What is a postgraduate degree?

After you have completed your undergraduate degree, you may be ready to continue your studies through postgraduate study. This gives you the opportunity to learn and gain a deeper understanding of your chosen subject and can also provide the first step to an academic career.

Gaining a postgraduate degree is an excellent way to specialise, retrain, and develop new skills to enhance your career options.

There are a range of ways to study at postgraduate level depending on your specialism. Find out the different types of postgraduate study below. Once you have chosen your preferred mode of study, find out how to apply for a postgraduate degree. 

Master's degree

In the UK a Master's degree can take various forms and most require a thesis or dissertation to gain the full Master’s qualification. Generally, Master's degrees are one year in length, although some professional Master's courses are longer.

Taught Master's degree

You can study a taught Master’s degree  in which you follow a set curriculum. This can lead to the award of a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Music (MMus), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or Master of Surgery (MCh) depending on the subject area.

Master's by Research

You can take a Master's by Research degree that is awarded entirely through independent study. In this case you follow your own research interests, guided by a supervisory team. You can register for either an MA or MSc by Research depending on the academic subject area.

Professional Master's degree

Some Master's courses are linked to specific professional careers and are an essential part of the qualification route. For example, a Master of Engineering (MEng) is taken after you complete an undergraduate engineering course, which is usually needed to become a chartered engineer.

Other careers, such as in healthcare or medicine, allow you to focus or specialise your skills in a particular aspect of that profession. For example, if you want to be a surgeon you might pursue this aim by taking an MCh in Surgery.

There are also Master's degrees that allow graduates with a first degree to change career path by retraining in another subject. In these cases, transferable skills from a previous undergraduate degree or from your life experience will be taken into account.

Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma

In the UK some professions have a Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma that enables graduates to qualify for a career even if you didn’t study a relevant undergraduate degree. An example is the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), teacher training course, although it is slightly different to a standard Postgraduate Certificate as it includes work-based placements.

PhD

A PhD is a major step and involves undertaking significant in-depth research.

PhD students have often already undertaken a Master's degree in a relevant subject. A PhD may be a choice if you wish to pursue an academic career in lecturing or research, or if you would simply like to expand your research interests, experience, and skills.