Pursuing postgraduate education is attractive to students who are unsure about which route they want to take after their undergraduate days draw to a close, but the decision to do a master’s degree shouldn’t be purpose driven and not a deferral of the real world.
What’s it all about?
A master’s degree will take one or two years, add a tasty £6,000 onto your student debt and cost an average of £10,000 in living expenses and accommodation. When picking a course you need to be confident that you are propelling yourself forward in your chosen field and that you have an enduring and genuine passion for the course content.
Why would you do one?
Taking a master’s course is a great way to change career direction, away from the area of your undergraduate degree, or to become a specialist in a niche area of the broader subject you had previously studied. Be careful not to choose a course out of comfort and familiarity, a master’s course is about forward momentum and not a continuation, or rehash of content you have covered before.
Can it get you ahead?
Across industries a master’s can be what pushes your CV ahead of the others in the pile and can secure you a higher entry salary. Having another glossy piece of paper to flash at employers does not come with any guarantees. It is important to focus less on the document as the sole goal and more on how it will develop your knowledge and abilities.
How does it work?
Postgraduate study is not run on the teacher-student basis of undergraduate learning; you would be a peer to the professors and study in a much more independent framework. You are signing up for the invaluable experience of self-directed study, the chance to share research with experts in your chosen field, and being able to narrow down from the general, to the specific. If these are prospects which excite you, and you have a good idea of where you want to take the skills you earn, then postgraduate study is something you should be looking into.
The key to making the decision whether a master’s is for you is to exhaust every question you can dream up about the course you want to take, and what it can do for you in the future. Clear up any uncertainties and doubts by asking the academics who would be teaching you, relentlessly ringing their department and going through the pros and cons with your friends and family until you feel confident that you know exactly what you are getting yourself in for.
Are you taking a master’s degree? Why? Let us know below.
Photo: Hash Milhan / Flickr
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