Forward by degrees

Mark Rogers is ambitious. That's why on a long holiday weekend, while most of us are chilling out, he is hitting the books - studying for his postgraduate degree. At 29, he aspires to being in an executive role during his 30s. In a world where seemingly everyone is brandishing a bachelor degree, he knows he has to work hard to distinguish himself from the pack. "These days an undergraduate degree is a prerequisite rather than an advantage," he says.

Like many young professionals, he is hoping a master's degree will give him an edge in his quest for a senior management position.

Rogers exemplifies why more Australians are pursuing postgraduate degrees. Over the past 20 years, postgraduate student numbers have trebled - from about 60,000 in 1988 to more than 180,000 today. But getting a career edge doesn't come cheap, with the price of some postgraduate programs pushing the six-figure mark. Despite such high fees, some students find themselves disappointed with academic standards, while others find it isn't the career springboard they expected it to be.

"Young professionals are very ambitious and very impatient. They want that piece of paper to get ahead in their careers," says management consultant Marigo Raftopolous. "It's causing a lot of tension in the workplace. They feel as though they're entitled to that promotion and they're not getting it."

Rogers is under no illusions: "I'm not convinced it'll be the magic key that's going to unlock all my career goals, but it's certainly not going to hurt, is it?" He chose his master's in business administration (MBA) not just for its prestige but for the fact that it will help address some perceived gaps in his skills arsenal. His double degree in commerce and economics helped land him a job as a business analyst for a large construction firm, but he now feels a need to undertake further study to improve his knowledge of mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance.

Coursework degrees such as Rogers' MBA are by far the most popular postgraduate programs. Most cater for people who want a high-powered qualification to give their career a boost. Coursework programs involve structured classes and assignments and are generally more vocationally oriented than the more academically focused research degrees.

Most postgraduate students pay full fees, whereas undergraduate students split the tab with government under the HECS-HELP scheme. Rogers says his MBA will cost more than $40,000, about $3000 a subject. He is lucky to have his employer share the cost, which is not uncommon among large companies which see postgraduate study as an investment in an employee's professional development.

Unlike Rogers, former high school teacher Michael Sharkey doesn't have an employer to chip in for the cost of his postgraduate law degree. He will bear the entire $86,000 in fees, but under the Government's FEE-HELP loan program doesn't have to pay anything until he re-enters the workforce.

"It's a scary figure but I'm blocking it out and not thinking about it. I'll deal with it when it comes out of my pay," he says.

At 28, Sharkey is eager to commence a new career and wants to finish his juris doctor degree in two years rather than the customary three. He has quit work to study full-time, bringing in lodgers to help cover his mortgage repayments and relying on loans from friends and family to get by. It's a financial struggle, but he is motivated to build a new career and thinks the sacrifice will be worth it in the long run.

Postgraduate students such as Sharkey and Rogers paid more than $250 million in fees in 2007, a revenue stream that has become increasingly important to the nation's universities, which have endured government funding cuts in real terms in 11 out of the past 15 years. While neither is thrilled at adding to their already substantial HECS debts, both Sharkey and Rogers find their courses highly challenging and are happy with their investment so far.

Not everyone is as satisfied with the quality of their postgraduate course. One student, who declined to be named for fear of harming her employment prospects, says studying for a master's in film and television was "the least challenging year of university I've experienced". She voices disappointment over poor teaching standards and out-of-date equipment no longer used in the industry.

While otherwise satisfied with her course, environment management student Georgina Smith has concern about out-of-date study materials and parallel teaching - when postgraduate and undergraduate students are taught in the same class. In one subject, Smith found herself outnumbered by undergraduate students from a different field of study.

"Having a lower-level discussion based on another discipline area was a bit of a drawback," she says. "I wasn't pushed to learn in the same way as I expected to be pushed in a master's-level course."

The quality of postgraduate programs has long been a concern for the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA). "It's clear that we've seen a dramatic increase in fees. Whether or not there has been a corresponding increase in the quality of those courses remains an open question," says CAPA president Nigel Palmer.

