What are the key differences between undergraduate and postgraduate study?

WHAT ARE THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STUDIES?

There are a few differences between studying at an undergraduate level and what is expected as a postgraduate. The key difference between undergraduate and postgraduate studies is the increased focus and specialisation that a postgraduate course will have on a subject.

Level of expertise The experiences that students are expected to bring to a postgraduate course will vary with the subject, but the majority of courses expect everyone to have completed an undergraduate degree. Many students will also have a wealth of work experience to draw on. A postgraduate course will be a much deeper analysis and include detailed study of the subject rather than covering the broader themes that an undergraduate degree would cover. Students should come away from a postgraduate course with a strong understanding of the relevant issues and will probably be considered an expert or specialist in that field.

Length of time Rather than the three or four years of an undergraduate degree, a postgraduate course might be as short as a year. (However, if you’re planned to take a PhD then the course duration is a lot longer.) Don’t think that this short time frame means it is an easy quick-fix option compared to an undergraduate degree. Students are expected to be able to read and write at an experienced academic level. Most courses do not allow for the spare time that might have been present during many undergraduate degrees. Many postgraduate courses are very intensive as most students have settled on their future career paths or have taken time away from their work to complete the course.

Learning experience As postgraduate courses are pursued at a much deeper and more intensive level of study, the learning experience will be different to that of an undergraduate degree. Students are expected to undertake more individual study - not everyone on the course will be focussing on the same areas. During tutorials students participate and engage more than was expected as undergraduate students. If the postgraduate course is entirely taught, there will still be a great deal of independent learning in addition to the lectures and classes.

Contact with academic staff Once students have moved into postgraduate study, relationships with lecturers and other academic staff change too, moving towards a relationship more like colleagues. If students are continuing at the same university, it is understandable that they will know their teachers. Academic staff will be available to help students to explore a subject that they love at a deeper level and this results in a different relationship compared to the experience as an undergraduate.

Assessment As undergraduates, most students find an essay of 2,000-3,000 words a challenging task and postgraduates are expected to write at length with in-depth analysis of their subject. In addition to this many postgraduate courses require the production of a thesis of 30,000 words. Students are also challenged to produce short and concise works explaining a complex topic in as few words as possible. Compared to an undergraduate degree a postgraduate degree will have a variety of different essay lengths to develop the students’ communication skills further.

Financial Many postgraduate courses have higher annual fees than undergraduate courses. However, it can be cheaper to study a subject for one year rather than three or four, although postgraduate students don’t tend to have the spare time to take up part-time work. Many courses have additional areas of funding including places that are fully funded or bursaries or grants for many students. This means funding and finances are not as simple at the postgraduate level as they are for undergraduate students.

Source: https://www.postgrad.com/advice/postgraduate-studies/differencesbetween-undergraduate-and-postgraduate-studies/