For undergraduates in their final year at University, the reality of graduation is looming closer. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree, some students may be ready to hit the job market; but others may feel they are not ready to leave University just yet.

Not all students know what career they want when they complete their first degree; so in order to further their knowledge of a particular subject (or even to go in a completely different direction using the skills gained from one’s undergraduate degree), it is important to consider furthering one’s education by pursuing postgraduate studies.

Postgraduate courses allow students to delve deeper into a subject area they enjoy. Pursuing an MA degree gives them an opportunity to make a significant contribution in their chosen field of study and improves their chances of getting graduate jobs, and earn a higher professional level salary.

Selecting a Master’s course can be daunting but the University’s Faculty of Arts offers a wide choice of courses to cater for a range of directions. One can choose from a variety of subjects and between two types of courses: taught MAs and MAs by research. Whichever they select, students will need to write a dissertation based on work of an advanced or original nature and to present their findings and conclusions in a scholarly manner.

In October, the faculty will offer its traditional researched courses in most of the subjects its offers, as well as some relatively new taught MAs. Some taught MAs are interdepartmental, such as the MA in English and the Media, the MA in Literary Tradition and Popular Culture, and the MA in Mediterranean Studies, with the latter having been launched last October. Other taught MAs offered by the various departments include the MA in Contemporary Western Philosophy, the MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Criticism, the MA in Translation, Terminology and Interpreting Studies, the MA in Humanitarian Action, and the MA in Hospitaller Studies. A new MA in Fine Arts and Art Theory is also scheduled to start in October.

Students may be confused as to the qualifications they need and which MA course is best suited to their career aspirations. For this reason, the faculty will host an MA Fair on May 6 and 7 outside the University Library. Presentations on the various MA programmes on offer will be held at the faculty library. Faculty staff and various departmental heads will be at hand to help students sort out their queries.

For further information, visit the fair or contact the Faculty Office on 2340 3082. If you are considering furthering your education on completing your undergraduate studies, or even if you plan on changing your career direction to enable you to branch out into areas you may not have considered earlier, this is an event you should not miss.