Thinking about Postgraduate study next year?
Published on 8 March 17
As your course draws to a close, rather than ready to leave it all behind do you now feel ready to pursue your subject further?
Even if you’re only just beginning to think about it now – it’s not too late to look into your options for September 2017.
That said it’s easy to feel rushed at this time of year if you have nothing definite planned, so make sure you are thinking about it for the right reasons. Don’t worry if you’re not sure – there is plenty of time to return to further study after a few years of work. In fact, this can sometimes be beneficial, giving you the practical experience to support your studies
The most common route into further study from your undergraduate degree is a postgraduate Masters. These are usually 1 year full time or 2 year part time and structured in a similar way to your undergraduate courses. To find out more about all the different types of qualifications available see this guide to postgrad qualifications .
So, is a Masters for you?
Good reasons to consider further study
- You’re passionate about the subject you’re studying and feel you still have the enthusiasm and commitment for further study. Undertaking specific research during a dissertation or project will allow you to become an authority on your chosen subject, and it’s a real achievement when you see the finish project.
- Furthering or enhancing your career prospects. There is a word of caution attached to this school of thought. Whilst academic ability is one of the skills a graduate employer will be looking for, you will still need to be able to articulate all the additional skills your extra studies have given you, and if possible you should look into relevant work experience.
- That said, postgraduate study is a prerequisite for some job (for example, postgraduate conversion courses can enable you to enter s profession you have not studied an undergraduate degree) and can be desirable in others. If this is your primary reason for thinking about further study you might want to discuss your thoughts further with a careers advisor and do some research on your chosen field.
- Building networks. Another way that studying can impact on your future is how it helps you to build networks and gain an insight into your chosen field. Your lecturers and tutors will know (and could well be) academic and industry experts so can be helpful when deciding upon that next step.
- You’re looking for a change of direction. So you are passionate about a subject – just not exactly the one you’re doing? Many postgraduate courses accept people from a range of related academic backgrounds, so don’t necessarily be put off by your undergraduate course. Also some postgraduate courses can act as conversion courses if you want to enter a different job sector, but make sure you do your research about which courses employers are looking for.
But remember
- Staying on because you love university and don’t want to leave or because you don’t know what else to do aren’t the best reasons to apply! Postgraduate study is a real commitment in terms of time and money. Why not talk to tutors or students in your School and try to find out what it’s really like and where it could take you. You can also find further advice from the The Careers Service
Other things to consider
Funding
- Funding is limited for Masters courses and without a doubt, most are self-funded. However there are options, the University has recently launched the Manchester Masters Bursary 2017 and in 2016 the government launched the postgraduate loan scheme. For further information about possible sources of funding see Masters funding.
Applying for courses.
- There is no UCAS application system for postgraduate study so make sure you talk to the different institutions you are interested in and find out about their application processes– especially if they have a deadline for the course you are interested in. The Careers service have put together some application tips and interview advice.
Further Information
Sites such as FindAMasters , Find A PhD, Masters Compare and Prospects are all really useful resources when looking at the different courses available and funding options as is The University website for information about studying here.