Postgraduate qualifications explained

Postgraduate qualifications are ideal if you want to continue developing specialist expertise in your subject area on successful completion of your bachelor’s degree. Your goal may be to further progress your industry career or you may want to move into the field of academia.

Qualifications are split into two categories - taught master’s and research degrees. You can choose to study full-time, or part-time around other commitments. You can also progress directly from your undergraduate degree or at a later date.

Taught master’s qualifications (MSCi and MRes degrees)

A taught master’s degree involves lectures and practical sessions, alongside the completion of a dissertation or project. At Hartpury, our taught master’s qualifications include:

• Master’s in Science (MSc): usually a one, two or three-year degree, offering compulsory and optional modules focused on a dissertation.
• Master of Research (MRes): a one, two or three-year degree, offering compulsory and optional modules focused on a significant piece of independent research.
• Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) and Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip): usually one-year qualifications, forming part of the full MSc or MRes degrees, providing the opportunity to study recognised shorter qualifications, whilst allowing flexibility to progress each qualification through to the next level on successful completion, including the full master’s degree.
• Integrated Master’s degree (MSci): undergraduate and postgraduate level study in one qualification. Your final two years will focus on postgraduate-level study.

Research qualifications (doctorate degrees)

Our research degrees are Doctorate’s of Philosophy (PhDs). They can be taken on successful completion of a master’s degree or directly from your undergraduate degree.

The main component is the doctoral thesis - a significant research project on a specialist topic that adds new knowledge or understanding to your field of study, and is worthy of publication.

Doctorates are generally completed over three to five years and on successful completion, you’ll be able to put Dr. in front of your name.