“Each little pocket of support:” factors that influence master’s student sense of belonging in academic programs

Purpose This paper aims to examine factors influencing sense of belonging (SB) for master’s students at one institution. Design/methodology/approach Using basic interpretive methodology, data collection comprised semi-structured interviews with 24 students from diverse programs, backgrounds and enrollment experiences alongside a three-step analytical coding process. Findings Findings show six factors influencing SB, with a strong emphasis across factors relating to student academic experiences: professional relationships with faculty, design and relevance of learning, peer communities of learning, critical mass in community and curriculum, mindset and competence and external supports. Research limitations/implications The study provides impetus for further research on the role of competence as a unique feature of academic belonging and ways in which different disciplines may foster belonging. Practical implications Practical implications include training and rewarding faculty to support master’s students (e.g. building professional relationships, adopting curricular and course design strategies that foster master’s specific belonging, managing time to respond to students); fostering peer learning networks; and incorporating pedagogical and institutional structures to support learning environments that normalize self-doubt, balance high standards with acceptance of imperfection, incorporate diverse perspectives and acknowledge the developmental nature of disciplinary mastery. Social implications Master’s student attrition and costs of pursuing without earning a degree are high. Work to support master’s student belonging and persistence has beneficial outcomes for student equity, learning community strength and institutional planning effectiveness. Originality/value This study newly looks closely at master’s students given their unique, focused experiences that differ from both undergraduate and doctoral programs.