Careers after a Masters course

Our range of interdisciplinary and vocational Masters programmes can provide the opportunity to gain a postgraduate qualification in a completely new area to your undergraduate subject, and improve your employment opportunities as a result.

Entry requirements for many of our postgraduate programmes are flexible enough to enable students from a variety of disciplines and academic institutions to pursue a postgraduate qualification at Exeter, with the added benefit that the reputation of a top UK university can bring to your CV.

Exeter postgraduates have a high success rate at graduate level work within major multinational companies and in the public sector, helped by our reputation and relationships with employers who regularly attend careers fairs held on campus. By working closely with industry to understand their needs, we design postgraduate programmes which produce graduates with the knowledge and skills that businesses tell us they require, which can open up doors for Exeter postgraduates.

Postgraduate study is about giving you the edge in the careers market, and at the University of Exeter we go beyond providing excellent academic postgraduate programmes to make sure you have the skills to get your dream job.

In addition to employability officers in colleges on the Streatham Campus, our careers teams at the Career Zone – our award winning careers service – can help guide you through a wealth of information to match your skills and interests to a career that will suit you. Our staff work with regional, national and international employers to develop new work placement, project and graduate opportunities.

A selection of our services are listed below. Please see the Career Zone webpages for the full range.

Employer involvement is a key component of our employability strategy. These employers do much more than simply send details of jobs to the University: they provide trainers to run skills sessions, conduct mock interviews and a great deal more. Some employers also help to deliver courses as guest lecturers and offer work placements or projects. The organisations who employ our students and graduates often work with academic staff on collaborative research projects.

Many employers sit on advisory panels for academic departments and their comments help to ensure that Exeter programmes are relevant to today’s business world. In addition, some of our vocational courses are accredited by professional bodies and subject to rigorous external scrutiny to ensure the quality of programmes.

Employers also sit on the Career Zone Service advisory board to ensure that the facilities provided meet the needs of students and graduate recruiters and keep ahead of the changes in the market place.

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)

This is a national graduate training scheme in which the University is a partner. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership will enable you to undertake a six-month to three-year research-based, in-company project which is central to the company’s strategic development. You are paid a salary, given structured training and provided with mentoring support. KTP projects often lead to an offer of a permanent post with the host company. The scheme is available to students at both Exeter and Cornwall campuses.

Graduate Business Partnerships (GBP)

After completing your programme of study, you can participate in the Graduate Business Partnership scheme. This project-based scheme, which normally lasts 12 months, offers work placements in regional businesses. Projects have taken place in a range of areas including IT and e-commerce, market research, product development, and environmental research. During your placement you also benefit from a structured training programme run by the University.

We also offer a number of other internship schemes which can help you to pay for the cost of your studies and gain work experience at the same time. Please see our Career Zone webpages for details.