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Posted Aug. 26, 2012

Top Things to Bear in Mind When Choosing Your Postgrad Uni

Choosing to do a postgraduate degree isn’t easy, but the decision of where to study for your postgraduate degree is perhaps even more difficult. Most prospective postgraduates start searching for postgraduate universities with barely more than the vaguest idea of what they want to study and where they want to go. To help you out, here are 7 of the key things you should be asking yourself when looking up postgraduate university places.

Does the university even do the course you're interested in?

It may sound very simple, but you’d be amazed by the amount of students who dream of studying their dream degree at their dream university only to discover that the university doesn’t actually offer the course. The course should always be more important that the university - don’t end up studying a course you don’t particularly care for just for the experience of a certain university. Postgraduates need passion about their subject to do well. If you love International Relations, don’t overlook International Relations at Exeter for Politics at LSE.

Should you return to your undergraduate university or move away?

The choice of whether to return to the university where you completed your undergraduate degree is a difficult one because there are so many pros and cons to the argument. It is easy to settle back in and get back into the rhythm of studying when it is somewhere you already know, Although the allure of staying somewhere familiar is often overwhelming, you should remember some key things. Firstly it is unlikely that your friends from your year will remain at that university too, and that can completely change how important the actual location is to you. Also even if you liked your academic department as an undergraduate, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the department is either a good postgraduate choice or even specialised in your particular interests.

What are the university’s specific costs and funding opportunities?

There is no way of getting around the fact that postgraduate degrees are expensive. If cost is a factor for you, then you should certainly be looking at universities with that in mind. Although the most basic way of bearing this in mind is looking at the cost of the degree, most universities have specific funding and scholarships that can actually make universities that seem expensive on first glance much cheaper.

What are the facilities for postgraduates?

It is worth looking into what facilities are available to you as a postgrad at your prospective universities. I know that comparing library loan times might sound like nit-picking, but you’d be surprised at how small things like that can really make a difference to the quality and ease of your education

Is there a lively postgraduate community?

The postgraduate community you will be involved with may shape your social life for the length of your degree, so it is definitely an aspect to consider. Much of your choice depends on how ‘integrated’ you would like to be into the university. If you’re used to being independent and having friends independent of university then a large university like Manchester might be appealing. However if you’re looking for a real community then a university like Durham, with a college dedicated to just postgraduates, might be more for you.

What research interests within your subject does the university specialise in?

The research interests within an academic department vary from year to year depending who is on staff and what they are working on at that time. If you have a very particular interest niche, like ‘women's rights in the developing world’, then it is worth looking into what departments have research interests that align with yours. It’s also worth looking back on the people and researchers you have quoted in your essays across the length of your degree: the chance to work under some of these people as postgraduates is an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

What are the post-postgraduate prospects from the university?

Your postgraduate degree, whether it be a Masters or a Doctorate, will likely be the pinnacle of your educational experience after which you will need to get a job. Looking at the careers prospects for graduates from each university is an important yet often overlooked factor in what makes a university a good choice for you. Career prospects from a university derive from a variety of different sources; from name recognition (a degree from Oxford or LSE always sounds impressive to employers) to whether the university has a good careers service that will help you break into the jobs market more effectively.

 

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