The experience of four Masters students.

CIARA REGAN, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Master of Science in Marketing Practice. (Cost €12,000)

I graduated from Sligo

IT with a degree in Business Studies, but a degree really isn't sufficient anymore for long-term career prospects. A degree is fine for the first few years, but as the competition increases for jobs, you really need to have something else.

There is a lot more pressure on students to have a postgraduate degree or qualification now. This Master's is office-based, and one of the reasons I went for it was to get the practical experience. I wasn't ready to go straight into a job after my degree. If I had started working and making money, I know I would never have done the Master's - that's why I decided to go straight into it and get it done.

EIMEAR RUANE, NUIG First year Ph.D postgraduate student in Civil Engineering. (€5,755)

I studied an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering in Sligo IT and graduated in 2003. I was working last year for a few months and the last thing on my mind when I finished my degree was to go on to further studies. But I realised I needed more qualifications to increase my job prospects so I decided to go for the Ph.D and I hope it will pay off.

You have to have postgraduate qualifications nowadays to have an edge when you're looking for a job. You have to have an eye on the long-term for working in engineering consultancies, and the more qualifications you have, the better options you have.

DECLAN BRENNAN, DCU

Studying for a MA in Journalism, DCU (€7,209)

I qualified with a degree in Computer Applications from DCU in 2000 and worked in the industry for about five years until I decided I wanted to change direction and get into journalism, but after speaking to people I realised the only way to get into the field was to get a qualification.

Once I applied, I had the confidence to look for work and started getting published in local papers and national papers. Friends asked me why I would bother going for the MA since I was getting enough work, but for me, it was a safety net and would act as a key to open bigger doors.

KATE LAWLOR, UL

Studying a Graduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering in University of Limerick (€5,725)

I think students feel different pressures regarding postgraduate qualifications. I didn't feel like I had to do a postgrad, but to stay in Ireland, it was certainly going to broaden my job prospects. I graduated in 2007 with a degree in Applied Physics from UL and then I took a year out and went to Dubai to do teaching. While there, I decided I wanted to do a postgrad and took the time to research lots of different courses. Most people in my secondary school went on to third level so it really is not as big of deal as it was 20 years ago to have a degree.

Profiles by Caitríona McBride