While acknowledging there are many high-quality coursework programs in the market, CAPA voices concern over under-resourcing, "re-badging" of undergraduate curriculums and parallel teaching. Evidence to support these concerns remains anecdotal, as little research has been undertaken in the past 15 years.

Paul Keating was prime minister the last time government took a serious look at standards and quality in coursework postgraduate programs. The last report, published in 1995, warned that the credibility of master's degrees could be "further compromised" without adequate government oversight. This remains a significant concern, says the report's co-author, Professor Richard James, director of Melbourne University's Centre for the Study of Higher Education. Indeed, such are the inconsistencies in the market, it's difficult to find anyone willing to accurately define a master's degree. "It's a question that most institutions would have difficulty in answering," says Professor James.

In May, the Rudd Government announced plans to establish a new higher education regulator and quality assurance framework for the higher education sector. While this appears to be a step in the right direction, it remains uncertain whether it will lead to clearer standards and information for prospective postgraduate students. Meanwhile, for prospective postgraduate students, making an educated decision remains a challenge.

"It's very difficult at enrolment to get a clear indication of whether you will be enrolling in a quality program," says Palmer. "The best indication would be insights from students who have already completed the course, or the advice of professional associations in that discipline area."

Deregulation seems to lie at the heart of this variation in the postgraduate market. Since reforms in the mid 1990s, universities have developed postgraduate degrees virtually free of government intervention. On one hand this has raised questions about quality and standards; on the other, deregulation has given universities the licence to develop specialised programs in response to industry and student demand.

As a result, it's possible to do a postgrad course in just about anything these days - whether midwifery, hospitality, Chinese medicine or logistics. But just because there is a course in your area of interest doesn't mean you should do it. It's a case of understanding what will give you an edge in your chosen field.

For book editor and screenwriter Holly Alexander, this meant acquiring skills and experience rather than an expensive postgraduate degree. She built her success on choosing highly practical TAFE programs to supplement her bachelor of arts.

A diploma in professional writing and editing led to a job as an editor for travel publisher Lonely Planet, while an advanced diploma in professional screenwriting underpins her current position as a writer for Channel Seven's City Homicide. In getting her latest job, she says, a traineeship as a writer for Neighbours was more important than the calibre of her qualifications.

"I think they look for experience more than anything else (in the television industry)," she says. "When I went for a job at City Homicide I told them that I'd made two short films and they weren't particularly interested. But when I said that I'd done four weeks at Neighbours, that for them was gold."

Of critical importance to her was the fact her teachers practised their craft and provided invaluable industry contacts.

For Mark Rogers, the reality is that the TAFE sector can't provide the kind of high-calibre qualification to propel him into senior management. It's the same for Michael Sharkey - a career in law is something that only a university degree can bring.

However, like many who are changing careers, Sharkey had the choice of doing either a postgraduate degree or a second undergraduate degree (the bachelor of laws). He was lucky enough to have friends in the legal profession who could guide him when making the choice. The critical factor for him was finding a reputable course that engaged and challenged him.

"The classes are smaller, more intensive and tailored towards people who are returning to study. Also, having been a secondary teacher I didn't want to be in classes with people I'd taught. That was probably the key decider." He is enjoying studying with mature students and is content with his choice of course.

But value for money is not just about choosing the right program. Getting the most out of your postgraduate degree requires commitment, not only to the acquisition of knowledge, but to making friends and developing networks that will help propel you through the next phase of your career and beyond.

Many postgraduate students juggle full-time work with their studies, which makes it tough to devote sufficient time and energy to the cause. For Rogers, this commitment means spending less time with friends and family. He gets four to five hours sleep a night and looks forward to the end of semester. "It is a battle but you have to tell yourself that the rewards are going to be worth it in the end," he says. "My wife can't wait for me to finish exams so she can reacquaint herself with me again."