Philosophy : Further study

In 2010, six months after graduation, almost a quarter of philosophy graduates had gone on to full-time further study and a further 6% were combining study with work, either to pursue an interest or to gain an essential qualification for a specific career area.

For some career areas, such as law, lecturing and teaching, a further qualification is essential. For other careers a postgraduate qualification may be useful but it is relevant work experience that is essential, for example in journalism and advertising. To decide if further study is necessary you should research the career areas that interest you.

Many philosophy graduates continue with further study of their discipline, possibly with the intention of pursuing a career as a lecturer but often due purely to their interest in philosophy. Other graduates have chosen to study something vocational at postgraduate level - common areas for philosophy graduates have included law, publishing and journalism.

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 postgrad study and search courses and research to identify your options.

Look at funding my further study for details relating to finance and the application process.