About postgrad study : Why do postgrad study?

The pros and cons

The advantages of undertaking postgraduate study are many but must be weighed against practical considerations, including cost. Most importantly you must carefully consider if further study will satisfy your personal or career aims. The following pros and cons may help you decide whether postgraduate study is right for you.

• Pursue a subject you enjoy: The pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake can be very enjoyable and motivating. A great deal of personal satisfaction can be gained from sharing ideas with other like-minded individuals who share your passion for a subject. Postgraduate study can also provide an intellectual challenge and research degrees in particular can allow you to make a real impact in a specific research area.
• Competitive edge: although not essential for many areas of work, a postgraduate qualification can provide a distinct advantage for job applicants, particularly when competition is fierce. A postgraduate student with specialist knowledge differentiates themselves from other graduates and may be more attractive to an employer.
• Improve career prospects: a postgraduate qualification may increase long-term earnings, although it may not necessarily enable a higher starting salary than a graduate.
• Necessary for chosen career: some careers require a professional qualification for entry, for example teaching, law, social work and librarianship.
• Change to a new career area: conversion courses can allow those who have studied general degrees to take a vocational direction, e.g. law or psychology. They also allow a move from arts to sciences or can add additional skills, such as IT, to improve employability in your target job area.
• Specialisation: a postgraduate qualification can help to develop a deeper understanding of a specific subject area that is related to your first degree. This may help you to pursue a specific career.
• Showing commitment to a chosen career: Further study can demonstrate determination to succeed in a chosen career area and may improve employment prospects.
• Transferable skills: you can develop transferable skills through postgraduate study, such as project management, critical thinking, research skills, time management, presentation skills and teamwork (from working with others on projects). Employers look for these skills on your CV as well as specific qualifications.
• Networking: you can greatly improve your employment prospects by building up a network of useful contacts. Postgraduate courses put you in touch with people in the industry and work placements can lead to possible work opportunities.
• Entry to academic careers: a Masters degree or PhD is in most cases a necessity for entry to academia or research positions.
• Expense: you must take into account that there is less funding available for postgraduate study than for undergraduate courses and many students have to either find sponsorship or fund themselves by working part-time or by getting a loan. Consider carefully both the fees and associated living costs involved in postgraduate study.
• Beating the recession: when there are fewer graduate jobs available, it is tempting to assume staying on in education is the best choice for your career. The key is to research whether postgraduate study really will be advantageous for the area of employment you are pursuing. It may be that relevant work experience - or any work experience - could help you gain skills to improve your chances of securing the job you are seeking and could be a better use of your time.