The decision to pursue a postgraduate qualification is not one to be taken lightly. It requires careful thought and a clear understanding of your motivations and long-term goals.
While every circumstance is unique depending on your career goals, interests and skills, here are a few general factors to consider before deciding whether a postgraduate course is the right next step.
1) Why do you want to do a postgraduate course?
According to Marie McManamon, an independent careers consultant and qualified guidance counsellor, who founded Clearcut Careers and Consulting, there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to choosing between further study and employment after graduating.
“It’s down to the individual and their own circumstances,” she says. “Some people go on to do a postgrad to specialise after their degree. Others do a postgrad to pivot into something totally different, so it depends on the situation.”
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Being mindful of what your motivation to do a postgraduate course is can help you to figure out whether it will benefit you and your career goals.
You should “be careful about whether the postgrad will actually get [you] a role that [you] really want and will enjoy faster, and will have any dividend in terms of maybe finding something that pays more”.
The benefits of doing a postgraduate course will depend on your personal career goals or the path you’d like to take in your professional life. “There’s hundreds of scenarios that I could run to say that it could be a benefit, but others, it might be of absolutely no benefit at all,” she says.
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2) Will it benefit my career?
McManamon recommends finding information about the labour market for your desired career before deciding whether to pursue a postgraduate course.
For people who are about to graduate or have just graduated, “they still have access to their own career centre in the university or in the college from which they’ve come. That’s quite an underutilised resource,” she says. You should get in contact with your institution’s careers service “sooner rather than later, because they get overrun by the time it comes to April and early May”.
She also recommends talking to people working in the field that interests you to find out “what it was like to go through the recruitment process and to find a job”.
LinkedIn is one way people can reach out to relevant employers and employees, while careers fairs also provide an opportunity for these conversations.
McManamon also notes there is a “huge difference between general recruitment and graduate recruitment”, saying that “any job that’s open to new graduates is fair game” without a postgraduate qualification.
However, if it’s not a graduate role you’re looking at, she advises to look at the relevant job specification, and to look on websites such as gradireland.com and careersportal.ie to find out what qualifications employers are seeking, and whether that includes a postgraduate qualification.
3) Can I work while pursuing a postgraduate degree?
Again, this is very much dependent on your circumstances and the type of postgraduate course you choose to pursue.
“A lot of programs are available on a part-time, evening or distance or blended learning basis and where that is the case, it would make things easier,” says McManamon.
She also notes the importance of having a supportive employer if you are working while studying, saying, “it’ll make things easier” as you balance your studies with employment.
4) Aside from fees, what other financial factors should I consider?
Those thinking about pursuing a postgraduate course should consider that they will have to budget for one to two years of study, or longer if they are undertaking a doctorate degree. As you may remember from your time as an undergraduate student, day-to-day things like a cup of coffee, a meal deal from the supermarket or topping up your travel card add up in the long run.
“You’re going to have the cost of parking if you’re going in person, or travel to and from [the institution]. You have the opportunity cost of all the time it’s going to take. You’re going to have to sometimes purchase textbooks, not everything is on Google Scholar,” says McManamon.
She says you should ask yourself if you can do it “in a stepped fashion that’ll be sufficient, so that it doesn’t cost you that much, and isn’t going to interfere with the heavy, high cost of living, cost of rent. All of that is so expensive.”
5) Is the programme I’m considering accredited?
McManamon says you should “be careful what programme you’re looking at, make sure it’s professionally accredited, because there’s lots of stand-alone masters and postgrads out there, and they may or may not be approved of by that professional body.”
For example, if you’re considering a psychology-related postgraduate course, you can find a list of accredited courses on the Psychological Society of Ireland’s website.
6) Have you explored all your options?
If you’re interested in studying something unrelated to your undergraduate degree, McManamon recommends taking a look at conversion courses.
“Conversion courses are a really, really good option to change direction and move into a completely different field”, she says. “If you’re disappointed in your career choice then these are things that are open to you, and the other thing is they’re really good for developing a niche.”
Conversion courses are available in a range of disciplines, from digital marketing to business, journalism to tourism management.
You can find a list of conversion courses on Qualifax.ie
You might also consider a Springboard+ course, a Government initiative offering free and heavily subsidised courses at certificate, degree, and master’s level in areas such as engineering and manufacturing and construction, among others. Course details for 2026 will be available in late spring or early summer at springboardcourses.ie.
Another option is a MOOC (massive open online course), an online learning program open to all, regardless of educational background. They are a great option for those wishing to learn new skills or pursue specific interests.
For more specialised advice, information on course-specific entry requirements and funding information, you should refer to a qualified guidance counsellor, the relevant department at the university you’re interested in, or careersportal.ie.
