Newcastle University

Why do further study?

Undertaking further study often involves a significant commitment of both time and finance.

It's important to think about what is motivating your interest before pursuing a master's, PhD or other course of study.

Positive reasons

There are many positive reasons behind the decision to pursue further study, including:

• to pursue your interest in a particular subject area
• to improve your career prospects
• to change career direction
• as a requirement for a particular career - e.g. medicine, law, teaching
• a desire to work in academia
• to develop a new skill
• for personal enjoyment or satisfaction

Less positive reasons

If you are considering further study for any of the following reasons, you might need to consider your decision more thoroughly:

• feeling unready to apply for a job - ask yourself why you are feeling unready. Will you feel ready after completing a course of further study?
• because your tutor/parents recommend it - while it can be good to talk things through with those who know you well, don't forget it is you who has to complete the course, not your parents or tutor.
• to extend student life - life as a postgraduate can feel different to life as an undergraduate. Workloads and timetables are often more demanding and there might not be as much time to enjoy other aspects of life as a student!

Who you can talk to

Making decisions isn't easy, so you might want to consider talking things through with the following people:

• careers adviser - drop-in and talk to us, no appointment needed
• personal tutor or dissertation supervisor
• family, friends or others who know you well