Which kind of postgraduate study is for you?
Keen to shake up your CV? Still stumped on what’s next after graduating? With universities offering a lengthy list of postgraduate courses in almost every STEM field imaginable, chances are there’s a postgraduate course out there for you.
What excites you most about studying again?
What’s the first thing you do when you get an assignment?
How did you find your undergraduate degree?
What’s your current work situation?
How would your mates describe you?
Do a diploma or certificate!
Keen to fit your postgraduate study into your current work and personal commitments? These six-month full time or one year part time courses are a great way of getting introduced to a discipline, keeping to a fairly broad curriculum.
If you love your current gig but are keen to up-skill and accelerate your progression look into the AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework). This is where you’ll find accredited qualifications required by industry.
Try a Masters (by coursework)!
It’s no secret that employers are crying out for STEM grads fluent in code, innovation and IT. But tech grads that have done postgraduate study? They’re even more likely to land a gig, with 80-90% employed within four months of finishing uni.
Masters by coursework can help you land a job – or an even better one! They're an awesome way to deep-dive into something you're really passionate about, even allowing you to pivot careers to something totally new.
Varying in purpose depending on the discipline, Masters degrees can take anywhere from one and a half to two years. And the major difference between coursework vs research paths? With the coursework route, the focus is on developing knowledge and expertise rather than contributing to a field of research IRL!
Look into a PhD!
Whether your sights are on academia or industry, you're obviously stoked on study – so diving into a PhD could be a seriously smart career move. Suited to subject matter connoisseurs looking to make major contributions to their field, PhDs are thesis-heavy and require applicants to have some kind of research experience. And your earning potential? Epic! According to the Government’s Australia’s STEM Workforce report Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Biological Sciences graduates are seeing the most benefit.
