Postgraduate Study Information

Choosing a Postgraduate Course

People choose postgraduate study for a variety of reasons. You might want to further your career prospects, change career direction, enter a profession that requires a specific qualification or pursue your passion for a particular subject.  When considering postgraduate study there are some important things to consider, including the type of postgraduate course you want to pursue and the mode of delivery. UL offer both taught and research postgraduate courses, across part time and full time programmes. For some students, full time study on campus is their preferred option but many postgraduate programmes are offered on a part time basis or via online and blended teaching formats in order to facilitate those with other work or life commitments.

How to apply for postgraduate courses?

Generally, postgraduate courses are applied for directly to the institution but central processing systems such as a Postgraduate Applications Centre are used to process applications for the Professional Masters in Education for a number of Irish universities. Typically, applications can be completed online and include the following sections:

• Academic Qualifications & Achievements
• Employment Experience
• Supporting Statement
• Transcript of Official Results
• Interview: some postgraduate courses will interview candidates as part of the selection process.

Postgraduate Application Process

Postgraduate Application Do’s and Don’ts

1. Don’t leave it to the last minute!
2. Submit your application well in advance of the closing date if you can – institutions often find themselves swamped at deadline time and some make offers on a rolling basis
3. Demonstrate that you have researched your desired course and institution on your application
4. Focus on specific achievements and interests that support your application
5. Show that you’re ready for postgraduate study by highlighting your analytical and research skills
6. If you are invited to an interview, a good rule of thumb is to treat it like a job interview

Your Personal Statement

Your postgraduate personal statement is your chance to convey a sense of your passion, personality and academic abilities. It should provide the admissions committee with a sense of who you are and your motivation for applying for postgraduate study. Keep the following points in mind when completing your statement:

1. Pay attention to presentation and formatting
2. Read and re-read your statement very carefully, and spell- and grammar check it.
3. Get your final draft checked by friends, academics or a careers advisor.

Don't use the same statement for all applications: each will need a slightly different emphasis

Looking for more advice? Download our Personal Statement Guide.

Postgraduate Application CV Tips

1. Make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile are up to date; get feedback on them. 
2. If you need help with preparing a CV, please book into one of our CV workshops in the Events section on MyCareerPath 
3. Review our guide to writing the perfect CV
4. Have your CV ready in PDF format as you will need to upload the document when completing the booking.

Interviews for Postgraduate Programmes

1. Our helpful UL Interview Skills Booklet cover a range of topics from interview preparation, types of interview, tricky questions to Top Tips for interviews.  
2. Please check out our YouTube channel, subscribe and watch recordings of workshops with Careers Advisors discussing best practice for interviews
3. You can get help with preparing for interviews through our online Career Consultation appointments. 
4. You can also do a practice video interview on our video interview platform. Shortlist.Me will give you a realistic idea of what a video interview is like. 

Postgraduate Study Events in UL

To help students prepare for postgraduate study, a number of seminars are held each academic year. These provide an overview of postgraduate study in Ireland and abroad as well as a specialist event for students considering a Professional Masters in Education in Ireland or abroad. Details are advertised widely via email as well as on MyCareerPath in advance of this event.