Ever thought about pursuing postgrad study, only to be faced with a series of seemingly insurmountable hurdles? Fear not!
Here are just a few misunderstandings that people encounter when contemplating postgraduate study.
Image: Toby Burrows
I can’t afford to go back and study
The majority of us aspire to further our education, but the cost of acquiring a postgraduate degree can stop us in our tracks. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. FEE-HELP is an accessible resource that provides loans to help domestic students pay their tuition fees, for which repayments are tailored to your income and deducted as a percentage of your salary. For more details, visit: UTS Information on HELP loans .
Don’t forget - UTS Alumni returning for postgraduate study are eligible for an automatic 10% saving on postgraduate fees through the UTS Alumni Advantage program .
It takes too much time
You may think that undertaking a postgraduate degree will turn into a struggle for maintaining balance between your social life, full-time work and other important aspects of your life, but UTS is known for offering flexible timetables.
Blended learning enables you to study in a way that best suits you. On-campus classes are timetabled between 9am and 9pm so you can manage your university studies around work or life responsibilities. You can also learn remotely, for instance when you don’t have mandatory in-person commitments, giving you the power to complete course material when it works best for you.
If you really want to hit the ground running, UTS also offers a block mode of learning for some courses, which enables you to fit your studies into an intensive period of one or more weeks.
Study won’t open up new job opportunities
It’s a valid question for people to ask whether postgraduate study will guarantee an uplift in their career prospects upon completion. However, with the Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal 2018 report into Medium-Term Graduate Outcomes showing a $20K gap in 2018 between undergraduate and postgraduate median salaries, postgrad study has been shown to clearly benefit your career prospects.
Beyond career progression, postgraduate degrees give you the power to study areas that you are passionate about, flourish in an environment with likeminded individuals to develop your professional network, and earn the qualifications needed to ensure consistent career growth.
I can do a quick online course elsewhere and receive the same career outcomes
Fast-tracked online postgraduate study sounds like the ideal solution in our busy lives, yet the quality of education can be compromised in the process of reducing barriers to study. Whilst some of these programs fail to be recognised worldwide, UTS ranked sixth in Australia in the 2019 QS Graduate Employability Rankings and came first in Australia in the QS Top 50 Universities under 50 years of age .
Along with receiving an enriching learning experience, UTS offers exposure to valuable networks and provides the clarity you need in your studies by having access to teaching staff and top-tier education resources.
University only accommodates for undergraduate students
People often have the perception that universities are run for the benefit of undergrads, but UTS has built an inclusive environment and dedicated areas in which postgraduates can socialise with their own cohort. We also offer a range of postgraduate-tailored services such as a postgrad careers consultant, a job seeking interface (CareerHub), career consultations, and social associations such as the Postgraduate Business Society (PBS) .
I don’t even know what to study
Not to worry! Try out one of our UTS Open taster courses, condensed into 3-5-hours to give you insights into the key issues and opportunities at play today.
If you’re looking for a greater depth of learning but aren’t yet ready to commit to a master’s degree, we also offer a broad range of graduate certificate subjects and diplomas to enable upskilling on a smaller scale.