Masters Study – The Leap from Undergraduate to Postgraduate


Throughout the academic life, a student encounters different big transitions; however, the smallest of them all is the progression from the undergraduate level to the postgraduate level. The process of development of the advanced knowledge pertaining to a certain discipline converts to specialization in the discipline with the purpose of becoming an expert in it. An undergraduate degree program offered by colleges and universities is ubiquitous as compared to the graduate degree programs. Moreover, the undergraduate degree is regarded as the gateway towards acquiring specialized knowledge, technical skills, and qualifications. On the other hand, Masters Degree involves specialization and gaining precise technical knowledge in a particular realm. The graduate program entails the introduction to the knowledge base in the direction of a specific discipline. The Master’s program pertains to acquiring greater independence, specialized knowledge, and a higher level of understanding in a particular domain. Moreover, it also adheres to the independent-directed and precise learning approach. The pre-requisite to the undergraduate program is the completed secondary education, whereas, pre-requisite to the graduate degree is the undergraduate degree. At the undergraduate level, the students inevitably have to show their gained skills and knowledge in the form of the summative and formative assignments allocated to them. Many of the students assume these tasks as daunting and tedious due to the sudden jump in the level; however, the transition from the undergraduate to the Master’s level wouldn’t be much intimidating. The postgraduate program grants you the valuable opportunity to attain a deeper understanding of the subject that you’ve intended to dedicate your life to. Let’s explore the significant differences in the lives:


Undergraduate Life v/s Postgraduate Life

A realistic image of the transition from college life to the undergraduate life entails the sudden changes in the schedules, study patterns, and closely-knit relationships with the teachers. However, the leap from the undergraduate life to the postgraduate isn’t a significant one because you’ve already encountered the intimidated feelings at the undergraduate level. At Masters Level, you will encounter experienced and like-minded people from diverse professional fields which would naturally lead to building a network and establishing the career connections. Moreover, it is likely that you’ll find a mysterious subtle shift in your study habits. The undergrad level is focused upon the provision of information and direction. However, the postgraduate level faculty encourages the active participation and discussion between the students to provide collaborative class experience. Therefore, the postgraduate classes are much more interactive as compared to the undergraduate classes. As compared to the Bachelors, you’ll have a lot more freedom as the lecturers don’t typically stipulate a reading list, timelines, or organized notes to the students.

Choosing the right career path for yourself

At the Bachelors level, the choice of major is a difficult path. Even if it seems to be a nebulous study path, it won’t create a notable impact on your life. However, now, you need to discern the choices efficiently through the clear understanding of your objectives and research interests. It is imperative, as it must be in accordance with the career you’re intending to pursue ahead in your life. It shouldn’t deviate from your broader career perspectives. The freedom nature of the Master’s level enables the students to tailor their chosen courses according to their needs; thus, it should coincide with your desired profession. You’re required to invest a significant amount of time and efforts in order to fulfill your potential. You should consider conducting an honest assessment of your specialists and transferable skills along with interests. Simultaneously, identify the domain you intend to work in and strive to achieve the required knowledge and competencies. Moreover, you should discover the potential career paths through researching the job market for narrowing down the options. There you go! You’re ready to delve into the step of making the wise decision for your career path.

What is expected of you? An expert researcher!


Master’s Level demands a great deal of reading and research. Yes, it’s true! The Undergraduate Level prepares you for the tedious assignments demanding yearlong study efforts. However, at this level, the intensity of efforts progresses with the passage of time. The students are naturally expected to demonstrate their in-depth research and composition skills through the long-form essays. The nature of this complex and sophisticated level demands a more independent approach towards the sourced research. In what areas do the Master’s students encounter problems? The structuring of argument, development of a critical approach towards ideas and the process of analytical thinking are some of the common areas. The Master’s level is more demanding as compared to Undergrad because it expects the learners to be professional and meticulous in their acts. As far as the assignments are concerned, the flawless scholarly research pieces are expected at the Master’s level. The caliber of your scholarly research work should reflect your progression from the undergraduate level to the Master’s level. During the research for the Master’s work, you’re expected to deploy professional research techniques for analyzing and interpreting the extracted data. However, if the students are facing problems in creating a perfect thesis for themselves, they can easily avail the assistance of professional writing services. These services entail expert writers who provide the furnished pieces along with the quality editing and proofreading services.

Thesis – the Vital Part of Master’s Degree

The Master’s thesis is itself referred to as the taught courses which culminate through the substantial phase of research. It exhibits the specialists’ knowledge which you have gained throughout the yearlong program. Therefore, it is considered as the most challenging as well as rewarding part of the complete academic career. The thesis pertains to conducting an extensive focused research on the chosen scholarly question and offering a critical analysis of the topic. The best practice towards acing this crucial academic paper is to commence the process of making brief notes from the beginning of the program. It is to assist you at the time of preparing the proposal or submitting the final product. The structure of Master’s thesis is alike Undergraduate thesis; however, the challenge occurs in the greater length of the former piece of writing. It also involves title page along with the referencing and citations. The chapters include Introduction, Abstract, Literature Review, Methodology, Acknowledgments, and all the other components required in a professional writing piece. The thesis expects the students to exhibit extensive knowledge on the topic, conduct critical analysis on the topic, and offer insightful critique on the given subject. Moreover, it also demands technicality and precision in the work. It is better recommended that the topic should deal with your own specific research interests, as it will inevitably assist you during the compilation of thesis.

The Guide to Choosing the Scholarly Topic

The thesis is essentially regarded as the culmination of the hard work. Therefore, you could sufficiently achieve the long-term success through choosing a topic that pertains to your interests. Furthermore, it can adhere to the unique unaddressed aspects of the society. In order to identify a theme, you can deploy a variety of approaches. Skim through the previous quality journals and publications of the research supervisors. Consider involving the advisor throughout the creation of the thesis. Moreover, conduct a thorough literature review by reviewing the journal articles rendered by many online databases. These three approaches will certainly assist you in formulating the research questions and hypothesis.  The purpose of the latest research is to identify the gaps in the previous literature and consider the uninvestigated areas. Therefore, it is imperative for the students to reflect their in-depth understanding of the realm through their research thesis. The journals, books, and scholarly articles are considered as invaluable and rich resources towards providing the information for the research question. Moreover, it should deal with a narrow scope of the research dealing with a particular area rather than a domain.

Enjoy the Life of a Postgraduate student!

The word flexibility could easily be associated with the postgraduate students as the level renders the ability of freedom to them. Compared to the undergraduate life, the freedom at this level tends to be a great valuable asset. The students are expected to show a responsible and regimented attitude towards their studies. However, the responsibility for effective time management and self-motivation is certainly yours. Therefore, you are required to plan accordingly and delve into the quality research material to create a top-notch quality thesis for yourself. If you’re encountering problems in any phase of your thesis, just remember that the professional writing services are available for the help.