RGU offers a wide variety of postgraduate courses that will help you stand out in a competitive job market and advance your career, as well as the potential to unlock greater earning opportunities! But it can sometimes be daunting to take a leap and pursue postgraduate studies. Read this blog to learn more about how RGU can help you overcome the barriers that prevent you from applying for a postgraduate course.

By reaching out to RGU’s community on LinkedIn, we identified some barriers that may prevent some people from pursuing postgraduate studies.

1. Financial concerns

The biggest barrier is without a doubt financial. Many people express concerns towards paying their tuition fees, or having to live without an income while studying at university.

RGU offers solutions to help you with your finances:

• Alumni Loyalty discount. If you have previously graduated from RGU, or are about to, you will benefit from a 20% discount on all our postgraduate courses. This applies to both UK and international alumni, as applicants from all countries are eligible. This discount cannot be used alongside another offer, such as a scholarship.
• Scholarships. RGU has a wide range of scholarships available. Among those, there are many options for international students, an RGU Sport scholarship for promising athletes all around the world, as well as the popular Saltire Scholarship funded by the Scottish Government. Some of our scholarships are even course-specific! Check the relevant webpages regularly for updates on eligibility.
• Loans. If you are a Scottish resident and studying full-time on campus, you can also take out a loan of up to £5,500 to cover a part of your tuition fees. Your application should be made directly to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Please check your eligibility on their website.

And you don’t even have to give up on an income while studying as some of our courses offer the possibility to study part-time. This will give you the opportunity to work alongside your studies and earn some money.

2. Lack of time

Many people who want to study a postgraduate course are already in full-time employment. Some also have childcare responsibilities to think about. To allow you time to keep working or look after your family, RGU offers a selection of quality-assured, flexible online degrees. In fact, we are the 3rd largest UK provider of distance learning Master’s courses*!

Studying online doesn’t mean that you are sacrificing the quality of your education. With RGU’s virtual environment CampusMoodle, you will have access to tutors, relevant business professionals and other online students across the world to share your postgraduate journey with.

Hear from some alumni who shared their experience of online learning in previous blogs:

“I would often get lost trawling through Campus Moodle for hours reading through the library and learning about things I never knew about. I also felt no matter where I was in the world, there was always someone else from the course online that you could speak with. It was great to get their perspective on the subject as well.”

Lee Kemp – Business Management

I had a very positive experience of studying online. It was extremely convenient as I could download lectures and play them again if a particular topic required additional focus. Having the course material readily available in an electronic format was really beneficial, especially when it came to coursework and exam preparation.

Stephen O’Hare – Law

“Having the opportunity to learn fully online has been brilliant for me […] The small cohort has been great despite not having the chance to actually meet in person yet. Our online chats during tutorials and beyond makes me feel like we are a supportive little team working our way through this together.”

Lucy Flaws – Strategic Service Planning and Delivery

Bear in mind that you will still have to dedicate a certain amount of time to your course to be successful. Usually, part-time postgraduate degrees demand around 20 hours of studying per week. With a job or family commitments, you will have to learn how to work study into your life!

“I told myself – all I had to do was learn how to manage my time effectively. I could not let studies distract me at work, nor could I let work keep me from studying.”

Kosisochukwu Bob-Ume – Procurement and Supply Chain Management

Getting through that first module working in 20 to 30-minute blocks while feeding or looking after the sleeping baby in the carrier made focusing really tough. But the Study Skills pages have been helpful, and my tutors have been really supportive. I’m getting used to the juggle and trying to do things as soon as they’re available.

Lucy Flaws – Strategic Service Planning and Delivery

*HESA 2019/2020. Data based on FTE calculations of UK based students.

3. Self-doubt

Sometimes our own mind can be our worst enemy. Some people refrain from studying a postgraduate degree because of self-doubt. For example, the fear of not being good enough and failing, or feeling like they won’t fit in at university after a long break.

However, these should never prevent you from applying for a postgraduate course! Postgraduate courses at RGU welcome individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. Moreover, the staff will support you to make sure you reach your goals. There is also a broad range of services available to help you, such as Study Skills who provide IT support and guidance on academic writing or maths and statistics.

Studying at Master’s level has enhanced my confidence in my own abilities. I went from a position of self-doubt at the beginning of the course to completing the programme with distinction. The graduation was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Lindsay – Advancing Practice

Making the jump to commit was scary. I decided to give up my full time job to go and pursue a full time master’s, it was daunting but I wanted to get the qualification in 1 year rather than 3. I am so glad I did it!

Camilla-Erika Campbell – LinkedIn community member and RGU alumna

---

With the right support, your dream of studying a postgraduate degree is closer than you ever imagined. Many people who have done postgraduate studies have obtained their dream job, changed industry or even pursued a career in research! Why not you? You can learn more about postgraduate courses on the RGU website.

Did you have any barriers that almost prevented you from applying for a postgraduate course? How did you overcome them? Let us know in the comments!

Related blogs

Why do postgraduate study?

My upskilling story – studying MSc Project Management

Undergraduate to Postgraduate Journey at RGU: Georgia’s Story