19th
Century hipster philosopher, Friedrich
Nietzsche, (seriously check out his moustache) once wrote: “When one has finished building one's house,
one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one
really needed to know in the worst way - before one began.” It’s in this
spirit that I’m going to write about my decision to do a Master’s.
I
originally chose my course because I wanted to go on to a PhD. However, I’ve
found it opened up other opportunities as well - two of my course friends have secured
jobs in international development which are, frankly, awesome. I also feel it’s
given me an advantage over other job applicants who only have undergraduate
degrees. I don’t think this is simply because I will have more letters after my
name, but because postgraduate study is more independent and has given me
confidence in my ability to take on tasks I hadn’t done before.
One
of my undergraduate lecturers gave me the best advice for choosing a Master’s:
choose an institution with an excellent research reputation in your chosen field.
I found this sage
advice for a number of reasons. Firstly, some of the most prestigious
universities at undergraduate level don’t have the best research reputations
(the converse is also true). So you really need to do your homework – a good
place to start is the Research Assessment
Exercise website.
Secondly,
Master’s teaching is more in depth, current and top researchers have the soundest
knowledge of their subject. This is particularly important when you start your
thesis. You’ll be expected to write an original piece of work and the best
researchers can make extremely helpful and inspiring supervisors. My thesis
supervisor was one of the top behavioural economists in the world and I feel
really privileged for the experience.
Another
thing to seriously consider is studying abroad. A lot of European Master’s
courses are now taught in English, are free of charge - or only cost a small
administrative fee - and have far better weather! Bear in mind two things,
though: you might have to sit additional exams, which can be quite expensive.
If you’re thinking of paying for your course with a Career Development
Loan, as far I am aware, you’ll need to show there is no similar course on
offer in the UK to be eligible.
Good
luck with the search. You’ll have a great time.
Liam Wright, MSc Health Economics and Decision Modelling
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