Breaking down barriers to postgraduate study: taking an access in the “Get into Masters Study” initiative

Widening access and participation in higher education now celebrates decades of success in UK Higher Education (HE). Particularly in England where in 2019, 50% of 18 year olds progressed into University or College degree level study, where widening participation has become core business of university recruitment. There is a wide body of evidence, research and practice relating to widening participation relating to; breaking down barriers (Fuller, Foskett, Paton and Maringe, 2008; Gorard, Smith, May, Thomas, Adnett, and Slack, 2006), giving information about the pragmatics (Baker, Z., 2020) and raising confidence (Moore, Sanders, and Higham, L., 2013), to motivate and make available undergraduate HE to non-traditional students. The University of Winchester too have prioritised Widening Participation for undergraduate courses (University of Winchester, 2021), with notable initiatives related to widening access to military children (McCullouch, Hall and Ellis, 2018) and care leavers (McKnight, Collins, Way and Iannotti, 2019). In 2017, the University’s Careers Team embarked on a new access project relating to widening access and participation to postgraduate study. This case study details the “Get into Masters” project which has now become core practice at the University break down barriers and raise aspiration for postgraduate study beyond Winchester.