Further, or postgraduate, study in the UK generally refers to taking a course after completing an undergraduate degree. Normally you must have been through university in order to take on further study, but some courses may not use this as a perquisite to joining. Further study courses can take many different forms, from one-year Masters degree and Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PCGEs) to three or four year Doctorate programmes such as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Confused? Well, here is the Further Study guide to the different types of postgraduate courses.

Postgraduate Course Types
Before tackling the different course types, it is worth noting that postgraduate courses are normally either taught or research-based, although there are elements of both in each type.

Taught
Taught courses normally place an emphasis on seminar-learning in topic units, with tutors leading classroom sessions for students to draw on as a basis for research. A dissertation in the final term will normally require more independent thought and research than the units. This gives a more rigid structure to the course, building up to greater freedom to explore personal concerns in the dissertation.

Research
Research-based courses tend to rely on the student to supply a topic and then research it comprehensively, with only general guidance from a tutor. This gives you greater freedom to test your own theories and ideas; however there is less structure to the course and it requires a great deal of self-motivation at times.


Diplomas and certificates
These tend to be taught courses and carefully defined towards a specialised or vocational subject lasting one or two years. Most require you to hold an undergraduate degree and are full-time. Conversion courses, where you learn new skills that do not follow on from previous study, normally result in a diploma or certificate. This includes the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) which is required by all graduates who want to go into teaching in state schools, but not always necessary for independent schools.

Masters degrees
The entry requirements for a Masters are usually an undergraduate degree with honours or equivalent. They can be taught, research-based or have elements of both. There are several types, including MAs (Master of Arts), MSc (Master of Science) and MPhil (Master of Philosophy) which are assigned according to subject. MAs and MSc are normally one year courses. The MPhil is generally a two-years Masters degree with an extended thesis, resulting in either a year each of teaching and research or two years of research. You may get the option to convert to Doctoral study from an MPhil, depending on an institution’s procedures.

There are also specialist Masters degrees. Studying for an MBA (Master of Business Administration) has become extremely popular choice with more than 100 programmes in the UK accredited by the Association of MBAs. Among the other specialist courses are LLM (Master of Laws) and MDS (Master of Dental Surgery). For more information on MBAs, visit the Association of MBAs’ website: www.mbaworld.com

Doctorates
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes is the most common, taking between three and four years to complete full-time. You will need a high first degree and often a Masters as well. They are heavily focused on researching into a very specific area and sometimes enable the teaching of students at an institution.

For higher doctorates, such as the Doctor of Letters (DLitt) and Doctor of Science (DSc) are usually required to have at least an Masters from the awarding university and tend to be given to mature and established workers who have made published contributions to knowledge.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme
The CATS scheme allows for flexible studying according to your own personal path at various institutions. It is used by participating universities to monitor, record and reward the studying of a modular course. CATS roughly equates to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. Typically, a university course of 10 to 20 2-hour sessions would, on successful completion, be worth between 10 and 20 CATS points, at one of levels 1 to 3. About 360 points need to be accumulated of 120 points at each level to qualify for an honours degree. A total of 240 points would lead to a foundation degree; a regular degree would equate to 300 points.