Is postgraduate study for me?
Postgraduate study can help you develop specialised knowledge and specific skills. It is undertaken for different reasons:
- Enable you to engage more deeply with your subject
- Prepare you for a specific career
- Enhance your prospects in a particular career
- Help you make a career change
There are further degrees in all academic disciplines and there are also professional qualifications providing training and knowledge for a specific career, eg business, journalism or museum work.
In some fields, professional qualifications are essential, in others, work experience is more useful. Find out what's required for the profession you're planning to work in.
Admissions requirements and course durations vary between institutions and countries. Course formats also differ, with most usually involving coursework, independent research, a dissertation and sometimes a work placement. Assessment can be through written exams, course work or through an oral defence of your work known as a viva.
The following resources provide information and practical advice for those considering postgraduate study in the UK or abroad:
- Is a postgraduate Arts degree for me?
- Is a postgraduate Science degree for me?
- Prospects Postgraduate study in the UK
- AGCAS - About postgraduate study (PDF, 179 KB)
Course search
UK:
| TARGETcourses | find postgraduate courses and research programmes at universities and colleges in the UK |
| Prospects | postgraduate research and taught courses throughout the UK |
| Postgrad.com | UK postgrad courses |
Worldwide:
| Studying abroad | information and links on further study abroad |
| Country profiles | these include sections on postgraduate study |
| Study in Australia and NZ | useful links on studying and living in Australia and New Zealand |
| Study in Europe | advice and guidance on European study |
| Find A Masters | search for taught and research masters degrees worldwide |
| FindAPhD | postgraduate research degrees, PhDs, studentships and scholarships |
| FindAnMBA.com | MBA courses & Business Masters degrees |
| FindAPostDoc.com | postDoctoral research posts worldwide |
| Postgraduate Studentships | and its sister site Masters Compare |
| Brain Track | searchable database of universities around the world |
| Grad schools | online resource for graduate school |
| The Association of Commonwealth Universities | course search and scholarship information for countries in the Commonwealth |