There are a wealth of postgraduate courses now available and the choice can be daunting. Your final choice will depend on what you want to achieve by taking a postgraduate course. Do you feel passionately enough about your first degree subject to want to pursue it further? If so, a research based higher degree - either
a Master's or a Doctorate could be the answer. Or, have three years of study put you off - have you decided to change tack entirely? Then a conversion course, or a postgraduate certificate or diploma in a more vocational area, both of which would be taught rather than research based, could be the way forward. Finally, you may feel that you have had enough of full time study, but nonetheless want to carry on with your subject. No problem. There are many part time and modular courses which can be combined with employment.

Before making your choice it is worth noting that, as with other areas of education, postgraduate study is changing. As well as the traditional tailor-made course of study offered for higher degrees (Master's and Doctorates) there are an increasing number of courses which combine both research and taught elements.

Doctorates

Not for the faint-hearted, a PhD or DPhil will involve at least three years of intellectually challenging work, culminating in a thesis of around 100,000 words - a thesis which will push forward the frontiers of knowledge in your particular area. You may also have to give an oral account of your work. Although you will be assigned a supervisor who will offer help and guidance, your work is your responsibility. Your first few months will probably be spent in preparatory work to ensure that you have the tools necessary to embark on your research. It is likely that you will have to give a progress report at the end of your first year.

Master's courses: research

The MPhil course is perhaps the best known of these. It is similar in structure to a Doctorate, but because it is shorter (usually two years), the length of the thesis is limited to about 60,000 words. Many who register for an MPhil do not in fact complete it as they transfer to a PhD after their first year, depending, of course, on their progress. MAs and MScs may include some training in research methods. Most involve a dissertation,some may include research projects, others course and oral work. The MRes is a relatively new qualification which stands alone, but which is also good preparation for PhD work. There is an element of this which is taught. In common with Doctorates, research-based Master's are self directed.

Taught Master's courses

This has been one of the fastest growing areas in postgraduate study in recent years. Along with the well established MBA (Master in Business Administration) there are courses such as MSc in Built Environment or Biotechnology as well as conversion courses such as MSc in Information Technology. They mostly follow the pattern you will be used to from your time as an undergraduate - a mixture of seminars and lectures with practical lab work or project work as appropriate. The balance between these can vary considerably, so care must be taken when choosing a course. Check the content and how it is delivered. Is it purely taught or will it offer opportunity for any research? This is important if you want to use such a course as a stepping stone to a higher degree.

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Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas

These fall into two main types - conversion courses or those which serve as vocational training for a professional career and those which, whilst being stand alone qualifications, offer the opportunity to study a subject in greater detail, with the possibility to progressing onto a Masters

Conversion courses are those such as the Common Professional Exam (CPE) for those wishing to go on to a career in law or postgraduate diplomas in IT for those wishing to pursue a career in computing. Vocational courses are those such as the PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) for those wishing to go into teaching, postgraduate diplomas in journalism, the Diploma in Carers Guidance (DipCG). Other courses cover library and information management, town planning, transport, housing, and many more. Entry to most of these course are open to graduates of any discipline. They are mostly one-year full-time or two-year part-time courses.

Postgraduate Certificates or Diplomas in other subjects often combine final year undergraduate modules and /or advanced taught courses as taken by master's students. The latter enables those who perform well to progress to a master's degree. They also enable those without normal entry requirements to move on to a higher degree. Generally, certificate courses are shorter and of a slightly lower level.

In summary:

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