A postgraduate qualification is a great opportunity to enhance your career prospects, satisfy your intellectual curiosity and demonstrate your dedication to your field.
Here are some of the reasons why you might consider a postgraduate degree:
- To enhance your career prospects. A postgraduate qualification can set you apart from other graduates and may even help you jump a few steps up the career ladder.
- To enter a profession that requires specialist qualifications. If you are looking to work in a specialist field like psychology and psychotherapy, a postgraduate qualification is mandatory.
- To defer a career decision. If you’re in your final year of an undergraduate degree and not yet sure on what you’d like to do in your career, a postgraduate degree gives you more time to explore your options.
- To change careers. Conversion programmes give you the opportunity to change careers without having to go back to undergraduate study.
- The pursuit of knowledge. You may just be really passionate about your field and want to continue studying to satisfy your intellectual curiosity.
Do you fit in any of the categories listed above? Understanding why you want to do a postgraduate degree will also help you choose what type of degree you are looking for.
For example, if you want to work in a specialist profession, choose a degree that offers the necessary qualifications and professional accreditations from industry bodies.
Research the University as well as the degree. Do the lecturers have specialist knowledge relating to your area of interest? Are there opportunities to take extra industry qualifications and internships?
Balance out the benefits versus the costs. It is important to work out whether a postgraduate degree is a cost-effective alternative than going straight into industry.
Vanessa Reber is a postgraduate finance alumna. Before joining Regent’s, she had already established a successful career working in finance at UBS. She decided to undertake a postgraduate degree because she believed it would help accelerate her career.
‘I wanted to benefit from international opportunities and work across the globe as a management consultant. I knew a master’s degree in finance from a London university would facilitate such ends.’
Since graduating, she has already been nominated for a UK Rising Star Award 2020, which recognises the achievements of women below senior management.