Should You Do Postgraduate Study? Secrets to a Correct Decision

Should you do postgraduate study? An overview of what you need to know

Currently, a Master’s or Doctoral degree is increasingly chosen by many people as a stepping stone to improve professional capacity and competitive advantage in their career. To assess whether this choice is really suitable, you need to clearly grasp the nature of the postgraduate programme and the important factors to consider before pursuing it.

What is postgraduate study?

Postgraduate study is a graduate training programme for those who already have a Bachelor’s degree and want to continue developing deeper professional knowledge. This programme usually includes levels such as a Master’s lasting 1.5-2 years and a Doctorate with a longer time and a focus on in-depth research.

Pursuing postgraduate study brings many clear advantages in career and income. According to the report “Graduate Degrees: Risky and Unequal Paths to the Top” by Georgetown University (US), people with a postgraduate degree have an average income of ~99,000 USD/year (~2.5 billion VND), 57% higher than that of full-time workers with a Bachelor’s degree.

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What you need to know before postgraduate study

Before deciding on postgraduate study, learners need to clearly grasp the basic information and conditions to be admitted to a postgraduate programme in Vietnam. According to the Regulation on admission and training at Master’s level (Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT) of the Ministry of Education and Training, learners need:

• To have a university graduation degree or equivalent from a recognised institution, which may require a fairly good graduation classification or above depending on the discipline and admission form.
• To have foreign-language competence reaching the minimum level according to the Vietnamese foreign-language competence framework equivalent to level 3/6.

The application usually includes the registration form, a copy of the degree and transcript, foreign-language certificate, research proposal (if required) and supporting documents according to the school’s regulations. The postgraduate study time in Vietnam usually ranges from about 1.5 – 2 years for a Master’s programme depending on the discipline and study form. Postgraduate training includes forms such as full-time regular, work-study and online training, blended learning depending on each educational institution’s policy.

Should you do postgraduate study? The common benefits

In the context of an increasingly competitive labour market and high specialisation requirements, postgraduate study becomes the choice of many people. Below are the common benefits of postgraduate study:

Increasing career opportunities

Postgraduate study helps you increase career opportunities thanks to creating a clear competitive advantage in the labour market. Employers usually highly value candidates with a postgraduate degree because they demonstrate research ability, analytical thinking and deep expertise.

At HUFLIT, the postgraduate programme not only focuses on training specialised knowledge but is also linked to the practical needs of enterprises. Through connection activities such as large-scale job fairs with more than 1000 recruitment opportunities, HUFLIT postgraduate students have more conditions to access employers and expand career prospects.

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Expanding the relationship network

When doing postgraduate study, you will get in touch with lecturers, industry experts and fellow students with the same orientation. This network is not only useful in study but also supports you in later career development.

Students at HUFLIT access professional relationships through activities such as Career Fair, Internship Week or the HUFLIT Mentoring programme organised with guidance from lecturers and successful alumni. In addition, the school also has an alumni network (HUFLIT Alumni) that helps students and learners connect with previous generations to further support knowledge exchange.

Higher income and advancement

Having a postgraduate degree is usually valued more highly by employers than a Bachelor’s degree, while also having higher income. According to SalaryExplorer, people with a Master’s degree usually receive a salary about 29-32% higher than a Bachelor’s degree in the same discipline and working conditions, especially having better advancement opportunities.

Some postgraduate training programmes at HUFLIT emphasise developing leadership capacity, strategic thinking and decision-making in a globalised environment. This creates conditions for learners to accumulate management experience and be ready to take on higher positions after graduation.

International study opportunities

Many postgraduate programmes offer opportunities to exchange, study or research abroad. This is an opportunity to experience a global study environment, improve foreign-language proficiency and absorb advanced knowledge.

HUFLIT maintains a cooperation network with more than 50 international partners. Thanks to this, students have the opportunity to participate in exchange programmes, international semesters and transfer to countries such as Japan, South Korea, the US, helping accumulate global study and research experience.

Supporting research & teaching orientation

Postgraduate study is a necessary preparation step for those who want to follow the research or teaching direction. You will be trained in scientific research methods, writing academic reports and practical guidance. This helps you shape your long-term professional direction.

Improving expertise & academic thinking

One of the biggest benefits of postgraduate study is improving professional level and developing academic thinking. You will have the ability to analyse, evaluate and solve problems at a deeper level, thereby becoming an expert in your field.

At HUFLIT, the Master’s training programme in disciplines such as English Language, Information Technology and Business Administration is designed with a team of experienced Professors and Doctors. The practically updated content helps learners develop in-depth knowledge and academic thinking to a higher standard, while having the opportunity to continue to Doctoral study if desired.

Some important notes when doing postgraduate study

Before starting a postgraduate programme, there are some important things to note so that the study process is effective and brings long-term value. Specifically:

You should choose the right discipline

When doing postgraduate study, you should choose a discipline suitable to your long-term career orientation instead of chasing a momentary trend. Consider how that discipline will help you develop skills and career opportunities in the next 5-10 years.

You need to learn how to manage time

Time-management skills are the key to completing the postgraduate programme well. Studying for a Master’s not only includes regular assignments but also requires in-depth research and long-term thesis writing. Therefore, a clear study plan will help you reduce stress and effectively make use of every study opportunity.

