Advice on starting a conversion MSc

What is a conversion MSc?

A conversion MSc can be a great opportunity if you’re wanting to pursue a new career, enhance your degree further with another subject or change your direction. They’re also a great way to add new skills to your repertoire, or if you’ve been out of education for a while. Regardless of your individual circumstances, a conversion MSc (Masters) can be a good fit for a wide array of people.

It is defined by Prospectus as an “intensive postgraduate programme that allows you to pursue a career that your undergraduate degree or professional career hasn’t prepared you for”. They’re available in almost every subject, depending on the university so there are many options to choose from.

They’re also worth the same as a normal MSc and can be applied for in the same way, depending on the specific course and university requirements.

Why do students choose to do conversion a MSc?

Students who choose to complete a conversion postgraduate course often may have chosen their undergraduate degree without a career in mind, based on what they were interested in or thought they’d like to do at the time. A conversion course allows these students to change their career path more easily. There also may be students who have been out of education for a long time and wish to refresh their knowledge by completing a conversion MSc instead of a research based or taught MSc in their undergraduate subject which would usually build on knowledge from the undergraduate course.

It can conflicting to decide whether it is for you, however completing one can increase your confidence in that specific field, as well as your job prospects as you’ll be widening your skills whilst also gaining a professional accreditation. Moreover, it can be a good option for students who find their current future career path worrying and allow them to go into a job more fulfilling.

What to expect and how to get on top

However, a conversion MSc can also be quite daunting since they often fast-track a lot of baseline knowledge in order to get to the postgraduate level. This could cause a lot of stress as you may be expected to do a lot of independent learning, attend more lectures than individuals not doing a conversion MSc and also be expected to go at a faster pace. Although, it may be useful to prepare for your course during the summer through independent studying of the foundations of the topic, as this can help combat a lot of the initial stress.

This type of MSc may not be for everyone, it comes with many advantages but also disadvantages so it’s worth talking to the relevant people, such as tutors or the career centre to gain more information so you can make a confident decision on whether this may be for you.