Linguistics: Further study

Linguistics is an ideal first degree if you want to go into further study, which can improve your employability. Just under 17% of linguistics students who graduated in 2011 went on to full-time further study, while just over 9% went on to study part time while working.

There are few jobs that require undergraduate level linguistics alone, but for many of the careers that attract linguistics graduates, such as the Civil Service, human resources (HR) and social research, further vocational study will enhance your chances of employment. For careers in journalism and IT, too, although it is not essential to do postgraduate study, your chances will improve significantly with a relevant qualification.

In some career areas, such as teaching, where you need a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or equivalent, or speech therapy, where you need an accredited qualification in order to practise, it is essential that you take a postgraduate qualification.

When deciding whether to undertake further study, consider how vital it is to your chosen career or employability prospects if you have not decided on a profession yet. Also consider how you will fund the study if accepted onto a course.

These trends show only what previous graduates in your subject did immediately upon graduating. Over the course of their career - the first few years in particular - many others will opt for some form of further study, either part time or full time. If further study interests you, start by thinking about postgraduate study in the UK and search courses and research to identify your options.

For details relating to finance and the application process, look at funding my further study.