A marketing plan for recruiting students into pharmacy school-based graduate programs. A report

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Winter 2000 by Holdford, David A, Stratton, Timothy P

Segment 1 is comprised of numerous sub-segments, and the attractiveness of each sub-segment will vary for each pharmacy school graduate program. One school might target foreign pharmacy graduates while another school might focus on recruiting from among students currently enrolled in their professional program. Alternatively, some schools may prefer to assemble a mix of students from several of the sub-segments so that the graduate program brings together students with a variety of backgrounds. Therefore, any marketing objectives developed by the SAS Section of AACP must be sufficiently flexible to help each school attract those student segments most appropriate for their graduate programs.

As mentioned previously, not all students in Segment I are appropriate for graduate school. It is important that targeted students be qualified not only to successfully meet the admission requirements for graduate school but also to successfully complete the program of study and succeed after graduation. Promotional efforts should be designed to attract graduate students with many of the qualities described in Table II.

Marketing Goals

The purpose of the previous analysis and discussion was to establish a foundation from which marketing goals and objectives could be developed. All steps of a marketing plan should take into account the issues of market environment, product definition, market segmentation, and targeting the markets discussed in the previous sections. The present section describes marketing goals designed to increase the number of graduate students who apply and graduate from SAS graduate programs.

Previous authors have offered marketing goals for SAS graduate programs. Draugalis et al.(7) suggest the following steps when recruiting graduate students:

1. Develop awareness of graduate opportunities among undergraduate students.

2. Stimulate student curiosity in SAS topic areas.

3. Enhance their understanding of SAS course material.

4. Encourage them to enroll in graduate school.

5. Develop their commitment to graduate school.

These authors(7) argue that using marketing communications strategies such as advertising, public relations, and direct sales would be helpful in developing awareness and curiosity about SAS graduate education. In order to enhance student understanding of SAS course material and the procedures for enrolling into graduate school, the authors developed a videotape to show potential graduate students that depicted the opportunities available to SAS graduates.

Holdford and Wright(8) describe how commitment to graduate education can be enhanced. Their research of pharmacy students found that commitment is increased when benefits of a program are perceived to be of value, goals and objectives of the student and the program are similar, communication between faculty and students is good, and faculty are perceived to be acting in the best interest of the student. Three of these four issues - similar goals and objectives of students and faculty, communication between faculty and students, and student perceptions of faculty - are beyond the scope of the current marketing plan and are specific to individual programs. However, the present plan can address student perceptions of the value of SAS graduate education through the use of coherent marketing communications.