Post-Graduate Studies: College vs. University

Masters and PhD programs aren't the only option for post-graduate studies. If you are looking for a
more hands on and specialized post-graduate experience you might want to look at both university and college based programs. While both have the potential of offering this type of experience, university post-grad programs tend to be more research and academic focused while college post-grad programs offer hands on, industry specific skill sets. However, keep in mind that there are always exceptions to this rule - I'm just putting them into neat boxes in order to give you a general idea of how both of these institutions work.

A great website to consult if you are wondering what your target industry prefers in terms of post-graduate programs is Career Cruising (found through Career Zone). Many programs, such as Museum Studies, can be done as both a post-graduate certificate and a masters degree. However, it's important to do some research to find out which type of post-graduate program a typical employer in your industry is looking for. There are three ways to conduct this research:

• Occupational Research
• Looking at real world examples of qualifications through job posting boards (such as ca.indeed.com and www.simplyhired.com) 
• Through the Professional Association websites found on your program's Degree Exploration Guide (DEG)

Our past few posts have really stressed the importance of research when it comes to answering these types of questions. The reason that we promote this so much is because, unlike our parents generation, we are going to have a much more difficult time staying at one company for our entire work lives. We need to learn how to do career research while we are in university since it is a skill that we will need to carry with us forever. 

If you have any specific questions about choosing post-graduate certificate programs over a masters program feel free to stop by the Career Resource Centre!

Ashley Paolozzi, Lead Career Assistant
4th Year History of Art (Honours)

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Some excellent articles to take a look through:

• Should You Go to College After You Finish University? by Rachel McKee (TalentEgg)
• College Post-Grad Programs (Brock University
• The College Advantage by Josh Dehaas (Maclean's)