By Melinda Ham
Having studied for a bachelor’s degree, many students are bewildered by the postgrad world. Should you stay on or return for a master’s degree, opt for an MBA or push ahead with a PhD? Below, we answer the most important questions about postgrad study.
What are the differences between a master’s and a PhD?
You usually study a master’s degree to become more specialised in your current discipline or gain skills and knowledge to transition into a new field.
In a master’s by coursework:
- You complete core and elective subjects at an advanced level.
- You have lectures, tutorials and assignments.
- Some programs require you to complete a dissertation, an advanced placement or a significant project.
In a master’s by research:
- You conduct an in-depth supervised research project as well as complete some core subjects.
- You write a thesis, but it varies greatly between universities.
Students who have completed honours in their bachelor’s degree are generally able to enter straight into a PhD, depending on their academic performance. If you haven’t done honours, then you usually require a master’s before a PhD. In your PhD, you complete core and elective subjects at an advanced level.
Professions such as architecture, psychology, medicine and physiotherapy require a postgraduate degree to practice.Credit: Marija Ercegovac
A PhD (a Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest postgraduate degree. You must produce significant original research expanding critical knowledge in a particular area.
Under academic supervision, you write a doctoral thesis that is 70,000 to 100,000 words long. Most universities require you to do a master’s by research before a PhD.
A professional doctorate makes an original contribution to a particular area of professional practice and you do coursework and a thesis of between 70,000 to 100,000 words long.
Swinburne University of Technology offers a unique Impact PhD where you complete your PhD as part of a team of other research students, from across a range of disciplines, working collaboratively on a broad challenge identified by an industry partner. You conduct research at the university, as well as immersing yourself in the industry partner’s workplace.
Why study a postgraduate course now?
“Students are often prompted to undertake postgraduate study to accelerate their careers into more senior leadership roles, top up their knowledge, keep up with the latest developments in their field of work or to switch career paths altogether,” says Nick Fahy, the head of future student recruitment at UNSW.
Some professions, such as architecture, psychology, medicine and physiotherapy, require a postgraduate degree to practice. In business and finance, a master of business administration (MBA) is a “post-experience” degree, designed for working professionals with work and career experience which they can enhance with a specialised course.
For example, at the University of Technology Sydney, nurses who want to step up into a management role often take a master of health services management to learn skills to navigate the politics, policy and data in healthcare.
Postgraduate study can be used to accelerate careers or switch paths. Credit: istock
Professor Damian Blake, Deakin University’s head of school for the School of Education, says Deakin’s master of teaching can be completed in 18 months using the university’s trimester system.
“The master of teaching programs prepare you to become a highly skilled and knowledgeable teacher who can make a real difference in the lives of young people,” he says. You can choose a primary, secondary or early childhood pathway.
How long does postgraduate study take?
You can either enrol right away in a master’s or, depending on how long you want to study and how deep you want to go into a subject, you can start with a graduate certificate, add on a graduate diploma and then tackle a master’s a bit later.
It generally takes students four or five months to complete a graduate certificate and then a total of about 12 months to complete a graduate diploma.
The graduate diploma incorporates the same course options as a certificate but then builds on that knowledge and deepens your skills with more units.
Adding further required units, and possibly a master’s project, will turn that into a full master’s degree.
Master’s degrees are generally one to two years. If you study part-time, then it will take longer. International students’ visas require them to study full-time. PhDs take an average of three to five years.
Does a master’s degree have to be two years?
If your prior qualifications, work experience or other learning are sufficient, you may be eligible for admission to a one-year master’s. You may not have to complete all the core zone units. Often in a one-year master’s you study through all the semesters and do not have the summer semester break.
For example, the University of Queensland’s one-year degrees include a master of conservation biology taught in intensive blocks, a master of clinical pharmacy and a master of finance and investment management.
What does postgraduate study cost?
The cost of postgraduate study varies for each course, and you can find them on each university’s website. Some courses offer domestic students a limited number of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) which are subsidised by the government.
For example, at the University of Newcastle, full-fee-paying domestic students studying a master of architecture pay $34,890. If you have a CSP, the price is $8974 for the whole degree.
Fees for a master’s by research and a PhD differ widely but most domestic students obtain a scholarship that will cover all of their tuition fees. Also see the Commonwealth government’s Research Training Program for more information, given that most PhDs are government funded.
How can you get help to pay tuition?
The HELP Loan Scheme enables domestic students to defer tuition fees through the Australian Taxation Office until after graduation and once they reach a certain earnings threshold. FEE-HELP does not cover accommodation or living expenses.
The Commonwealth government also provides a range of support for students to assist with living expenses, rent and utilities. See Centrelink for more information.
Universities also offer many different competitive scholarships to help students cover the cost of postgraduate study.
More postgraduate stories from Campus
What now? The latest data shows enrolments in postgraduate degrees are changing. It’s just not what we are studying (hello health degrees) but also how we choose to study while we work.
Working reality: How do you work full-time, study at the same time and stay sane? Three postgraduate students who have done exactly that reveal what it’s really like and what skills they needed to be a success.
The MBA effect: Thinking an MBA will work magic on your career? According to the experts, it depends on why you are doing it and how you use your new powers.
Payment plan: Postgraduate study doesn’t just benefit your career, it can also boost the business you work for. Here’s how to make your boss pay or contribute to your further study.
Serial student: In our new series The Third Degree, we talk to Kylie Hasse, an Australian Army officer, nurse, mum and master’s student. She has been studying since she left school and she’s not done yet.