ain University

Abstract

Every year, thousands of high school graduates look forward to joining universities on different degree programs, and the selection of a suitable course is a major career step involving many different factors. To identify and examine the factors influencing the selection of a university program, this study employed purposive sampling to explore selection factors from the perspective of public relations students at Al Ain University in the UAE. The results show that the students found four categories of factor to be important: direct (such as family, work-authority, friends, and financial effects); personal (communication skills, the grade point average for year 12, cognitive desire and self-interest); university-related (university guide, reputation and instructor competencies); and, other related factors (positive media content, easiness of the subject, and future career prospects). The study was conducted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which obviously impacts the study‟s recommendations in terms of possible changes to the education process.