Conversion courses: choosing the right one

Many graduates consider doing postgrad conversion courses in a completely different field to their undergraduate studies. Such a degree can be a great springboard to a more vocational or specialised area.

Typically, they are one-year taught courses and are available in most subject areas, with many in business subjects (such as human resources and marketing), arts and humanities, IT and finance. They can be the first step in a postgraduate degree or standalone qualifications and are highly valued by employers. If you feel you didn’t reach full potential at undergraduate level, a conversion course can offer a chance to redress the balance.

Convert to IT

Given the high graduate rates of employment in the recent HEA report, it’s not surprising many graduates consider a conversion programme in information technology. One-year courses are usual and offer a solid grounding in theory and practice of computer science. Many colleges offer cross-departmental programmes; examples would be the higher diploma in applied science (applied computing technology) at University College Cork, or the higher diploma in information technology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

A postgraduate conversion course in IT can fast-track you on to a master’s, such as UCC’s MSc in interactive media or an MSc in data analytics at Dublin Institute of Technology.

Convert to teaching

Pac.ie is a central application centre for postgrad teaching programmes. It processes applications for the new two-year professional master’s in education (PME) which replaced the one-year H.Dip from September 2014.

To teach in Northern Ireland you need a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). Graduates of many disciplines can do a teaching postgrad, but check your primary degree meets the entry requirements for your proposed teaching subjects (see teachingcouncil.ie).

Convert to law

There are 107 postgraduate programmes in law on the Qualifax.ie website, many open to non-law graduates. A postgrad law degree increases your expertise and specialism in a particular area of law, but is also widely respected in other sectors. For a career as a solicitor or barrister you must take the examinations of the professional body: the legal practice course (LPC) or the Bar Professional Training Course. A graduate diploma in law is the fast-track route on to these courses and is ideal for students without accredited undergraduate degrees in law.

Convert to medicine

The graduate entry medical schools at the University of Limerick, UCC, University College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, all offer four-year medical degrees for graduates of any discipline. The degree is not strictly a postgrad programme as the award is the same as that of an undergraduate medical student. Applicants need a 2.1 honours bachelor degree and a sufficiently high mark in the GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test).

Convert to business

A master of business administration (MBA) is aimed at both working and recent graduates of business and other disciplines, to enhance and develop managerial and leadership skills. They can be full-time for a year or part-time over two years.