Why and Which ELT Master's Program? Factors Influencing Student Enrollment Decisions

In response to the growing demand for professional training in English language teaching (ELT), several Thai ELT master's programs have been established and diversified. Although the existing literature is well-supplied‎with studies devoted to the understanding of enrollment decisions across various disciplines, relatively few studies have‎explicitly focused on graduate students in ELT programs. In this study, the researcher investigated reasons for‎attending ELT master's programs and crucial factors influencing the choice of university and program. Based on a‎survey of 136 students and interviews with four students, the findings show that the most common reason given was‎teaching practice improvement. Career advancement was also highly expected, even though promotional and financial‎benefits were not identified. The choice of university and program was foremost influenced by non-academic factors:‎university location and study hours. From a policy perspective, it is of great importance that an ELT master's program‎should at least be made available in every region. As for study hours, program management should consider offering‎different plans to serve students from various professions. Other influential factors include tuition fee, course content,‎degree title, program reputation, and course duration.