Is a masters really becoming the norm?

[Terracotta57]

DC who is at Oxbridge, and about to go into final year, feels that many are planning to do masters (and this is in humanities / social science fields not stem, so not funded). I know that the job market may be pushing many to do masters (and of course many others will choose to purely from love of their subject), but I'm also surprised it seems so common given the increasing weight of student loans and exorbitant cost (especially at the top unis where fees alone can be over £20k). Is it really becoming the new norm and does that mean that even an oxbridge degree isn't able to compete if there isn't a masters attached to it?

What does she want to do in life? I think in the humanities or social sciences, a masters is only required when it’s something vocational – eg if someone wants to be a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist or academic etc (don’t become an academic!!). Otherwise I don’t think masters degrees are particularly worthwhile these days, in my experience.

Most of my friends with geosciences degrees have a masters. It's what converted our geography/geology degrees into skills useful to employers - planning, teaching research, environmental management etc

If you do want to apply for the milk round or you study something more vocational then I guess you don't need the masters to get a related job.

Unless it's for a specific job, not even degrees are necessarily needed-and there are other non-traditional ways of getting int professions that once needed them. One of the lovely young men at the local shops says he'd going to do as many degrees as he can, because he wants to stay a student as long as possible (he does work 5 hours per week at the shop, but fits that round uni).
Even some Oxbridge grads don't have work-it's awful how things are for kids (or those who were very recently kids) now.

I work in the NHS

Huge numbers of band 7 role and above now want a Masters - unthinkable 20 years ago

A masters might not be funded but there are lots of fully funded social science PhDs. I'm on one now.

On my Cambridge course, most of the lecturers etc in the department considered the continuation of an academic career to be the best route to take - they all seemed a bit sorry when people left to get actual jobs. So there may be a smidge of that - general encouraging of further study etc. Though this was usually for PhD rather than masters.

Masters degrees are v useful for converting more general undergrad into more vocationally specific study - we prefer them in my STEM industry - but I’m not at all sure how it works with humanities.

It's a money-making scam by the universities (unless it leads to employment).

@Terracotta57 the term 'panic Masters' has been coined in the media for this trend, which has been linked to the graduate job market.

Expensive is an understatement. There is also the consideration that postgraduate loans need to be paid back in parallel with undergraduate loans. I do wonder if some people don't realise that when they take them out and just think "well I'm never going to pay my student loan back anyway so an extra £20k won't make any difference", but it will.

If young people think they might want to do a Masters then an undergrad course with an integrated Masters is the cheapest option. Then the fourth year is capped at the undergrad price and is covered by the undergrad loan t&c's.

Oh, and some universities charge c£100 just to apply for a Masters.

My DC’s cohort have gone back to do masters because they can’t get jobs. The jobs market for inexperienced graduates is terrible just now so many are doing this in hope it helps them get a job

Totally agree integrated masters are a much better deal, but unfortunately they only exist for stem.

Ive told my dc they would have to be very clear what their area of interest and aim would be for a masters- they aren’t (in terms of improving job proespects) so at the very least a gap year after undergrad is needed with internships and some travelling/ life experience.

Would internships etc not be more useful in some cases?

Totally depends on the Masters and the job. With some careers like engineering, a Masters will lead to being chartered more quickly.

Sorry yes I’m talking more about humanities/social sciences

I have advised my kids to save their Masters funding for when they've decided what field they actually want to go into. There's no point rushing to get a Masters straight from undergrad, and then finding you actually need one in something different but have used up your loan.

A masters can be extremely useful and improve career prospects - but they need to have an idea about career to make the right choice. If they're not certain, a year of any work experience is a good space to think.

I agree with this, but even 30+ years ago when I graduated, an MSc was needed to develop a career in a specific field. My MSc (Engineering Geology) was a mix of new graduates, people with 2-8 years experience with contractors and some converting from a different field, mostly oil & gas exploration. The Geological Society of London requires an MSc or Masters Equivalence Report

I converted further to the Institution of Civil Engineers, who also require an MEng or BEng + MSc for chartership.

Sorry I was replying to Martha comment about all Masters being a money making scam and pointing out that in some fields it isn’t essential but will lead to being Chartered more quickly.

Totally pointless unless related to a clear interest or vocational path. For most it’s all about delaying work, doing something in the absence of work, or hoping to stand out from others without a masters.
ultimately real work / internships triumph - if you can get it!

I’m guessing they’re struggling to get internships too - they’re just as competitive as getting jobs.

They’re very difficult to get I agree with literally hundreds applying for each one.

Also, in the days when you could leave education at 14, or 16, far fewer people went to university. I think it was around 30%. Now an undergraduate degree is more the “norm” , then a masters is what makes graduates stand out.

i honestly believe that higher education funding needs a serious overhaul in England. Lockdown showed us which occupations were “key”- fund those at the appropriate level, with succession planning in that profession.

Back in the late 1980s when I finished my first degree a masters was only deemed essential if you wanted to be an academic. I self funded the first year (PT) and was then awarded a studentship by my uni which allowed me to finish the masters and begin a Ph.D. I finally got a state studentship to complete the doctorate. This was only essential because I wanted to be an academic. Even in the 1990s getting postgraduate funding which you did not have to pay back was fiercely competative.

Yes definitely would be but the competition is so great due to number of graduates there’s been no luck with internships either. So many graduates facing unemployment at present

A lot of children of people I know have stayed on to do masters and PHDs