Why Choose Postgraduate Study?
At the outset, it is worth considering exactly why you intend to undertake postgraduate study.
Some of the benefits of postgraduate study are listed below. You may wish, for example, to:
Increase your transferable skills for a future or current career
Postgraduate schemes of study at Cardiff will develop your transferable skills, valued in a wide range of careers. In addition to discipline-specific skills, you will also develop:
- the ability to locate and use information effectively
- time-management skills
- communication and presentation skills
The development of skills both at a specific and generic level is regarded as being fundamental to the quality of the postgraduate experience at Cardiff University. Through structured training programmes, Cardiff University provides an increasing number of opportunities to develop and improve your research and transferable skills. In addition to the annual Skills Conference, there is a centrally-advertised programme of courses co-ordinated by the Graduate Centre, which includes topics in Communication Skills, IT and Information Management, Business Awareness, the Research Environment, and Career Development. These categories of training are in line with those recommended by the UK Research Councils and the Arts & Humanities Research Board.
Develop a stronger academic and vocational profile
Many employers give preference to graduate students who have a postgraduate qualification. This is essential for some careers such as educational psychology and social work.
Pursue an academic career for its own sake
Prove to yourself that you can meet the challenges of studying for a higher degree - you are likely to be highly motivated and interested in further in-depth study.
Convert to a new subject area
You may feel that your current degree or qualifications are not offering you adequate career opportunities, in which case gaining a further qualification may provide you with new career options. A good example of this type of course is the MSc in Computing.
Explore your strengths, interests and aspirations
If you are not sure which career you would like to pursue, further study will allow you time to explore your strengths, interests, and aspirations while adding to your skills. Postgraduate work makes demands on your time and personal resources but will lead to the satisfaction of working in-depth, and in many cases, at the cutting-edge of recent developments in your chosen subject area.
Which Course?
Choosing where to undertake your postgraduate study is an important decision. Even more important, however, is choosing what to study given the numerous and diverse postgraduate courses available. So how do you decide which course is right for you?
At Cardiff we offer a wealth of postgraduate programmes - over 150 taught courses and well over 200 research degrees - to suit your particular interests and aspirations. Take a look at our Postgraduate programmes pages for more information on research degrees, taught courses and part-time study. Whichever option you choose, you should make sure it is the most appropriate for your career aspirations and your present circumstances.