| Choosing the right program for your postgraduate study is very important because
it might be one of the most critical factors that determines
whether you can successfully graduate from your program or not.
Postgraduate studies are usually much more challenging than
undergraduate courses because they demand much more rigorous research.
Here are the the two steps in choosing the right
program: Step 1: Determining your research Interest. You must determine your research interest before you even decided to embark on a postgraduate program. It must be a field of study that you have genuine passion for it, otherwise you may tend to back off when the going is tough. Preferably you should have some prior knowledge and skills related to the field of study you are about to undertake so that it is easy for you to climb the learning curve. If you not sure of your research interest, you can talk to the academicians such your former lecturers, or just about any of your friends such as your former college mates so that you can get some feedbacks on what field to choose. You can also search for different fields of study in the World Wide Web. Step 2: Searching for the right academic institution Searching for the right academic institution is of utmost important. In order to choose the right institution, Johnston(1995) provides the following checklist which you should go through when you want to get the necessary information from a particular institution. Here is the checklist: i) Is the institution provides an information booklet which gives information on research and the regulations and procedures which apply? ii) Are you offered an interview with the director of research studies, or a potential supervisor, to explore the match between your research interests and the research activities and supervisors' abilities of the institution? iii) Is there a series of seminars on research design and research methodology to provide you with knowledge as well as an opportunity to meet other reseachers? iv) Is there a regular newsletter to help you keep in touch with the up-to-date information related to research? v) Is there a culture of conference attendance by supervisors and researchers that will give you the opportunity to present papers and discuss your research with others? vi) Are the library and computer resources adequate? Is there an online library with a rich database of research journals and papers which you can access anywhere and anytime? vii) Do the institution provides research funds or financial aids so that you have enough fund to cover the cost of conducting research activities ? |