Undergraduate vs Postgraduate Studies: Understanding the Difference

The change from what to think to how to think is central to postgraduate study. The question is no longer what a student knows, or even how to apply that knowledge. The question becomes whether a student can critically engage with competing ideas, synthesise them, and arrive at an independent judgment.

The nature of postgraduate study, therefore, is to create a context within which students become proficient in being able to think creatively with agility, especially when all the answers are not apparent in a resource text.

Postgraduate study relies on the foundation of undergraduate study in order to be effective. For example, a student pursuing postgraduate qualifications in risk and insurance is prepared by their study in accounting and economics at BCom level, because, as Grundling points out, a risk officer who cannot read a financial statement cannot spot risk in one.

Knowing that the rules have changed is not the same as being prepared for what that feels like. Postgraduate study demands much more from students than undergraduate study and not simply because the workload is increased. Successful postgraduate students need to develop grit and resilience on top of mastering the academic component of their courses.

Deep engagement with difficult material takes time and there isn’t a shortcut. Postgraduate students who can become accustomed to the discomfort of not knowing everything at once, and uncovering, discovering and forming their own conclusions are the ones who progress with the least amount of friction.

Grundling reinforces this idea when she remarks that discomfort is there by design. “‘Uncomfortableness’ is good. You have to be uncomfortable because that is where true learning really happens.”

Grundling also adds that postgraduate students don't struggle because the work is hard. They struggle because they are being asked to trust their own thinking, and many of them don't yet know how to do that. Successful postgraduate students shift from knowing about a topic to becoming knowledge specialists who are capable of forming and defending a position, because, over time, they have come to trust their judgement.

As Grundling explains, the critical thinking required in a postgraduate programme pushes them to say “this is what I stand for, this is why I think what I think and then going with it.

She also points out, “You can't just recall knowledge and reproduce knowledge. You have to know what is most important and how to apply that in different scenarios and in case studies. So it's a completely different game.” 

Knowing that the “game” has changed, Milpark has built its postgraduate programmes around exactly that shift. The Milpark team is intent on seeing their students’ success, and their intricate understanding of the demands of postgraduate study.

Their extensive experience in supporting students to success makes Milpark a great fit for prospective postgraduate students whether they are recent graduates or needing to study while working full time.

A System Designed For Success

Milpark’s Immersive Online (IO) model is designed to offer students comprehensive support and enable their success. Students find themselves in an environment that requires autonomy and self-direction, but are never abandoned to figure it out by themselves.

For example, before the IO for PGDip in Risk Management programme begins, students are invited to a meet-and-greet reception where the new cohort can hear from alumni what the course will require and hear success stories from people who have experienced the course themselves. Once students are enrolled, they have unique access to consistent student support at Milpark.

Students have direct access to their lecturers; they are able to contact a designated programme manager; there are online student groups; and psychosocial support is available. All of these serve to offer students the necessary encouragement and practical advice to work alongside them to their success.

When it comes to academic content, Milpark offers top class tuition. There are live and recorded lectures and engagement in small group learning, but the focus is very much on allowing students to acquire knowledge and skills in order to be able to work at the highest level in their industries.

At postgraduate level, students are required to learn how to ask better questions in order to make the most of the content, but are never left to do this without a strong course framework and guidance along the way. What could seem a potentially insurmountable peak to climb from the outside, i.e. completing a post-graduate certificate or master’s degree while working full time, becomes achievable with the help of experienced guides who know the way.

In fact, Milpark graduates have received much more than just their degrees and have been recognised as top academic achievers.

The IO for PGDip in Risk Management is a good example of how a postgraduate course is structured for peak, but accessible learning. Early modules are more foundational, and there is a focus on resource-based knowledge acquisition in learning from existing material, but this evolves.

Later modules raise the cognitive demand, and the final module is entirely project-based with no prescribed content. Students are given no new information and need to research and solve real-world problems with the devotion of an academic and the dedication of the best risk officers in the industry.

While demanding, the final module can be the most educational as students are expected to apply and synthesise what they have learned in a practical, project-based task, and present to a simulated board.In this simulation of a private, public, or government organisation or an NGO of the students’ choice, lecturers and students play the parts of various C-suite leaders on the board, including a lecturer who plays the part of the CEO.

Students are required to work together to complete risk assessments and present these to the board with the assertiveness and creativity needed to match the level expected of C-suite leaders in actual businesses. They are required to be bold, yet ethical, and cannot complete the course until they are able to prove that they can stand up to a CEO should the need arise.

Read More: Promoting Risk Management Excellence in Business Education

Grundling reinforces that sending employable and capable graduates into the market is non-negotiable and Milpark ensures they have everything from an academic and support point for success. A postgraduate student who comes out the other side is someone who can stand in front of a board and hold a position, not because they know everything, but because they have learned to trust their own reasoning.

Even though this shift in thought paradigm is gradual and subtle, it is hard-won as the students have been given the environment within which to gain the necessary skills. The ability to make a decision without having all the information is what C-suite roles require and employers notice.

With a team of lecturers who allow you to learn independently, but never alone, postgraduate study has never been such an accessible path. If you’re ready for a rewarding challenge and seriously considering a postgraduate qualification and want to understand more of what that looks like with Milpark on your side, have a look here.