Postgraduate diplomas

cle · June 23rd, 2009, 06:26 PM

I'm thinking of doing one part-time in 2009/2010 in Management - does anyone have any experience of these or know much about them?

Maybe at Birkbeck with all the single mams...

Telfordboy · June 23rd, 2009, 08:22 PM

Yeah, I did one in Planning & Environment at BCU a couple of years ago. What do you want to know?

I found it alright, only had to go in a couple of days a month and the coursework was far more managable than it is for my Masters. Speaking of, I've got a 3000 word reflective essay due tomorrow

Engels · June 23rd, 2009, 09:11 PM

Some Postgraduate courses allow you to do a Post Graduate Diploma then you can progress it further into a Masters.

From what i understand employers consider them quite highly - any Postgraduate qualification immediately makes you stand out from everyone else with just a Undergraduate degree.

Are you considering one in the same subject as your Undergraduate degree? A specialisation is good if it is exactly what you want to for a career straight after you graduate. I would definitely recommend it as a way to lever a career change too - which is basically what i did with an Advance Diploma after i had done my Undergraduate degree in another field from which i am now working. I'm finishing my Masters degree this year too, 11 years since i started my Undergraduate degree in which i will have studied in 7 different academic years.

NothingBetterToDo · June 23rd, 2009, 09:28 PM

I did a post graduate diploma in town and country planning - it had been designed to go hand in hand with my undergrad degree though and i got the usual funding to do so. If i want i can go back and do a top up to make it a masters (basically pay £1500, write a 10,000 word essay and i've got my masters)...i can't be arsed right now though.

I think it's worth it, i found it a lot more focused than the undergrad - and as a result probably learnt quite a bit more in one year than i did in 3 years previous.

In terms of workload and lectures i found it pretty good - lectures on 2 days a week, with a couple of projects each term. I was able to work part time and manage everything perfectly well.

jmancuso · June 25th, 2009, 03:03 AM

i have a master's degree. is that the same thing as a "postgraduate" degree?

cle · June 25th, 2009, 11:32 AM

It's not related to my undergraduate dregree - but might potentially be user to jump into another career area.

I might be moving to the States in a year, and so it's not enough time to do a part-time masters, but I'd quite like something within that period to stand out a bit more. This strikes me as the best option for within 12 months part time.

It's also good for the CV as it shows a willingess to better oneself, juggling full time job with study etc... but I'd quite like to move into a field which is more transferable to the States - my current job is very Eurocentric.

This Post-grad diploma in Management is touted as the first step to an MBA, and the Yanks are obsessed with those. As Birkbeck, it comes with a UCL credential, which is a plus too.

Cherguevara · June 25th, 2009, 12:36 PM

Are you sure it comes with a UCL credential? I thought Birkbeck was an entirely separate college within the University of London.

cle · June 25th, 2009, 01:28 PM

I think the degrees come underwritten or something like that. For a CV tailored to the US, I won't disabuse them thinking it was the UCL!

June 23rd, 2009, 06:26 PM	#1
cle Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,986 Likes (Received): 35	Postgraduate diplomas I'm thinking of doing one part-time in 2009/2010 in Management - does anyone have any experience of these or know much about them? Maybe at Birkbeck with all the single mams...

June 23rd, 2009, 08:22 PM	#2
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,587 Likes (Received): 6	Yeah, I did one in Planning & Environment at BCU a couple of years ago. What do you want to know? I found it alright, only had to go in a couple of days a month and the coursework was far more managable than it is for my Masters. Speaking of, I've got a 3000 word reflective essay due tomorrow __________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

June 23rd, 2009, 09:11 PM	#3
Engels Simples Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 4,095 Likes (Received): 7	Some Postgraduate courses allow you to do a Post Graduate Diploma then you can progress it further into a Masters. From what i understand employers consider them quite highly - any Postgraduate qualification immediately makes you stand out from everyone else with just a Undergraduate degree. Are you considering one in the same subject as your Undergraduate degree? A specialisation is good if it is exactly what you want to for a career straight after you graduate. I would definitely recommend it as a way to lever a career change too - which is basically what i did with an Advance Diploma after i had done my Undergraduate degree in another field from which i am now working. I'm finishing my Masters degree this year too, 11 years since i started my Undergraduate degree in which i will have studied in 7 different academic years. __________________ You were born poor, naked and helpless. Everything in your life was given to you, the food you ate, the clothes you wore, the shelter you received. Most importantly of all you received an education. You were given this because people loved you, because people you never knew worked to feed you and long before you were born people died to protect you and to give you the opportunities they never had. Life doesn't owe you anything! YOU owe life!

June 23rd, 2009, 09:28 PM	#4
NothingBetterToDo Better To Do Nothing Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Posts: 10,536 Likes (Received): 1	I did a post graduate diploma in town and country planning - it had been designed to go hand in hand with my undergrad degree though and i got the usual funding to do so. If i want i can go back and do a top up to make it a masters (basically pay £1500, write a 10,000 word essay and i've got my masters)...i can't be arsed right now though. I think it's worth it, i found it a lot more focused than the undergrad - and as a result probably learnt quite a bit more in one year than i did in 3 years previous. In terms of workload and lectures i found it pretty good - lectures on 2 days a week, with a couple of projects each term. I was able to work part time and manage everything perfectly well. __________________ My Pictures: London - Amsterdam - Copenhagen - Berlin - Oslo - Bergen - Prague - Dublin

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June 25th, 2009, 03:03 AM	#5
jmancuso make it so... Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 6,875 Likes (Received): 20	i have a master's degree. is that the same thing as a "postgraduate" degree?

June 25th, 2009, 11:32 AM	#6
cle Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,986 Likes (Received): 35	It's not related to my undergraduate dregree - but might potentially be user to jump into another career area. I might be moving to the States in a year, and so it's not enough time to do a part-time masters, but I'd quite like something within that period to stand out a bit more. This strikes me as the best option for within 12 months part time. It's also good for the CV as it shows a willingess to better oneself, juggling full time job with study etc... but I'd quite like to move into a field which is more transferable to the States - my current job is very Eurocentric. This Post-grad diploma in Management is touted as the first step to an MBA, and the Yanks are obsessed with those. As Birkbeck, it comes with a UCL credential, which is a plus too.

June 25th, 2009, 12:36 PM	#7
Cherguevara Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5,711 Likes (Received): 74	Are you sure it comes with a UCL credential? I thought Birkbeck was an entirely separate college within the University of London.

June 25th, 2009, 01:28 PM	#8
cle Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,986 Likes (Received): 35	I think the degrees come underwritten or something like that. For a CV tailored to the US, I won't disabuse them thinking it was the UCL!