Activităţile academice extracurriculare, performanţele şcolare şi angajabilitatea masteranzilor

Abstract

Although universities use Extracurricular Academic Activities (EAA) as a marketing technique to attract students and boost their ratings vis-à-vis potential employers, their actual effects (positive or negative) are still debated. This research explored (both theoretically and empirically) the relationships between EAA, academic performances and employability (the perceived likelihood of graduates to find a job).

According to quantitative empirical data, participation in EAA improves academic performances and although participation in EAA requires the same amount of time as normal coursework, the two activities seem to be in accordance with each other. Referring to the future, most respondents believe that universities should continuously develop EAA and are willing to recommend participation to their peers (believing that employers take into account participation in EAA when assessing candidates). The positive opinion regarding how EAA participation contributes toward finding a job can be explained by the perception that participation in EAA increases professional abilities, while EAA might represent a more convincing argument for employers than academic performances.

Furthermore, the qualitative data shows that the professional and academic competencies (abilities) improved by participating in AAE coincide with the expectations of potential employers and that the overall quality of academic programs could be improved by institutionalizing EAA, multiplying and diversifying these activities, including strategic partners, and so on.