PG Studies a pathway for better prospects now

Amalshan GUNERATHNE

Times are such that a person’s worth is measured by prestigious documents which we pompously venerate as ‘Academic Degrees.’ Therefore whether we like it or not, succeeding without proper academic qualifications in contemporary times has become a tediously difficult task.

Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo (UOC), Porfessor Kshanika Hirimburegama	Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS), Porfessor Sunil Chandrasiri

Thus we toil hard and labour to arm ourselves with proper academic qualifications without which our ambitious goals would come to a standstill. As everyone is engaged in a rat-race for money and fame, you cannot simply afford to lag-behind. Therefore unless you carve for yourself a proper path to success, chances are that you would end up losing the race and be slammed as a sheer failure.

Therefore, whether you like it or not, to succeed in life, the system demands that you obtain paper qualifications that could provide some testimony to your skills and knowledge. No matter how talented or skilled you are, without proper paper-qualifications, you would always struggle to prove your worth.

The joy of achieving the target

Paying keen attention to a lecture

Towards a better future. Picture courtesy - Faculty of Graduate Studies

The competition is such that a mere basic degree almost has no value in current job-market. It is no longer about just gaining university entrance and obtaining a basic degree. The system demands that you pursue your academic goals and strive for greater academic achievements at post graduate level. Hence not halting at a basic degree, you strive to succeed at ‘Masters’ and ‘Ph.D’ level. Therefore, though tedious and stressful it may be, the higher education in modern times has become a key to one’s success as an individual.

Value of post graduate studies

The value of pursuing post-graduate studies in contemporary times should not be underestimated on any account. Hence, ‘punch recently visited ‘Faculty of Graduate Studies’ (FGS) in University of Colombo to discuss the path to post-graduate studies and value of pursuing post-graduate studies in modern times.

As wealthy few go abroad to foster their post-graduate skills at foreign universities, FGS at Colombo University provides a good option for those who want to pursue their post-graduate studies while staying in the country. The FGS, being one of the key contributors to human capital development in Sri Lanka, provides post- graduate education and research to about nine hundred and fifty students in thirty programmes.

Sharing her thoughts with punch, Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo (UOC), Porfessor Kshanika Hirimburegama noted, “One of the main purposes of pursuing post-graduate studies is to learn more and acquire new knowledge. This knowledge that you gained should be immediately applied in your workplace and used to develop yourself career-wise. The practical application has to be there. It helps you to develop yourself personally wise as well.”

Studying with a purpose

One of the key factors that many fail to grasp while doing their studies is the purpose or the reasons for pursuing their studies on a particular subject. Some are obsessed with gaining good grades and collecting certificates that they often fail to understand the core value on why they study.

With this regard, a random statement made by a fellow friend and an undergraduate student comes to mind, “machan, it does not matter what they teach you or whether what is being taught has any practical validity.

What matters most is the certificate and that you pass it with a good grade, few years down the line, you would not remember what you have studied anyway” he said. The statement leaves dire question mark as to for what purpose do students follow their studies, is it just to gain a mere certificate? Not only that the statement is very disturbing, but it also questions their purpose of following such an extensive course programme.

However according to the Dean of FGS, Porfessor Sunil Chandrasiri, unlike in undergraduate level, most students who follow post-graduate courses are very much aware and conscious about their course content and have specific plan as to how their future should work-out. Sharing his thoughts with Punch, Dean Chadrasiri noted, “Most who come to us do have certain, specific idea about what they want to pursue.

“We interview them and get to know their plans. If they want help, we talk with them, get to know their career plans and help them out to select a course unit that would be beneficial for them.”

Demand oriented course units

The institutes who cater higher studies are often accused with the notion that their study content is not practical oriented. A common accusation is that content often do not caters to current demands of the job market. However, FGS is adamant that their study programmes are demand driven and cater to varied set of fields. FGS offers a variety of course programmes in various subjects such as ‘Business Studies’, ‘Development Studies’, ‘Manufacturing Management’, ‘Human Rights’, ‘Conflict Resolution and Peace’, ‘Labour Studies’, ‘Regional Development’ to ‘Japanese Studies’, ‘American Studies’, ‘Public Administration and Management’, ‘Counseling and Psychosocial Support’, ‘Information System Management’, etc

Modern teaching methods

The course programmes in FGS are formulated specifically to meet the demands of professional office workers. To meet their hectic time schedule, FGS offers an internet learning system which they call as ‘Mobile learning’ method. The system offers the students with a medium which they can use to keep track of their studies from home. The system also helps FGS to have a wide-student network which spreads across the country. “Most who come to us are already engaged in their professional jobs. So for their benefit, we have an online learning system, where they can learn their course content through internet. Their presence is needed only for the final exams and all the other content are taught through online means and even mid-term assignments are submitted via internet,” Dean Chandrasiri noted. Professor Chandrasiri also assures that few years down the line, they would be able to conduct even final examinations through online means.

Even for non degree holders

The path to post graduate degrees at FGS is laid out in such a way that even non-degree holders can apply for it. They too can apply, provided that the candidate has necessary working experience and advance level (A/L) results. “Individual who has three years experience at the executive level with A/Ls can apply for our one year executive diploma course unit. From there onwards, they can gradually build their way to the Ph.D level,” the Dean noted. Dean also commented that most non degree holders who apply for post-graduate degree are better equipped to meet the demands of post-graduate level than some of the degree holders. “Since they have years of work experience, they can cope with the pressure of post-graduate level. On the contrary sometimes we find graduates struggling at post-graduate level. It is hard to fathom out a reason, may be the standard of teaching in our undergraduate level has come down,” Dean Chandrasiri says.

The degree holders can apply for the postgraduate diploma and start to build their way towards the Ph.D level. After completing the one year post-graduate diploma, they can move on to Masters level. Only after the successful completion of the Masters degree that they can move on to Ph.D level.