 | What is postgraduate study actually like? If you're nearing the end of an undergraduate degree, there's a good chance you're starting to think about the possibility of postgraduate study. FindAMasters.com has lots of advice to help introduce the options available to you and help you search for your ideal course, but at this stage you may just be wondering what a Masters course is actually like. How will it differ from your previous degree? What new experiences and opportunities will it offer? You can read a comprehensive guide to making the transition from undergraduate study at FindAMasters.com, but, in the meantime, here are some of the most important and exciting ways in which a Masters course differs from an equivalent undergraduate degree. This advice is most relevant to taught postgraduate programmes, but will apply to some components of other types of masters course too. |  | Course structure and organisation In many countries (including the UK) taught Masters programmes usually take place over one academic year (though some European countries, such as France, prefer two year courses). Individual units of study are offered in the first two semesters, much like an undergraduate programme. Unlike undergraduate programmes, however, it is unusual for students to study more than one or two units at a time and scheduled timetable is usually limited. Instead, the time between classes is spent on much more extensive preparation, including independent research and analysis. It is also important to bear in mind that the length of a Masters degree includes the summer after timetabled academic study ends. This is usually when students complete their dissertations, ready for submission just before the next academic year commences. Independent study and professional scholarship The aim of a Masters programme is to help you make the transition from being a student of your subject to becoming an expert scholar in your own right. This process will begin as soon as your first modules commence. Your preparation for timetabled units will need to be much more extensive and tutors will expect you to be actively undertaking independent and self-directed research alongside classes. Large-group teaching methods (such as lectures) will also be less frequently used, with more emphasis placed on your ability to introduce, explain and justify your own findings and ideas in dialogue with your tutors and peers. |
| Assessment Discussion and debate during taught modules will function as a type of formative assessment throughout your course as you present your own ideas and receive feedback. Summative assessment will usually take place at the end of a module and will often involve identifying a research task or essay topic based on the interests you have developed on a unit, rather than selecting from a pre-defined list. In this way each assessment for your taught modules will build upon the self-directed study you have been undertaking whilst also preparing you for the more extensive independent research involved in your dissertation. | The dissertation Taught Masters programmes usually conclude with an independent dissertation, commencing in the third semester of study and continuing during the summer. Research programmes, such as an MRes, may include multiple independent research units that are roughly equivalent to dissertation tasks. Whatever your degree, dissertation research is where you will have the chance to really specialise and express yourself by producing an extensive piece of original scholarship. You can read more about the Masters dissertation here. Advanced training and research skills One of the most valuable features of additional postgraduate study is the chance to develop yourself as a professional researcher. These abilities will obviously help you complete your dissertation successfully, but many are also transferrable skills with a valuable contribution to make to your CV. As a postgraduate student you will learn to identify and compile relevant data and criticism, to keep an organised record or database of your findings and to present your conclusions efficiently and attractively. Many of these skills will be the subject of dedicated workshops or even specific course components with associated assessment tasks. |  |
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