There are so many jobs that now require a master’s degree however some industries require and favour applicants with a postgraduate qualification.
Education – Most jobs in education require some form of postgraduate degree as it enables you to develop the specialist skills and knowledge required to teach.
Primary Education – You don’t need a masters to teach secondary education however you do need a PGCE Postgraduate Certificate in Education. A PGCE is a 60-credit level seven qualification and often the credits you earn can be supplement a master’s education programme after you’ve graduated.
Higher Education – If you’re wanting to teach at colleges or at university, you’ll need to have a masters and maybe even a doctorate in the subject you’re looking to teach.
Epidemiologist – With epidemiology, you can take the research focused route or the patient focused route. Both require at least a master’s in public health, statistical science, or biological science. Many employers may also ask for a PhD in epidemiology if you are wanting a career in the academic research sector.
Public health consultant – In order to qualify for the specialist training, you must have a Bachelor of Medicine or a bachelor of surgery or an equivalent medical qualification and a masters or a PhD degree. You can also qualify through the portfolio route, but you will need a postgraduate degree and a portfolio of work experience to be assessed. For our public health course, click here.
Nursing – You don’t need a master’s degree to become a nurse but if you want to specialise or progress into a managerial role then you will need to complete a masters in nursing straight after your undergraduate degree. You can also enter this field of work if you have relevant caring experience.
Social worker – If you did an undergraduate degree in social work, you don’t need a masters to qualify however, if your degree was unrelated then you will need to take a Master of Social Work degree.
Psychology and therapy – To obtain a fully qualified status in psychology or therapy, you must take an accredited undergraduate course and a postgraduate course in the relevant fields. There are two routes - if you did an undergraduate degree in psychology, you can choose a masters and specialise (click here to explore options). If you did not undertake a psychology undergraduate degree, you can take our Psychology MSc conversion course.
Law - You don’t technically need a master’s degree to practice law, however you will need to take a specialist postgraduate course depending on the field of law you intend to enter. Click here for our law courses.
Barrister - To become a barrister, you must complete five years of training, including a one-year postgraduate bar course and one-year pupillage. Bar courses are not technically master’s degrees, but they have been included in this list as they are a form of postgraduate study.
Solicitor - Similar to the barrister route, to qualify as a solicitor you will need to have taken the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Like bar courses, the LPC is not technically classed as a master’s qualification as it is highly vocational, but it’s still a postgraduate course and so is worth being included in this list.
Economist – You don’t need a master’s degree but employers are asking for a masters in economics. If you want to remain competitive a postgraduate degree would be recommended.
Historian - To work as a professional historian, you’ll need at least a Bachelors and a Masters degree in History or a related field. Due to increasing competition to land these roles, many applicants will also have a PhD and significant amount of archive experience
Some occupations do not require a masters however it can still be extremely beneficial to differentiate you from other candidates, competing for the same job. Considering postgraduate studies? Don't miss our page on top tips on applying for masters to enhance your application strategy. Master the process and stand out in your pursuit of advanced education and career opportunities.
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