By Alexandra Cain
Postgraduate study can open up a world of opportunity in your career, or take you in a totally different direction. These trends are just two of the reasons why top universities are seeing an influx of postgraduate students who are keen to hone their skills in many different areas.
While some students want technical training, others are looking to develop their transferable skills such as leadership and critical analysis. Many courses even offer various technical and evergreen skills to help students’ employability.
Postgraduate study can open doors to a new career. Credit: Getty
More than a business degree
“We see areas of demand in postgraduate degrees that round out technical business topics such as data engineering, generative AI, predictive and causal analytics and optimisation with a firm understanding of business needs,” says Melbourne Business School (MBS) academic director Simon Holcombe.
Courses that teach people how to communicate technical business requirements to senior stakeholders, who may not necessarily be well versed in technology, are popular. Subjects that teach students how to complement business needs with technology, not just blindly use the latest buzzwords, are also in demand.
“We’re teaching people to decipher and infer business requirements and formulate resolutions that meet these requirements, rather than bending the needs of the business to fit the technology,” Holcombe says.
He says courses like the MBS masters of business analytics are highly sought-after due to their strong theoretical background in mathematics and computer science.
Tech skills top of the list
University of Technology Sydney director Tim Maillet says they are seeing particular demand for courses on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and data science, as well as animation and visualisation. In more traditional areas, there is demand for people with a background in nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy and speech pathology.
“Courses in disciplines like business and health are very consistent, but particularly now as we are all working and living longer,″ Maillet says.
″Business knowledge and capabilities can lead graduates into endless career options, while modern healthcare is extremely diverse with many fields of study rapidly developing as science and technology advance.
“Secondary teaching and property development are popular courses for career-changers.″
Working with machines
Manjula Devi Sharma, professor of science education and director of the STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy at The University of Sydney, says there is huge demand for people who work with machines. She says Australia needs more polytechnics to train workers in this category.
“We need people who understand how machines interact with computers to make them more efficient and how emerging technology will change how machines work in the future,″ Sharma says. ″To do this, people need good hands-on skills.
″They need to be able to use machines and equipment and instruments and [understand] how they work in a system.″
A good understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects is essential.
Sharma is calling for more of a mesh between the different subject and discipline areas so the curriculum better supports the demands of the modern workforce.
“We need more diversification in higher education,” she says.
A precedent for this exists in medicine, where technical specialists are trained to perform tasks such as operate radiotherapy or mammogram equipment, and have the skills to read the scans, but who are not doctors.
Sharma would like to see a similar model used across all parts of the manufacturing sector. She believes more funding for polytechnics is required to train the people who run and maintain the equipment we rely on, everything from turnstiles to TVs.
Don’t forget the basics
While there is huge demand for people who understand technology, there is just as much demand for people who keep society ticking over.
“Health care and social assistance is the largest employer in Australia and it’s the sector with the biggest growth, from what we can see, over the next decade,” says Keypath Education chief development officer Howell Williams. She says this extends to allied health areas like psychology and social work.
Students at Queensland’s James cook University.
There are many postgraduate options in health. People often do a base degree like science and then specialise in an area like chiropractic. And there are often a number of different paths to a role.
“There’s a huge need for teachers and, although the licensing rules vary from state to state, lots of fast-track options if you already have an undergraduate degree,” Williams says. “You can do a masters of teaching degree and get into the classroom very quickly in some states.″
Support your career
As digital tech continues to evolve, skills in cybersecurity and data analysis are becoming essential. Monash University’s pathway offshoot, Monash College, for example, is launching courses tailored to growing cybersecurity demand.
It says the graduate programs focus on developing students’ abilities to address complex issues through innovative research, particularly in fields like science.