Difference In Difficulty Between Level 8 And Postgraduate

Paully D

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some feedback from you on the difference in difficulty between a level 8 undergraduate course and a (taught) postgraduate course.

Also, what are the main differences one would find in postgraduate study compared to undergraduate?

Thanks

robp

Paully D wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some feedback from you on the difference in difficulty between a level 8 undergraduate course and a (taught) postgraduate course.

Also, what are the main differences one would find in postgraduate study compared to undergraduate?

Thanks

I guess one difference is that you need to be working hard from day one in a postgrad while sometimes in an undergrad they don't expect loads till 2nd year or later. I would stress that there is more difference between subjects and institutions then between postgrad and undergrads.

Ravelleman

Depends what you study, of course.

Some institutions, like Trinity, put a heavier emphasis on self-directed learning at undergraduate level. This tends to be a feature at postgrad level too. In a taught masters you'd expect to have to do a lot of reading on your own, usually without any specific requirement to do so. Texts will often be assigned in preparation for classes but even if you go in with this minimum level you probably wouldn't be getting the most out of the class.

In terms of essays and other assignments, your work would normally be expected to contain much more analysis, as well as a strong knowledge of theoretical aspects of the subject. You may not have exams to worry about. Dissertations are much less daunting than one might imagine but still require good management.

It certainly is a step up - though that should be obvious and, ultimately, is that not what you want?

Viva La Gloria

Ravelleman wrote: »

In a taught masters you'd expect to have to do a lot of reading on your own, usually without any specific requirement to do so. Texts will often be assigned in preparation for classes but even if you go in with this minimum level you probably wouldn't be getting the most out of the class.

Couldn't agree more about this. Final year of an undergraduate course would necessitate the use of further textbook reading for higher marks, but not much else. In my experience (BA in Business and an MSc in Marketing), if you're looking for higher marks then you would be expected to read extensively outside of the core textbook, i.e. supplementary texts and academic journals, and be able to thoroughly demonstrate the ability to think critically about the subject.

Polar Ice

Viva La Gloria wrote: »

if you're looking for higher marks then you would be expected to read extensively outside of the core textbook, i.e. supplementary texts and academic journals, and be able to thoroughly demonstrate the ability to think critically about the subject.

In terms of readings, I've found that reading journal articles is no longer something you do to get an A, it becomes a core part of the subject requirements. Any outside reading should nearly be something you naturally do for the subject matter.

Viva La Gloria

Polar Ice wrote: »

In terms of readings, I've found that reading journal articles is no longer something you do to get an A, it becomes a core part of the subject requirements. Any outside reading should nearly be something you naturally do for the subject matter.

Exactly, journal articles alone won't do it. That's why I mentioned the suppplementary texts and the critical thinking part too.