Choosing the right university isn’t just important when you’re applying as an undergraduate, it should be an important decision for postgraduate students too. Not only is it important to consider the costs of accommodation and living in the area of the university of your choice, but also whether you would actually like living there! For some postgraduate students, living in close proximity to other students is not their idea of fun. For others, it is an experience not to be missed!
Course Suitability
Obviously, one of the biggest deciders is going to be what universities offer the course that you want to study – there is not much use in researching hundreds of universities (even if you do it on our lovely university profiles section) if you then discover that only a handful offer the course you’re looking for. There can also be a lot of variation between the similarly named courses at different institutions so make sure you research the course structure too. Research strengths of different universities is particularly eminent for postgraduate students so take a look at these too (yes, we know there is already a lot to think about before applying but it will be worth it all!).
Employablity
The employability of postgraduate students should be another major consideration for you when choosing your university. Most prospective students think to check the numbers of students going from the course they are considering into employment, but what most people forget to check is what sort of jobs they have gone in to. For example, a Healthcare postgraduate course at a particular institution might have a high percentage of graduates in employment but it could be that they all actually went into different sectors for which their postgraduate degree is obsolete – which might not be a good sign!
University Environment
Do you like being part of large communities or prefer close-knit environments? This is something else you should consider when deciding on a university. The University of Buckingham with only about 1,500 students might not be the place for you if you like the hustle and bustle of being one of thousands of students – maybe instead try The University of Manchester that has a huge student population of over 40,000. On the other hand, the University of Buckingham might be ideal if you like a more personal approach to learning! So there are a whole host of things to consider but trust us when we say all the research will pay off in the end. By giving this decision the time it deserves you will hopefully love your time studying at postgraduate level!
