Getting out of the classroom

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 487.

Where next?

In the UK, a Master's degree is a one-year course that can be either taught or research-based. Taught Master's involve producing course work, taking exams and writing a dissertation of 10,000–20,000 words on a topic of current interest in your chosen research field, whereas a research Master's is essentially a miniature PhD. Graduates usually opt to do a Master's because they want to broaden their knowledge by studying a new subject area or because they want to pursue a career, for example in biomedicine, that requires a Master's-level qualification. These courses can be very intensive because you are studying for just a short period of time.

PhDs are in the main undertaken by those thinking of pursuing an academic or research career. When you come to apply for jobs, having a PhD will help you stand out in many private sectors because it shows you can work independently and can master a topic to a very deep level of understanding.

When choosing a PhD, it is important that you pick a research area that you are passionate about because you will be spending the next three years of your life immersed in your chosen project. So you want to make sure that you will fit in and be comfortable.

If you decide to join the world of work straight after your first degree, however, you will find yourself in a strong position. As a biology graduate you should have no shortage of skills. As well as being able to work independently and as a part of a group, the chances are that your abilities include excellent problem solving skills, collecting, interpreting and presenting data, communicating clearly both verbally and in writing - skills that are relevant in any work environment.