Postgraduate study is study to a level that is higher than a first degree. A Master's programme will take one or two years full-time study to complete, while a Doctoral programme will take at least three further years.
There are many reasons to become a postgraduate, and for each person the reasons will be individual and probably quite complex. However, the main reasons for taking a postgraduate degree are the following.
For the intellectual challenge
Perhaps the most obvious reason for postgraduate study is the stimulus of the intellectual challenge. You need to like working with ideas, stretching your mind by working with new concepts, developing skills of analysis and investigation, and debating and arguing issues and approaches. The challenge of making a contribution to knowledge, however small, is an exciting prospect for those who have enjoyed study at school and as an undergraduate. The chance to work alongside some of the cleverest students, academics and researchers in your chosen field and to work with them on the ideas that are at the cutting edge of that field is very appealing to many. This may not, of course, be the most important reason for you to follow a postgraduate programme. However, it must be at least a part of your reason, for without being excited by the prospect of the intellectual challenge you will certainly find it very hard to stay motivated or to achieve a good result at the end of your studies.
For the personal challenge
This is the wish to challenge yourself at an individual level. Even if you found study at undergraduate level quite easy you will be aware that studying at a higher level will be more challenging. It will guidance from your teachers you will probably succeed. At postgraduate level, you have much more responsibility and independence for planning what and how you study and for managing your own learning and the creation of new stretch your skills, challenge your ability to work with more complex ideas and give you the opportunity to see how you compare with the brightest and best brains in your field. It will also test you in other ways. While undergraduate study develops your study skills and ability to work independently, at Masters and Doctoral level independence and personal organisation are very important. At undergraduate level, providing you follow the detailed instructions and ideas. Your success will depend on you working with your tutors and professors rather than working for them.
For improved career prospects
As increasing numbers of people graduate with a first degree so the numbers qualified for the best jobs (whether that means the best paid, the most interesting or the highest status jobs) has increased. As a result many jobs now prefer applicants to demonstrate their achievements at postgraduate level, either as a requirement for entering the career or as a necessity to secure promotion to more senior levels. Having a Masters or Doctorate on your curriculum vitae (CV) can improve your job prospects substantially, and give you the edge in a competitive job market.
As an essential career requirement
Some jobs require a level of expertise or knowledge which it is not possible to acquire from an undergraduate degree, and so insist on a Masters or Doctoral degree as an entry requirement. For those working in the field of science or engineering and looking for a career as a researcher, obtaining a PhD is almost an essential entry requirement, for example. Similarly, many professional fields have established specialist postgraduate programmes with universities that are designed to meet their specific professional needs. Entrants to those professions may either need to obtain such a degree at their own cost before entering the profession or be required to do such a programme by an employer as the first stage of their professional training.
To enter an academic career
Many high achievers at undergraduate level aspire to a career as a university teacher or researcher, perhaps with the ambition of becoming a professor. In a survey conducted for The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES, 12 August 2005), nearly two-thirds of all postgraduates indicated that moving into an academic career was their main reason for taking a higher degree. In many countries an academic post at a university is a high-status position (although not always a well-paid one!). In addition, though, the prospect of a career researching and teaching in the subject that you love is very appealing.
Increasingly, following an academic career within a university means that having a postgraduate degree is essential, and in many countries such a position will not be possible without a Doctorate. The rapid expansion of higher education in many countries, therefore, means that the demand for those educated to Doctoral level is growing enormously.
Are you ready for a PhD?
Making the decision about postgraduate study, therefore, is one that does require some careful reflection. However, if you can read the sections above and identify the positive reasons for going further with your study career then it is likely that a postgraduate programme is right for you.
See Chapter 1 of the book Postgraduate Study in the UK by Nicholas and Rosalind Foskett for more information, including a discussion of why postgraduate study might not be the right step for you.
Looking for funding for postgraduate studies? Check out the exclusive bursaries on offer from Postgrad Solutions.
