Education after A-Levels... ?

Most people study a bachelors degree of 3 years giving a BSc or BA qualification.

Some bachelors degrees automatically have a fourth year making it a Masters degree, eg MPhys for physics.

Some people go on to study a separate Masters course after their bachelors degree. This can be at the same uni or a different one. This is often to get a specific job relevant qualification such as a psychology graduate doing a masters in occupational psychology. This is usually a one year course which gives an MSc or MA qualification.

If you want a career in research or lecturing you would normally do a PhD, which lasts 3-4 years. In this you do original research under a supervisor, often in a research team, usually at a uni, and submit a thesis write up of your findings.

Some people do a one year teaching certificate to become a school teacher.

Most leave uni and get a job. This may come with a specific training commitment for a professional qualification (eg accountancy), or may not.

Hope this helps!

Hey, thanks so much for your help !! So would the salary of someone who's done a PhD be higher than someone who's just done their bachelors ? Thanks again !

That is a good question! Remember that a PhD is a research skills qualification. Therefore there will be some jobs that need this, and many that don't. The best way to look at this is to find out whether a PhD is necessary or useful for the particular career you are considering.

Some jobs generally do require academic qualifications (research chemist). Others require a professional qualification gained the workplace (building surveyor). Others don't necessarily require a higher qualification but expect you to keep gaining technical skills on the job (IT). Many careers are more based on personality, skills and opportunity as you go.

Also note that sometimes people do a Masters qualification part-time later in their career alongside their job, to consolidate their knoweldge too (e.g. MSc in Human Resources).

So, to answer your direct question, there is no simple rule that says a PhD (or Masters) will improve your pay prospects. It depends whether that qualification is a requirement, or an advantage, for your particular chosen career. If it is, then it probably will.

For any career that you are considering, you should check out what the entry route is, to see what qualifications may be needed. The www.prospects.ac.uk website is good for this. That will help you decided whether a Masters or PhD is the right way forward.

Apologies for the slightly long-winded answer!