ABSTRACT
The expansion in higher education in India has improved student enrolment, an increase which is especially visible in the social sciences. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018–19, the highest enrolment at the postgraduate (PG) level is in the social science stream. This study explores the factors that influence an undergraduate student’s decision to pursue postgraduate studies in the social sciences, using a primary survey of 90 students at two colleges in Delhi. The results suggest that more than the returns (net benefit), an interest in the subject, the course content, and future work aspirations influence students’ decision to pursue postgraduate work the social sciences. This chapter argues that human capital theory alone cannot explain the growing demand for social science courses, particularly in the public sector. Students’ perception of the linkage between education and the labour market feeds into their decisions and influences their expectations. Non-economic benefits can also influence the demand for social science courses in higher education. Thus, perceptions about the labour market, individual interest, individual preference and future aspirations are of central importance to the decision-making process of social science students.