Building a relationship network

Don’t just focus on studying; proactively build a relationship network with lecturers, experts and fellow students. The people you meet in class can become partners or colleagues in the future. Connecting early helps expand career opportunities and learn practical experience from those around you.

Prepare finances carefully

When doing postgraduate study, you need to prepare carefully financially to ensure the study process is not interrupted. Besides tuition, budget for books, supplementary courses and accompanying research activities. For example, in many graduate programmes in the US, students also have to budget 500 – 1000 USD/year (13-26 million VND/year) for books and study materials.

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Should you do postgraduate study at HUFLIT? Benefits and career orientation

HUFLIT is currently providing graduate-level (Master’s) training in some main disciplines, including: English Language, Information Technology and Business Administration. In addition, the school admits in many different forms to create favourable conditions for learners such as pre-Master’s study (allowing learners to register for some subjects before officially enrolling in postgraduate study) and connected university-Master’s study (combining training, shortening time and continuing from university level to Master’s).

Benefits when doing postgraduate study at HUFLIT

If you are considering postgraduate study, HUFLIT is a choice worth considering. Below are the benefits if you choose to do postgraduate study here:

• Improving professional knowledge: The training programme closely follows reality, with a team of lecturers who are experienced Professors and Doctors at home and abroad, helping learners update new knowledge in their specialised field. In addition, HUFLIT is also recognised by education-quality accreditation certifications for the Master’s programme, affirming the level of expertise and training standards according to the requirements of the Ministry of Education.
• Wide-open career opportunities: HUFLIT is known for its strength in foreign languages and international cooperation, providing disciplines that help students develop language and communication skills in a multicultural environment, creating a great advantage when applying for positions such as diplomacy, international communication, etc. In particular, the school also regularly organises job fairs such as HUFLIT Career Fair 2025, creating conditions for students to find suitable jobs and meet large enterprises.
• Preferential policies: When participating in postgraduate study at HUFLIT, learners will be applied preferential tuition policies such as a 20% full-course tuition reduction for HUFLIT staff, specialists and full-time lecturers who have graduated with a Master’s at the school, or children and siblings of the school’s full-time staff, specialists and lecturers. In addition, HUFLIT alumni, groups of 5 registrants, and foreign learners are also reduced by 10%.
• Professional relationship network: Connecting with lecturers, alumni, industry experts, internship and job opportunities. HUFLIT regularly organises seminars connecting enterprises and students, such as a Seminar with Chinese enterprises that attracted nearly 400 students to attend. In particular, the alumni network (HUFLIT Alumni) with a website platform, fanpage, Facebook group creates conditions for students to connect and learn from previous generations.
• Solid academic foundation: More than 80% of postgraduate and Doctoral lecturers at HUFLIT have international research and teaching experience, ensuring guidance for students to high academic standards. In particular, HUFLIT provides many disciplines focusing on in-depth research such as IT, English Language, etc., combining theory with research practice, helping students train data analysis and evaluation skills and write quality theses.

Career orientation after postgraduate study at HUFLIT

• Language and Translation-Interpreting discipline: With a postgraduate level, you can apply for in-depth positions such as chief interpreter, translation-project supervisor, language expert for international organisations or diplomatic agencies. When doing postgraduate study, you will be provided with in-depth knowledge of language and applied studies, the ability to handle complex situations and language-analysis skills at a higher level. This is the foundation to take on bigger professional positions and responsibilities.
• Communication and Public Relations discipline: Postgraduate study helps you deeply understand communication strategy, plan overall marketing plans and access international trends. Candidates are usually prioritised for roles such as team management, campaign supervision or department operation compared to those with a Bachelor’s degree, thereby improving advancement ability and increasing income.
• Tourism – Hospitality Administration discipline: During postgraduate study, it helps you firmly grasp high-end service administration, tourism-brand development strategy, operating management of international resorts/hotels. Thanks to this, it expands opportunities to take on middle and higher management positions with an attractive salary.
• International Relations discipline: Working at international organisations, NGOs, diplomatic agencies or enterprises with international cooperation. The Master’s programme focuses on strategic thinking, international policy analysis and negotiation skills at a high level, helping learners become planning experts, international project coordinators or international cooperation programme directors, etc. – positions requiring in-depth expertise and greater experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about whether to do postgraduate study

Should you do postgraduate study right after graduating from university?

Whether to do postgraduate study or not depends on career goals, personal orientation and actual conditions. Studying for a Master’s right after university helps maintain continuous study momentum, make use of still-fresh academic thinking and get into it faster. However, working before postgraduate study brings practical experience, helping you more clearly determine the field you want to research and need to supplement in the later study programme.

Does postgraduate study help increase income?

Yes, because a Master’s degree or higher level opens up opportunities to apply for higher professional and management positions with a higher salary.

Can you work full-time while doing postgraduate study?

You can still work full-time while doing postgraduate study, but you need to manage time effectively because the Master’s programme usually requires research, doing assignments and writing a thesis. At HUFLIT, the Master’s programmes are designed with a flexible study schedule, combining in-person and online study on weekends, helping students easily arrange to work and study at the same time.

Above is the information answering whether to do postgraduate study or not. Choosing suitable postgraduate study will help improve expertise, develop soft skills and expand career opportunities. If you are looking for a place to achieve these goals, HUFLIT is a wise choice to realise your goal of studying and researching your discipline more deeply.

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