Is a Post Graduate Degree Important – really?

A few years ago a post graduate degree was optional for those wanting to specialize or perhaps pursue a particular research project. It was great if you could do it but if you couldn’t afford it, or if you simply weren’t keen to carry on with education, it wasn’t too important. You could still be pretty sure of meeting your career aspirations. Today’s economy isn’t quite so rosy.

In today’s extremely competitive climate a post graduate degree may be the difference between you and another job candidate. With the significant number of job seekers looking for employment today, every single advantage helps. So when this imperative is measured against  the additional years and expense of study, whether or not to do it can be a bit of a conundrum. Once that decision has been made, those continuing in education will then have to decide what course to take and where to take it. What to take will probably be pretty simple to suss out if you already prefer a certain field. Where to study may be a little more complicated.

What to Study

For many students what to study will be a no-brainer. The general study path started on will continue on track toward a specialization.  Students taking conjoint or double degrees will choose to either continue with a phenomenal workload or may choose one or another of their degrees to pursue.  Students wanting to change their course of study may have to take a few bridging classes to give them the prerequisites of a particular course but generally speaking, switching within a genre, one field of science to another for example, should be a seamless transition.  If additional classes are required they can sometimes be tacked onto the post graduate degree course load.  In this worst case scenario this could add another year to a post graduate degree and may be worth considering before switching majors.

Where to Study

Students considering post graduate study should look very closely at where. A college with a solid reputation is important and even more so that the reputation is grounded in the field of study you are aiming for. Future employers will be very much aware of a college’s calibre in terms of specific programs and the acumen of their graduates. Once you’ve found a college that delivers your program to a high standard an opportunity to change locations may present itself. You may view this as another challenge but really, it could be a great adventure.

Post graduate degree programs will very likely require applicants to undergo some screening. This will include a graduate admission test like the GMAT or LSAT.  Many students find the very idea of these tests fear inducing but this isn’t necessarily warranted. While some of the most prestigious and elite universities will require top percentile scores, the vast majority will admit students with just decent passing grades.

Do I have to Study?

For those who are able to continue to a postgraduate level without too much pressure on the bank account or their sanity, a post graduate degree is probably good advice. For those who will struggle to pay for more education, or who simply can’t take it anymore, the decision will be harder. It may be advisable to take a break to assess the waters in your particular field, to see if there are job opportunities. If you find there isn’t anything going job wise then reconsider signing up for that post graduate degree.  Obviously if there are jobs out there, that will clinch the decision. If there aren’t, you may have to grin and bear it.