Types of postgraduate study
There are four different types of postgraduate courses: taught courses, research degrees, conversion courses and professional qualifications
Taught courses
Postgraduate taught courses are most comparable to your undergraduate degree in terms of teaching style. The majority of your learning will be delivered through lectures, practical sessions and seminars.
Research courses
Research degrees, or doctorates, can be taken after a master’s degree and sometimes after a bachelor’s degree, where the master’s is earned at the same time as the bachelor’s. They will have a heavy focus on research to explore a topic in depth.
Professional qualifications
Some postgraduate courses lead directly to a professional qualification required for entry into a particular career. For example the PGCE for teaching.
Find out more about study routes into specific career areas - what can I do with my degree.
Conversion courses
Conversion courses give you an opportunity to enter a profession that you have not studied at undergraduate level or let you transfer to a different subject area. They are usually one-year taught courses and cover subjects like teaching, law, medicine, dentistry and property. If you are thinking of changing career then a conversion course could be the perfect way to transfer your skills to a new field.