Post Graduate Program Selection
Chathurie Nupearachchi
Physicist with good vibes while acting multiple roles as a lecturer, researcher, education consultant, STEM activist, writer and speaker
How to select a suitable post graduate program for your higher studies?
This is another repetitive question that I get from my students.
Doing a post graduate degree after your undergraduate degree is a good decision but you need to select your master’s in a specific field of your choice. Normally, I advise to do a post graduate degree program search in the final year of their undergraduate degree. Some prefer to go abroad whereas some prefer to do it in a local university. Even some students want to get an employment opportunity and then register for a post graduate program to do it on weekends. So, according to the preference, you need to be prepared.
Here are some of the common tips that I give to my students.
1. Ask why are you doing a post graduate degree program from yourself. Instead of doing aimlessly, it is better to clarify the true reason of doing a master’s program because it is a huge investment of your time and money. There can be many objectives like gaining a specialized knowledge, earn a promotion, achieve a personal goal, change of careers etc. So, you need to choose the specific post graduate degree program to align with your main objective in life.
2. Explore your options as the focus of the post graduate degree program may vary from institution to institution. You can get the needed help from relevant parties such as academics, education consultants, senior students, colleagues etc. while conducting your individual investigation.
3. Consider your financial status when selecting a post graduate degree program. You can either pay completely/partially or get a scholarship for a specific post graduate degree program.
4. Make sure your career goals/interests are aligned with the selected post graduate degree program. Examine the credentials that the professionals in the industry possess and the skills that the employers are looking in the job market. The specific degree program you select should provide opportunities to develop and learn those skills. It should also provide the knowledge that you can apply in the real world after your graduation.
5. Your study program should be a realistic fit with your lifestyle without being stressful. The duration of the post graduate degree program is really important because you need to prioritize your work and family commitments according to the time you wish to invest on it.
Tip:
The following link explains about how to select your master’s program in 10 simple steps.