What Do Students Really Think of Postgraduate Study?

Would knowing how other students feel about postgraduate study help you in your search for a Masters? We're working with the Higher Education Academy to share their research into the postgraduate experience. Signup to make sure you don't miss a post.

Postgraduate study is becoming increasingly popular, with more students seeking out the added skills and potential employment benefits a Masters can bring. If you're reading this blog, you're probably thinking about joining them.

But will a Masters be everything you expect? One way to find out would be to ask existing students about their postgraduate experiences.

Well, that's exactly what the Higher Education Academy's Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey does. In fact, the PTES asks over 85,000 current students about their degrees. We've taken a look at the results to find out exactly what students think about postgraduate study.

The short answer is: very. 82% of postgraduates are satisfied with the quality of their course (and only 9% aren't).

But what else can the survey tell us? Well, if you've read the previous blog in this series, you'll already know that the way students choose a Masters can have an impact on how happy they are with a course.

Things also vary slightly - though not by much - for different groups of students and types of courses:

There are a few interesting things to note here if you're considering a Masters - and they aren't necessarily what you'd expect.

It's good to study in a way that suits you

Students who choose more flexible study options actually seem to have slightly better experiences, overall. This is good news if you're considering a Masters, but worried that studying part-time or by distance learning might leave you struggling to balance work and study, or feeling cut-off from your course. It looks like this isn't the case for most students.

International students are welcome

And it looks like they feel welcome too. International students are actually slightly more satisfied than UK students. So, if you're considering studying abroad in the UK, do! There's funding available to do so and new visa changes have actually introduced more flexible options for postgraduates.

Postgraduate study doesn't have to mean a Masters degree

Students who take shorter courses such as postgraduate certificates and diplomas end up being just as happy with their choices as those on full Masters degrees. So don't overlook these options. If you'd prefer a quicker (and potentially cheaper) programme, or don't fancy taking on a dissertation, they can be ideal.

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