How to choose the best postgraduate course in computer science and IT for you

Some IT employers will see postgraduates as valuable investments; however, for others they fall into the same category as graduates fresh out of university. This means that you need to be clear about your reasons for further study in IT.If you know from the outset why you are continuing with further study you'll get a lot more out of it; you'll also be better prepared to sell your postgraduate skills to employers and get the recognition you deserve for your extra academic effort.

The questions to consider if you're thinking about postgraduate study in computer science or IT

• Is a one-year taught course resulting in an MSc - the typical postgraduate path for graduates from technical disciplines - right for you? An alternative could be a research-based masters degree called an MRes.
• If you're considering a PhD, how frequently do supervisors publish and in which journals? What is their status - and that of individual research groups - within the research community?
• What work are lecturers at your chosen institution involved in?
• What industry links do different institutions offer?

Building practical skills

While it is tempting to hide yourself away in the ivory towers of academia, never lose sight of the IT world outside. The Roberts Report (published in April 2002) reviewed the supply of science, engineering and technology skills throughout the UK. Its findings suggested that many postgraduate students lack the practical and transferable skills necessary for working in a professional environment and recommended that they receive extra training for two weeks a year to improve these skills. The UK GRAD Programme works in partnership with the UK's main technology funding body, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the other research councils to provide courses that help postgraduates gain skills and competences to improve their employability. Find out more at www.grad.ac.uk.

In addition to schemes like this, look for other ways to develop your skills portfolio. Teaching undergraduates and presenting posters at conferences are both excellent ways to develop your communication and presentation skills. And don't forget to add some additional IT strings to your bow while you still have access to university facilities. Try to learn some programming languages, even if you learn them by yourself: Java, C++ and maybe also a scripting language like Perl can be useful skills to add to your portfolio.

Postgraduate value

Problem-solving ability and innovative thinking rate highly as postgraduate advantages. Through further study, and PhD research in particular, postgraduates get into the habit of conceptualising and questioning, and this transfers well into the workplace. Postgraduates are the ones more likely to run to a whiteboard and start putting down ideas when presented with a problem than a graduate fresh out of university. For this reason, postgraduate experience is particularly sought after by employers that specialise in commercial research and development and in innovating new technology. That said, even the most research-focused employer wouldn't recruit a postgraduate with their head stuck too far up in the blue skies, so it's important to couple your knowledge and expertise with commercial thinking.

Next steps: choosing the right postgraduate course in IT and computer science

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