Among the many real challenges posed by COVID-19, there have also been some positives. For some of us, the strain of daily commuting no longer takes its toll and many of us have had moments of self-reflection to consider our personal and career goals – particularly if physical proximity to your workplace may not be quite as important in the future.
The motivation to do a postgraduate degree is varied, but can broadly be broken into a desire to upskill in a specific area for career progression, an interest in pivoting to a new sector or type of role, or a desire to completely change career and pursue a new passion.
Whatever the rationale, there has never been as good a time as to consider further education. Radical changes to the nature of work and the workplace serve to highlight the ever-growing importance of postgraduate education in the modern world.
Hybrid learning, a mode of delivery that combines face-to-face and online learning, has opened up new opportunities for continued education, particularly among busy professionals juggling work, life, family and study.
While timing may be right, it also underlines the importance of choosing the right course in the right university.
Why choose DCU?
Choosing a university and programme is never an easy decision, especially given the current environment when a return on your investment is of the utmost of importance. You need to know that you’ll be getting the best skill-set to thrive in a volatile global economy. A wide range of factors have to be weighed up as part of that decision process. The deciding factors could be:
Experience in delivering hybrid programmes
DCU has over 25 years of experience in the design of online distance education. We have been delivering high quality online programmes for years and will continue to do so, while preserving the excellent DCU student experience.
Flexibility and variety of programmes
DCU offers a variety of further education opportunities, from micro credentials, to Springboard courses, to Masters programmes. Whether you're employed and looking to upskill, unemployed, returning to work, or an employer looking to upskill your workforce, DCU will have a wide range of flexible courses to help you stand out in the workplace.
Employability record of graduates and strong links/reputation with industry
Figures from the Higher Education Authority ranked DCU as Dublin’s leading university for graduate employment, and in the top two nationwide. This clearly demonstrates that DCU is providing programmes that are relevant for today’s economy. It is also an indication that postgraduate students are learning in an environment focussed on innovation and creativity - skill-sets that are highly valued by employers in today’s work environment.
Aaron Gallagher - MA in Social Media Communications
Aaron graduated from DCU’s MA in Social Media Communication in 2018 which enabled him to make a change from sports journalist to an in-house digital role.
“I completed my undergraduate in Journalism and worked for almost three years as a sports journalist. However, I was motivated to broaden my horizons and seek a slightly different path. Thanks to the skills I learned during my MA, I was hired by Ryanair as a Digital Executive. I feel that having the MA in my pocket made a huge difference when it came to taking on more senior positions at big companies like Ryanair.”
“I found DCU was a great environment for postgraduate study. My fellow students were also very career-orientated and our lecturers gave us the best chance to enter the workplace with modern, up-to-date skills to impress prospective employers.”
“Speaking with fellow graduates from our class, we are all now working in a number of different professional environments all over Europe.”
Margie Craig - MA in Ethics
Motivated by a need to understand more about Corporate Responsibility to assist in her nurse management role, Margie graduated from DCU’s MA in Ethics. She has since changed career and now works in a research position with the Central Remedial Clinic.
“Nurse training comes with a very strong code of ethics, however decision-making in the healthcare arena is becoming increasingly complex. The Masters fuelled that ability to develop a moral imagination and to think about how we make decisions and then accept the responsibility to act on those in order to improve care.
The part-time nature of the programme meant that Margie found it very manageable to balance study with work as much of the reading could be done remotely. Overall she found the course extremely stimulating and enriching both from the perspective of course content and from the life experience shared by a diverse group of people in the class.
“Completing the MA in Ethics definitely increased my confidence and so much so, that I have changed my career since.”
For further information visit dcu.ie/postgraduate