Postgraduate Study

• Find your course
• Things to consider
• Graduate Skills Conversion Programme
• Postgraduate Study in UCC
• Postgraduate Study in Ireland
• Postgraduate Study in the UK
• Postgraduate Study in Europe
• Postgraduate Study in USA
• Sources of Funding
• Graduate Admissions Interview Questions (17kB) 
• Postgraduate Personal Statements (44kB) 
• Information for PhDs
• Postgrad Study Video - check the videos/podcasts section

Things to Consider

• First of all decide why you want to go on to further study. Do you need a further qualification in order to pursue a particular career? Look at postgraduate certificate and diploma courses, which are essential for that career - for example - to become a Social Worker it is essential to study for a Masters in Social Work.
• Or are you looking to study a postgraduate qualification to convert your degree to something more vocational? For example, a course such as the Higher Diploma in Computer Science is open to non-Computer science graduates seeking to enter the computer field or the Higher Diploma in Management and Marketing for graduates who want to gain skills to work in a management or marketing area.
• Be aware of your choices and your options. Postgraduate Study can be a Diploma , Certificate, Masters Degree & Doctorate
• For most postgraduate courses the selection is based on academic performance of the applicant. However sometimes experience or professional qualifications may be considered. For taught masters a student should have at least a second class honours degree and for a research masters a second class honours degree class one would be expected. For vocational courses and professional training courses, relevant experience and a commitment to the work, which the course trains you for, can often be as important as the academic qualification.
• Remember to assess all requirements for entry before applying to a course. It is also worth talking to students who have completed the postgraduate course, which you are applying to, and to talk to the course co-ordinator for the postgraduate course.
• Shop around. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - you are the customer. If at all possible, visit the institutions and talk to staff, students and recent graduates. It is worth your time to ask questions and to investigate all of your postgraduate options before pursuing a postgraduate qualification.

Visit the links below to find out more about Post Graduate Study.

Finding Programmes

• UCC Postgraduate Prospectus
• Find courses in other institutions in Ireland
• Find courses in institutions in the UK

Exploring courses of study involves many things:

• Speak to academic members of staff in your field of interest.
• For taught programmes check relevant directories, websites, course publicity and college prospectuses usually online. postgradireland.com has a searchable database of programmes available in Ireland, north and south.
• In the case of a particular research interest, identify institutions that specialise in your field of study, then contact departments with a view to identifying a potential supervisor. ExpertiseIreland.com and Research Careers Ireland are online portals, combining searchable databases, up-to-date details of academic expertise, funding information, technology transfer and collaborative opportunities for the island of Ireland. Check the following link for links to all third level and higher education institutions - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland
• Have a look at the article : Secret of Successful Applications (68kB) 

If you are interested in Research Programmes rather than Taught Postgraduate Programmes - you may find the following articles useful :

• How to Find the Right Research Programmes (66kB) 
• Funding your Research (68kB) 
• Funding From Research Councils (87kB) 
• New Grant Applications 2012 (67kB)