What is a postgraduate course?

What is a Postgraduate?

A postgraduate is a student who has successfully completed an undergraduate degree level course at a college or university and is undertaking further study at a more advanced level.

What is a Postgraduate Course?

A postgraduate course is typically one year’s duration full time or it can take two years to complete part-time. A postgraduate diploma, postgraduate degree or Master's degree offers the student an advanced level of education in their chosen area of study.

The course content is designed to build on the knowledge obtained at undergraduate degree level. Often the course content is more practical in nature to better prepare the student with the skills they will need in the workplace. Completing postgraduate studies helps students further their career prospects and deepen their understanding of their area of study.

Postgraduate courses at Griffith College

If you choose a to undertake a postgraduate course at Griffith College, there are a wide variety of courses available, in areas as wide-ranging as computing, design, law and business.

You will benefit from a great student to lecturer ratio (small class sizes), an award-winning reputation, experienced lecturing teams, a lively international campus community and industry-informed programmes created to enable you to develop a successful career in your chosen area.

See the options we offer for postgraduate study. →

Levels of Study

You can obtain a postgraduate degree which is awarded at QQI Level 9. Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is a state agency established by the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 with a board appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills. More information here.

What are the differences between Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses?

Types of Postgraduate Degrees

Certificates

A certificate is the quickest and narrowest type of post-graduate qualification you can earn, and it’s usually completed in a year or less of part-time study. Certificate programmes are highly specialised and intended to help you delve deeply into one specific area of study. 
View our Postgraduate Certificates.

Diplomas

A postgraduate diploma can be particularly useful to those looking to embark on a new direction in their career. Diploma courses usually take one or two years; they often consist of the same coursework as a Master's degree, only lacking the research or dissertation element. Many of our Postgraduate Diploma courses, though, allow students the opportunity to progress on to a related Master's degree, such as the PGDip in International Business and Law.

Master's Degrees

A Master’s degree is the most common type of postgraduate course. The MA and MSc offer students an unrivalled opportunity to spend one or two years studying both deeply and widely in their field. These degrees are often capped off with a research project in the form of a dissertation, which contributes original research to the subject. There are also more specialised Master’s degrees, like the MBA and LL.M., which are suitable for professionals looking to gain expertise to help advance in their careers, and these often require an undergraduate degree in a related field as well as work experience. 

Your Guide to MBAs

The Master of Business Administration (or MBA) degree develops foundational business operation skills such as finance, marketing, and management at the graduate level. MBAs are among the most sought-after postgraduate degrees across Europe and North America due to their versatility and opportunities for career advancement. Full-time MBA programmes typically last 1-2 years, while part-time courses may take longer to complete.

What can I do with an MBA?

The Masters of Business Administration is a practical toolkit for advancing through the workforce. With an MBA, you can pursue promotions, business prospects, or management positions that were totally outside of your reach before. These new opportunities come with boosted salaries, enhanced job security, and the potential to advance to even higher management or executive positions. In fact, many global universities estimate that 70% of their graduates currently serve as Senior Managers or Board Directors within their respective corporations.

MBAs are often referred to as “professional” degrees, because of their approach to holistically developing outstanding business managers and executives. However, colleges and universities also cater to the interests and ambitions of individual students by offering specialised degree tracks. MBA concentrations may be either skills-based or career-based. A skills-based concentration helps students to develop a specific, adaptable expertise such as project management or strategic planning, while a career-based concentration will prepare them to enter a particular field, such as IT, medical, or sports management.

How do I get an MBA?

Entry Requirements

Because of its high demand and academic rigor, there are several potential requirements for entering a postgraduate MBA programme. Typical MBA courses require an honours-level undergraduate business degree, accompanied by 2-3 years of relevant work experience. A minimum score of 650 on the Graduate Management Admissions test, or GMAT, is also a common requirement.

Course Specifics

MBA programmes can be rigorous, expensive, hard to enter and time-consuming. Most programmes warn students to expect up to 500 hours of intensive classroom hours per academic year, with fees ranging from €15,000-€80,000 for the cost of an MBA across Europe. However, it's the intensity and determination that students demonstrate through modules in economics, competitive strategy, HR management and other topics that make them such desirable candidates for corporate management positions.

Hear from Alan Lynch, joint head of our Graduate Business School, on the benefits of completing a Master's of Business Administration Degree with Griffith College:

MBAs at Griffith College

Prepare yourself for the global business environment with Griffith College’s MBA in International Business. Griffith College’s MBA programme is highly vocational, academically rigorous and intellectually challenging, a key stepping stone to a career in international business management.

• The intellectually rigorous full-time course immerses students in their studies alongside like-minded individuals on the Griffith College campus.

• The flexible part-time course allows you to pursue an MBA while continuing your full-time career

• The highly adaptable distance-learning course offers weekly online lectures and material with optional weekend workshops in Dublin.

Learn more about Griffith College’s Full-Time, Part-Time and Online MBA offerings. →