Attracting Prospective Graduate Students

through the Web Site

Analysis and Redesign of a Department Website

Lori BrunnerCI 603

Spring 2006

Overview of Presentation

• Project purpose• Major tasks• Survey of prospective graduate students• Existing conditions (current web site contents)• Search & analysis of “good” web sites• Recommendations• Mock-up

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to provide ideas and suggestions for a redesign of a section targeting prospective graduate students. More and more, students are relying on the internet for searching for graduate studies. Thus, this section is very important for university departments.

Major Project Tasks

• Survey prospective graduate students• Review existing conditions (current web site contents)

• Search & analysis of “good” web sites• Recommendations & strategies• Mock-up

Survey of Graduate Students

• Results

Review of Existing Conditions

• CI Dept Website– prospective graduate students section

http://www.ci.hs.iastate.edu/prspstud/grad/homepage.php

– Analysis

Example Web Sites

• UW-Madison Dept of Civil Engineering• Duke University• ISU College of Design• Analysis

Recommendations and Strategies

• Reorganize– Highlight department accomplishments

• “Tell a Story”– Alumni, faculty, current students

• More Information– Course web page template with information on all

courses offered in dept programs– Faculty research information

Mock-up

• Example web site design– http://www.public.iastate.edu/~lbrun/PGS-

home.htm