Correlational analysis of key influencing factors on master’s thesis quality in local universities

Master’s thesis blind assessment scores are crucial indicators of graduate student cultivation quality and academic achievements. This study is based on blinded review data from 1,048 master’s thesis papers in Henan Province, utilizing a multivariate statistical analysis method to systematically explore the effects of course performance, funds for innovative projects, horizontal/vertical project fund of supervisors, and teacher-student ratio on different subject areas. Studies have revealed that: Course performances exhibit a significant positive correlation with the quality of academic theses for master’s students, albeit with a subtle negative effect on professional degree students. The funds of supervisors’ vertical projects has positive effects on these two types of graduates, while the horizontal project fund significantly enhances the quality of professional theses. A U-shaped correlation is observed between the number of graduates guided by the supervisor and the blind assessment scores of their papers. The innovative project fund has significantly enhanced the effectiveness of mathematics and other foundational disciplines. The study shows that universities need to establish a classified training mechanism: strengthen the construction of the academic postgraduate theoretical course system, improve the project-driven practice training model for professional postgraduate students, and build a dynamic teacher-student ratio optimization model.