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Find out more about applying for postgraduate courses

Postgraduate courses can take many different forms, and may result in the award of Master's degrees, doctorates, certificates, diplomas and various professional qualifications. They will usually require applicants to have had some previous study or experience in the chosen field, typically a previous undergraduate degree.

Taught postgraduate courses leading to a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc) degree tend to consist of a one year full-time course following a similar routine as for most undergraduate courses, incorporating a series of lectures and some course work followed by an examination.

Research degrees such as the Master of Philosophy (MPhil), which usually takes one year full-time, or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which takes a minimum of 3 years full-time, involve an in-depth study of a specific subject or topic followed by a written dissertation or thesis. Most research degrees are undertaken under the supervision of an experienced researcher.

Application methods for postgraduate courses are largely determined by the subject matter, and can be summarised as follows:

• Music - with the exception of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Music, whom you should approach directly, all applications for postgraduate courses in music performance at the seven other UK conservatoires should be made via the Conservatoires UK Admissions Service (CUKAS).

• Social work - applications for all degree qualifications (postgraduate and undergraduate) in social work should be made via the UCAS application system.

• Teaching - if you wish to apply for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education or a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, then you should apply via the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR). For further information on teaching in England and Wales look at the Teaching Development Agency website (www.tda.gov.uk) and for Scotland look at the Scottish Executive Education Department (www.teachinginscotland.com). Teaching courses at undergraduate level should be applied for via the UCAS application system.

• Other - details of all postgraduate courses may be found on the Graduate Prospects website. A new application service, UK Postgraduate Application and Statistical Service (UKPASS), has recently been introduced for postgraduate applications in subject areas other than those already mentioned above, but if a course or an institution is not listed on the UKPASS website then you should apply direct to that university or college.

Find out more about postgraduate courses on the Graduate Prospects website.

What Do Graduates Do? - Scotland
If you have studied, or are planning to study, in Scotland, you may find the What Do Graduates Do? publication on the HESCU website useful. Find out what happened to graduates and postgraduates six months after completing a course in a Scottish higher education institution in 2005. The information is based on the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey, conducted for the Higher Education Statistics Agency and interpreted by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services [Scotland].

The What Do Graduates Do? publication for UK- and EU-domiciled students is available to purchase from the UCAS bookstore.