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Is further study right for me?
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Before undertaking further study you should be able to answer the following questions:
- How will it help my career plans?
- Is it a requirement for my chosen career?
- What will I gain from it, educationally, professionally and personally?
- What are the costs and are there scholarships or financial support available?
- Where is the best place for me to study? Stay at this University or go elsewhere?
- Do I have the entry requirements?
You are welcome to discuss all of these questions with a careers adviser.
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What are my options?
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Another undergraduate degree
The most common reason for considering a second undergraduate degree is to gain a vocational qualification such as medicine, dentistry or law (although these occupations also offer shortened courses for graduates, such as Aberdeen's accelerated law degree).
Postgraduate taught course (PgDip, PGDE, MSc, MLitt, MA, MBA etc.)
These are normally one year with taught modules and a dissertation. This option can give you the opportunity to specialise in your subject or to change direction. Some courses are also professional qualifications, such as the PGDE for teaching or RICS approved MSc for chartered surveying.
Research degree
You can either find/propose your own research project (more common in Arts and Social Sciences) or work on a defined project within a research team. Masters degrees by research usually last one or two years with PhDs normally taking three to four years to complete. It is now common to do a taught or research Masters degree first before continuing to a PhD, this is called 1 + 3.
Online courses
Online learning allows you to study flexibly and either study for stand alone courses or awards, or to build courses into an online degree. You can find out more about the University of Aberdeen's online courses and degrees at .
You are welcome to discuss your options with a careers adviser.
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Finding further study opportunities
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You can find courses by looking at the study pages of the universities you're interested in, or by using websites such as Find a Masters or Find a PhD. Professional bodies will list on their websites courses which they professionally accredit. Most universities host online postgraduate open days in the autumn and spring, and we would encourage you to attend these to learn more about the course(s) you are interested in.
You can find out more by looking at our UK study resources, and look at our professional occupation list which provides information about professional bodies by subject.
You are welcome to discuss finding further study opportunities with a careers adviser.
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Funding your further study (UK)
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Fees vary widely depending on the course, and remember to factor in accommodation, living costs and travel.
Sources of funding
If you choose to continue your studies at this university there are substantial discounts available for some postgraduate programmes. Find out more about the Aberdeen Alumni Discount.
The main sources used to fund further study are:
- The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) provide postgraduate funding, normally as a loan, for Scottish domiciled students. If you are from another part of the UK, your student funding body will provide similar funding.
- Universities may have scholarships or financial help available, check their websites directly. View all funding options for the University of Aberdeen in our Funding Database.
- Research Councils - the seven Research Councils in the UK provide funding for different subjects of academic research (PhD level).
There is a good summary of funding options on the Prospects website.
You are welcome to discuss funding your further study with a careers adviser.
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Studying abroad
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You may be keen to explore options for studying in another country. This might involve considering the language in which the course is taught, tuition fees, living costs and visa regulations.
Entry requirements can vary from country to country and some institutions may require you to sit additional tests such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) which is common for MBAs. It is also essential to research how universities work in other countries (when does the academic year begin? How are programmes of study organised?).
If you are studying a professional qualification (for example, healthcare professions or law) in another country you might want to research if there are any limitations on its recognition in other countries of interest to you.
Visit our international study resources.
You are welcome to discuss studying abroad opportunities with a careers adviser.
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Funding study abroad
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Fees will depend on your chosen country and course or research programme. Outside the EU British graduates will be considered international students and this can mean considerably higher fees. Living costs may be higher or lower than in the UK depending on the country. Always check if your visa allows you to work while studying.
Investigate funding very carefully and bear in mind that many awards and scholarships have closing dates more than a year in advance of potential start dates. Check your eligibility carefully as some charities and trusts may not fund international study.
