The benefits of a postgraduate masters course
Masters courses offer something extra to a persons CV. They are the start to specialisation towards a particular career. They are also a very handy stepping stone to changing career paths, take MBA's (Masters in Business Administration) for example. A masters can also be a precursor to the academic route, such as for a PhD. However, there still needs to be careful thought on whether this is the right option for you.
I studied for an MSc about two years after completing my Bachelors. Looking back on it I don't regret it, but I've had to work very hard before, during and after the intensive 12 months of labour! Don't be under any illusions - it will fly by. Depending upon the nature of how you will be graded (100% research project or via a mixture of projects and course modules) it will be intense and change will happen very quickly. Be prepared to sacrifice a lot, both financially and socially.
The structure of my course was: 3 months lecturing from September to end of December, then exams (yep, January - right after the xmas holidays) for a month (for me personally - 10 exams in about 14 days); followed by two months on finishing up a group project that had been running parallel with the taught modules. Once that was all done, we then had 5 months on an individual research project. I know what you're thinking - pah! 5 months! It was quite possibly the hardest 5 months of my life - especially the last month where I was working roughly 16-18hrs per day. And that wasn't just me, all of my fellow students were working similar hours. Now throw in the debt: I took out a Career Development Loan that was about £10k, by midway through the course I was starting to run out and this was another issue on my mind. It was tough. It took me about 6 months from start to finish to mentally recover afterwards! The problem was that I had to wait another year before I landed the job of my dreams and hence had to struggle with the effects of debt and the consequences of my actions.
In my case, I had added a further £12k of debt to my already largish debt pile and spent a long time out of employment...but in the end it came down to a little piece of luck and the fact that I had done other things outside of the work environment (sporty, programming, websites etc) that got me that job.
What should you do?
Well, if your field is technical, such as Engineering then, in my opinion, it is worth it. If you need to retrain or are aiming for an area that is more specialised or in a different direction to what your undergraduate degree was, then it is probably worth it. If your academic record is not great, but you know you're mentally "able" then it is probably worth it (providing you have the motivation). Remember, it's not just about what you're qualified in that will get you that job - it's also about what you do and learn outside of formal education that also counts (a lot).
Financial help
Having a part time job for a 12 month full-time course will be extremely tough. I'd recommend that you make sure you have most of your finances in order before undertaking a course. Do not rely on the fact that you will work part-time somewhere to make ends meet. There are plenty of options depending upon what you are doing, make sure you check out all the options regarding grants from the various institutions and the government and make sure you do this early - some applications for grants need to be submitted 8-12 months before the start of the course! This option is usually a long shot, but worth the effort if you meet the criteria. Other options can include sponsorship from your current employee, probably only applicable if it's relevant to the type of job you are already doing or could potentially do in that company. Loans: Family or the bank. I would always go with the Bank since everything will be well defined, but I suppose it depends who your family is!
Location
It will help coming from a well known institution, but nowadays I see less fuss over red brick unis and more emphasis on what the person is actually capable of, especially since assessment centres (for graduate positions) have become the norm now.
Course Type
I was once told that it's best to pick a specialty and become the best at it. In my humble opinion, I think that this is wrong! Well, it's only correct in terms of later life. If you know what it is you want out of life, then specialisation is up to you, but if you have had little experience of the industry you want to be in and are capable of being good in a few areas then surely you'd want to keep your options open? Again, it depends upon who you are and what you like doing with your time. Having a broader topic will also give you more options if you find it difficult to break into your sector.
I initially did an aeronautical degree, but my MSc was in the Space sector (mainly because I thought it would give me an "edge" in the aeronautical field) - it opened my eyes to a completely different world (quite literally!) and I've never looked back. I could have specialised in propulsion or electronics or avionics etc, but I decided to still keep it broad.
Final Thoughts
Map out your options, think carefully about your finances, and also think about what angle this will give you at an interview, since that is what it's all about. If you are an academic and love the subject, then you should have no problems motivating yourself. If you're doing this for your career then just remember that it's not only about the qualifications that will land you that job, in some cases it will be for sure, but still try to keep yourself "interesting" and have "fresh" things on your CV so that you stand out!
Tom writes articles for GradGathering.com - a website dedicated to providing students, graduates and young professionals a means to network together, discuss, share and start/build careers in their preferred industries. To contribute to this resource, please visit http://www.gradgathering.com/ |
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