Myth-busting: Postgraduate Conversion Courses

“I’m not qualified or have been out of education too long”

It’s funny that many prospective students feel unqualified to do a conversion course, because that’s the whole point!

Depending on what type of course you want to do some will ask for vocational experience, such as Medicine, Nursing or Social Work. However, others will only ask for a Bachelors degree (and it doesn’t always have to be in a related subject). Either way, you’re not expected to go in knowing everything about the subject already. If you’re expected to have certain qualifications or experience it’s usually to make sure you’re confident in this career path. So don’t be put off.

Many courses also have a high admittance of mature students returning to education. Whether you’ve been out of university for one year, or 20, these courses are prepped with resources and staff to help make the transition from work to study as easy as possible.

“I heard conversion courses make you learn a degree’s worth of content in half the time”

It’s true that you will cover a lot of content in a fairly short amount of time. This might be one year for PGCE students, or up to four for medical courses. It will not be easy. No postgraduate course is.

The GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law) is one of the most well know conversion course, designed to qualify graduates with a non-law undergraduate degree for a law career. Covering the core content of a Bachelors of Law (LLB), students will effectively learn two years’ worth of content in one. The GDL is well-known for being difficult, but it also provides students with an elated sense of achievement upon completion.

Just because a conversion course may be difficult, doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it or that you won’t enjoy it. A conversion course gives you the opportunity to learn something new in a subject you’re interested in. It may be a lot of work, but it is also an exciting opportunity that will open doors for your future.

“Conversion courses can be expensive and make you spend more time in education rather than getting real world experience”

Unfortunately, higher education isn’t free in this country. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay out of pocket. There are lots of funding opportunities out there. As many conversion courses are vocational, employer sponsorships, scholarships, bursaries and grants are commonplace. In addition to this you may be entitled to a Masters loan from the government.

Many students also opt for part-time study. Allowing you to spread the cost over two (or more) years, you’ll also have more time to work if you needed an income. Another benefit of enrolling part-time is that it spreads out the content, making it more manageable.

When it comes to weighing up education against ‘real world’ experience, many of these courses provide work placements for their students, allowing them to gain practical experience before graduation. Depending on what field you want to work in, one of these courses might also be a requirement.

“I won’t be as competitive in job applications as someone who didn’t need a conversion course”

This is false. The point of a conversion course is to make sure you are just as qualified as others to enter a particular career. Your previous experience in other fields of study or work will help give your application a unique edge, not hinder it.

Prospective students have no reason to be concerned about future career prospects. But you can always request information from universities and courses about the careers of their recent graduates.

Hopefully this blog has put your mind at ease and shown you that conversion courses are a great option if you’re looking for a change of direction. So, what are you waiting for?