Yogyakarta — The findings of the tracer study and the graduate user satisfaction survey serve as the basis for evaluating and improving the quality of learning in the Master’s Program in Literary Studies, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). The evaluation results are used to inform curriculum reviews, annual activity planning, and efforts to strengthen graduate competencies so that they remain aligned with the needs and developments of the labor market.
The evaluation draws on five data sources: the UGM Tracer Studies conducted in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, as well as the Graduate User Satisfaction Survey administered by the Master’s Program in Literary Studies. The data cover graduates from various graduation years and responses from 43 supervisors or organizations employing the graduates.
Tracer study data are collected periodically from graduates. The findings are then analyzed and discussed at program meetings involving lecturers responsible for relevant courses to identify aspects of learning that should be maintained or improved.
Relatively Short Job Search Period
One of the key findings indicates that graduates of UGM’s Master’s Program in Literary Studies generally experience a relatively short waiting period before securing employment. Based on data for graduates from 2022–2024, the average waiting period ranged from 2.6 to 3 months.
The proportion of graduates who secured employment within six months of graduation also showed an upward trend, increasing from 80 percent among the 2022 graduates to 89 percent among the 2024 graduates. Most respondents had already been employed before completing their studies. This reflects the characteristics of master’s students, many of whom already have work experience while pursuing their degrees.
The data also show positive developments in the alignment between graduates’ fields of employment and their fields of study. Among the 2024 graduates, 74 percent of respondents reported a high level of alignment, up from 59 percent among the 2023 graduates. Meanwhile, the proportion of graduates reporting low alignment decreased from 14 percent to 5 percent.
These developments are consistent with efforts to strengthen interest-based elective courses introduced in the latest curriculum. Nevertheless, the relationship between curriculum changes and the improved alignment of graduates’ fields of employment with their fields of study needs to be further examined through evaluations in subsequent periods.
Strengthening Applied Skills and Foreign Language Proficiency
In addition to mapping graduates’ employment outcomes, the tracer study evaluates proficiency in 25 competencies at graduation and at the time of the survey. The results indicate that several competencies still require attention, particularly data analytics, project management, negotiation, the ability to work under pressure, and time management.
Some of these competencies showed relatively limited improvement after graduates completed their studies. For example, proficiency in data analytics increased only slightly, from 3.91 to 3.96 on a five-point scale. Meanwhile, the project management score remained unchanged at 4.09.
English proficiency is another area that needs to be strengthened. Graduates rated their English proficiency at 4.13 upon graduation, increasing to 4.16 at the time of the survey.
These findings are consistent with the results of the Graduate User Satisfaction Survey. Of the seven competency areas assessed, foreign language proficiency received the lowest proportion of “very good” ratings, at 67.44 percent. Conversely, personal development received the highest proportion of “very good” ratings, at 93.02 percent.
Although all areas received either “good” or “very good” ratings, with no “poor” ratings recorded, this gap has become one of the considerations guiding the program’s efforts to strengthen foreign language instruction, particularly English.
Experiential Learning as an Area of Focus
The tracer study also reveals a difference in emphasis between classroom-based and experiential learning methods. Discussions received the highest score, at 4.66, followed by lectures at 4.45. Experiential learning methods received lower scores, with internships scoring 2.80, practical sessions 3.11, and fieldwork 3.18.
The relatively limited emphasis on experiential learning has become an area of concern because it relates to the need to strengthen applied and managerial competencies. In response to these findings, the program plans to involve students in lecturers’ research projects and in organizing academic events, incorporate project management components into methodology courses, and introduce data processing tools in research methods classes.
The program also plans to establish structured fieldwork activities through courses on oral tradition studies and philology. In addition, it will explore partnerships with cultural institutions and publishing organizations to expand opportunities for students to gain practical experience.
Expanding Career Information and Alumni Networks
Regarding the transition into the workforce, the 2026 Tracer Study identified limited access to job vacancy information as the most frequently reported obstacle. Of the 39 respondents who answered this question, 28.21 percent cited limited job vacancy information as a barrier. Another 23.08 percent reported a lack of job opportunities specifically targeted at graduates of the program.
Other obstacles included insufficient work experience, reported by 17.95 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, 15.38 percent stated that they had encountered no difficulties in finding employment.
These findings have prompted the program to improve access to career information and professional networks. Planned follow-up measures include establishing information channels for job vacancies and further study scholarships, regularly organizing alumni experience-sharing forums, and introducing graduate profiles to cultural institutions, publishing organizations, and partner universities.
On the other hand, the most widely reported benefit of the program was improved critical thinking and decision-making skills, as reported by 29 of the 49 respondents. Other benefits included greater ease in obtaining or creating employment opportunities, reported by 11 respondents, and opportunities to pursue further studies, reported by 10 respondents.
These findings indicate that the value of education in the Master’s Program in Literary Studies extends beyond employment opportunities to include intellectual development and enhanced decision-making capabilities.
Periodic Evaluation as a Basis for Improvement
Based on the overall findings, the Master’s Program in Literary Studies has established several improvement priorities, including strengthening foreign language proficiency, enhancing applied and managerial competencies, expanding experiential learning, strengthening academic advising, and improving access to career information and alumni networks.
Efforts to strengthen foreign language proficiency will include incorporating more primary reading materials in foreign languages into theoretical courses, requiring final assignments for compulsory courses to be written in English, and providing guidance on English-language article writing before students begin preparing their theses.
Meanwhile, academic advising from the first semester will be strengthened to help students select courses and determine thesis topics that align with their career plans. This measure is expected to further improve the alignment between graduates’ fields of study and their employment.
The implementation of these improvements will be monitored through subsequent tracer studies and graduate user satisfaction surveys. The program has also acknowledged several data limitations, including annual respondent numbers ranging from 35 to 49, the absence of information on graduates’ graduation years in the graduate user satisfaction survey, and the use of self-reported assessments of competency levels.
By making regular use of tracer study findings, UGM’s Master’s Program in Literary Studies seeks to ensure that learning evaluation goes beyond data collection and leads to measurable improvement measures. The evaluation results are expected to support improvements in learning quality while strengthening the relevance of graduate competencies to labor market needs and developments in the field of literary studies.
By: Khotibul Umam
