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Is it worth doing a masters?

I graduated in 2019 with a Biology degree (2.1), and have been working in a lab since January last year (18k a year). I’ve been accepted into a too 10 uni, to study for a masters in Biomedicine, however, i’m on the fence as to whether this would be worth giving my current job up for.. i’m probably not naturally intelligent, i just work pretty hard, however i’m not sure whether this masters will be a step too far, despite my interest for the subject. Would a masters realistically enhance my career prospects? And is it worth giving my current 18k a year job up for? Any advice would be appreciated.

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Original post by BadgerboyJC
I graduated in 2019 with a Biology degree (2.1), and have been working in a lab since January last year (18k a year). I’ve been accepted into a too 10 uni, to study for a masters in Biomedicine, however, i’m on the fence as to whether this would be worth giving my current job up for.. i’m probably not naturally intelligent, i just work pretty hard, however i’m not sure whether this masters will be a step too far, despite my interest for the subject. Would a masters realistically enhance my career prospects? And is it worth giving my current 18k a year job up for? Any advice would be appreciated.

I would think that it depends on the uni that you intend to attend. If it is Oxbridge then I’d suggest that you take the leap. Good luck
Original post by Wired_1800
I would think that it depends on the uni that you intend to attend. If it is Oxbridge then I’d suggest that you take the leap. Good luck


Are you suggesting that any university other than Oxbridge probably isn’t worth the leap?
Original post by Wired_1800
I would think that it depends on the uni that you intend to attend. If it is Oxbridge then I’d suggest that you take the leap. Good luck


I don’t agree with this. The whole Oxbridge or nothing thing is stupid. It doesn’t matter if it’s Oxbridge or RG or top unis outside of RG. Oxbridge at least for undergrad don’t even do very specific bioscience courses as they’re outdated in terms of their subjects offered. Some unis actually are just as good if not better for biology and similar subjects than RG. If you think you can spend a year furthering your education then it’s worth it. Masters graduates tend to earn 23% more as well, PhD 25% more but that’s a lot of extra work.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by BadgerboyJC
Are you suggesting that any university other than Oxbridge probably isn’t worth the leap?

Not really. I personally think unis are in different tiers and some unis are worth the risk such as Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL etc.

It also depends on what you choose to do in the future. I’d suggest that you think about it because I doubt that you would want to be a lab assistant forever and a Masters degree may come in handy,
Original post by Studentystudent!
I don’t agree with this. The whole Oxbridge or nothing thing is stupid. It doesn’t matter if it’s Oxbridge or RG or top unis outside of RG. Oxbridge at least for undergrad don’t even do very specific bioscience courses as they’re outdated in terms of their subjects offered. Some unis actually are just as good if not better for biology and similar subjects than RG. If you think you can spend a year furthering your education then it’s worth it. Masters graduates tend to earn 23% more as well, PhD 25% more but that’s a lot of extra work.

That is a fair point but I think it depends on the subject and uni. I personally wouldn't jump at a masters course for the sake of it esp if one’s future direction may not necessarily align with the postgraduate course.
Original post by Wired_1800
Not really. I personally think unis are in different tiers and some unis are worth the risk such as Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL etc.

It also depends on what you choose to do in the future. I’d suggest that you think about it because I doubt that you would want to be a lab assistant forever and a Masters degree may come in handy,


Thankyou for the advice :smile:
which uni is this? Overall, I believe a Master's degree will increase your job prospects but it'll be better if it is from a RG uni.
Original post by madame_j
which uni is this? Overall, I believe a Master's degree will increase your job prospects but it'll be better if it is from a RG uni.


Lancaster
Original post by BadgerboyJC
Lancaster

I think you should do it, if you think the course is what you want to do afterwards. You can ask your employers to give you a 1 year sabbatical so you dont lose your job. Good luck
Original post by BadgerboyJC
Lancaster

seems fine then! I think it'll help you to find the right path and it's always good to have a RG degree.

I have a business degree and 18k is a very low salary for RG business grads; this said, I assume you'll find a better-paid job with a RG Master's degree
Original post by madame_j
seems fine then! I think it'll help you to find the right path and it's always good to have a RG degree.

I have a business degree and 18k is a very low salary for RG business grads; this said, I assume you'll find a better-paid job with a RG Master's degree


Thankyou for the advice! Ironically, despite being a top 10 uni, it isn’t actually a Russel group! Also my undergrad was in Biology :smile:
Original post by BadgerboyJC
Thankyou for the advice! Ironically, despite being a top 10 uni, it isn’t actually a Russel group! Also my undergrad was in Biology :smile:

Oh lol sorry for my mistake but I was truly convinced that Lancaster belonged to the RG! I had friends studying there so I'm even more surprised that I missed such a detail :eek: anyway, it's a very good and reputable uni, and some people, like me, don't even know it's not a RG uni haha
Original post by madame_j
Oh lol sorry for my mistake but I was truly convinced that Lancaster belonged to the RG! I had friends studying there so I'm even more surprised that I missed such a detail :eek: anyway, it's a very good and reputable uni, and some people, like me, don't even know it's not a RG uni haha


You learn something new everyday :wink:
Original post by BadgerboyJC
Lancaster


My daughters doing a 4 year intergated masters at Lancaster for physics. A Masters is worth doing on a lot of courses and especially in the sciences. Not only that, you also have work experience on top which is advantageous. It can lead onto a Phd or a better job than what you are doing now. I imagine your starting it in September 2021? So, by the time your done it will be Summer of 2022, which hopefully all being well things have improved. Healthcare is super important and has had a lot more attention now then ever, so I think you should go for it :smile:
Original post by madame_j
seems fine then! I think it'll help you to find the right path and it's always good to have a RG degree.

I have a business degree and 18k is a very low salary for RG business grads; this said, I assume you'll find a better-paid job with a RG Master's degree


Hiya, where did you do your business degree ?
Leeds, a fab uni by the way
Original post by madame_j
Leeds, a fab uni by the way


I’ve applied there and I’m waiting for a response id already fallen In love with it and I’ve not even visited 🤣 if I got an offer I’d go 100% , what were your stats like ? A levels GCSE’s ?
Original post by BadgerboyJC
Thankyou for the advice! Ironically, despite being a top 10 uni, it isn’t actually a Russel group! Also my undergrad was in Biology :smile:


Lancaster isn't a true top 10 uni like Warwick or Edinburgh etc. It is a very good uni, probably top 20 according to international rankings and general reputation. Why not just apply for a funded PhD somewhere? BTW Biomedicine is rather oversubscribed, and not particularly rated by academics over more traditional subjects like Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Personally, I don't think it is worth doing an MSc, unless that is you have tirelessly applied to PhD courses with full studentships at a range of universities (not necessarily high ranking ones) and have failed to secure a place. If you don't wish to go into academia then your industrial lab experience will matter more than an MSc. Employers will look at the contents of your degrees and the grades achieved more than where you got the degrees from. Although, all things being equal, the more prestigious the uni the better it looks on your CV.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Tashax2
I’ve applied there and I’m waiting for a response id already fallen In love with it and I’ve not even visited 🤣 if I got an offer I’d go 100% , what were your stats like ? A levels GCSE’s ?

Oh cool! Go for Leeds, you won't regret it! Leeds Uni Business School is a leading business school (the best one in the UK according to the Business Shanghai Ranking 2019) but putting rankings aside, it's easy to notice that staff are motivated to share their knowledge and very approachable. I got AAA and met the conditions of the offer which are normally AAA (plus, I got A* in GCSE Maths, A* in English Language).
(edited 3 years ago)

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