More classes, or go it alone? Taught v research master’s

The path from college life to paid work has become crowded and overgrown. A postgraduate course is becoming an increasingly necessary detour on the route to career success. Over the next decade, third-level courses are expected to become less and less specialised, with students exploring a broader base in their chosen discipline. The knock-on effect is that postgraduate qualifications, which equip people with particular and refined skills, will almost certainly become even more important.

Much of the focus in choosing a postgraduate course urges students to focus on the sector they want to work in, or the skill set they need. But for many students, looking at a seemingly never-ending range of specialised postgraduate course choices, there’s another critical decision to make: should they take a taught or research postgrad? And does it really make a difference?

Professor Huw Lewis, dean of graduate studies at the University of Limerick (UL), says there are a number of factors students should take into account. Lewis himself did an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, followed by a research master's course connected to his work in automation engineering, and then an industry-based PhD at the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.

“One factor for me was that I could work more at my own pace,” he says. “I was with a company who were developing robotic systems and sensors – then a very new technology – and there was a clear impetus to work on research. A taught master’s would not have been the right fit.”

Every person will have different factors influencing their decision. “Cost is definitely one of them,” says Lewis. “The price will vary from one postgraduate course to another, but generally a taught master’s will take a year whereas a research master’s will take two – or possibly more.” This can have a bigger impact on the bank balance and, although most research master’s degrees are usually completed in two years, students have been known to take longer.

Students considering whether to opt for a taught or research postgrad also need to take a long, hard look at who they are, and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. “In a taught master’s, you are specialising in a particular area and you are in a group,” Lewis advises. “You learn in a similar way to undergraduate education – with other students in lecture halls, seminars and tutorial groups, but you learn at a higher level. This culminates in a thesis or dissertation. You develop new transferable skills, particularly communications and teamwork, but also research and critical thinking.”

In a research master's, classes are rare. Some universities, including University College Dublin, have brought in some structured element to a research master's programme, and although this is the general direction of national policy, the bulk of learning takes place alone and is self-directed.

Although a taught master’s has a defined focus, there are likely to be numerous modules and a variety of topics to explore. In a research master’s, however, the focus is narrow and defined. “It has to be an area you enjoy and have an interest in, as you’ll be working on the same topic for a few years. It is a lot more specialised than a taught master’s,” says Lewis.

Students taking a research master’s really have to be comfortable with working alone. When making a decision, it’s a good idea to imagine yourself doing the bulk of your research in the library, with little opportunity to bounce ideas off your classmates. It is hugely self-directed, and you may come to feel that the only person who really gets you is the supervisor you meet once a month or so. “The taught element is gone with a research master’s,” says Lewis. “That said, at UL, we do train our researchers to be able to communicate and work in groups, and to be innovative in developing themselves and their career paths.” Other universities with good research master’s programmes will generally do the same.

In choosing between a taught or a research programme, it’s a good idea to have in mind what career path or skills you want to develop. Many look at a taught master’s as a way of enhancing employability in particular roles, Lewis suggests. “There’s a cohort who come back to university and take on a postgrad programme in order to upskill. Sometimes, this involves taking a year out of work, while others do a two-year, part-time master’s course. For some professions – such as chartered engineering – it is now an absolute requirement to have a postgraduate qualification. Others will have a particular goal in mind and require a particular set of skills that are best developed through a particular taught programme.”

For others, a taught course is a chance to do something that didn’t work out earlier. RCSI comments that its graduate entry medicine programme attracts people who wanted to study medicine earlier, didn’t go down that route but their desire didn’t go away. Such students can be very motivated and very career focused.

On the other hand, says Lewis, there are other and equally particular skill sets that can be developed by a research degree. “Employers will value someone who is inquisitive, who can look at a particular problem and develop a solution. This could be an aspect of 17th-century history, or a pressing scientific problem. If you can research the background in an area, develop a new idea, and communicate this in writing, orally or in a presentation, you can apply that to industry or a new business. It is invaluable.”

Many people see a research master’s as a “PhD lite”, or the first step to a doctoral programme. Indeed, some students will transfer to a PhD – which is usually more structured and involves classes – after a year or two. But this is not always the case: research master’s and PhDs are two very peculiar beasts, and not everyone wants the pressure and commitment of a PhD. They are both research-based but should be treated as two different qualifications.

Ultimately, says Lewis, no two employers look for exactly the same things. “I would not encourage people to take either a taught or research master’s with a view to a particular position, because you don’t always know the employer’s underlying requirements. A student could pursue a particular master’s because of a local employment need, only to find that need gone or that the company has changed focus by the time they graduate. It makes more sense to look at a broader use of a qualification, developing a set of skills – such as good communications, a naturally inquiring mind, teamwork, problem-solving – which can be transferred to an employer or a project.”

When it comes to taught and research postgrads, one is not superior to another: it’s all about what suits the individual, what they need to learn, and how best they learn. The good news is that there’s such a range of tailored postgraduate options, most students will be able to find the right one.

My experience Demanding but enjoyable

I did my BA at University College Dublin, studying history and Irish folklore. After graduating in 2002 I spent a year coediting the college paper. All around me, my college friends were making decisions. Some took off travelling. Most were opting for taught master’s programmes. One friend wanted a career in the arts and studied for a MA in arts administration.

Another, a science graduate, surprised us all by choosing a career in accountancy, so he opted for a taught postgraduate business course. Others, looking towards careers in diplomacy or the charity sector, chose taught master’s courses based around politics and international relations.

Some, deluded enough to veer towards academia, went for research master’s which led to PhDs, and others – stretching from law to science – knew they would have an interest in careers with an element of research and investigation, and also chose a research master’s.

As for me, I didn’t originally intend to do a postgraduate course at all. But then a particular topic in Irish folklore piqued my interest, and I decided to take on the MLitt.

It took a little longer than the planned two years. It did start to become a financial drain but it helped that I really enjoyed delving into my topic. And it was my topic: I took ownership of it and developed it in cooperation with my thesis supervisor.

Sure, it got a bit lonely occasionally, but it also gave me the skills to be a self-starter and the ability to create and develop my own ideas.

I also figured out a way of researching any topic I wanted to. I spent several years lecturing in UCD, before moving on to journalism, but I’ve also undertaken research projects in the culture and heritage sector. It wasn’t immediately clear at the time but now I can look back and see the skills my research master’s equipped me with.