There is also an opportunity to break with the traditional didactic form of education, where a teacher teaches and the student learns - because postgraduate studies have the option, even at Masters level, to undertake a research-based degree, something that many students would associate with the concept of a PhD.

So why should people choose one form of postgraduate learning over another? Are there any specific advantages to a taught Masters or a research Masters?

And are some subjects more suited to research than others?

The reality is that the pursuit of either a taught Masters or a research Masters is really down to the individual. Every student will have some form of research experience, from writing essays and dissertations to learning in formal research methods programmes. So every student will have a fairly good idea of whether they will float or flounder when it comes to an entire degree based around research. And, it must be remembered, if people are unsure, some taught masters degrees do have strong elements of research within them.

"People pursue postgraduate qualifications for two main reasons, " said Michael Ryan, Dean of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Training at UCD. "Firstly, they could be continuing study in their own discipline to obtain a higher qualification, or secondly they could be looking to switch fields entirely to gain additional skills. A taught programme will allow students to explore certain topics in more depth giving them more knowledge around a broad area, while a research programme will also develop the students' skills in undertaking research."

Because of this, it is often more useful for students looking to switch disciplines to engage in a taught Masters programme. Taught programmes still make up the majority of the postgraduate education offered by UDC - of the 6,000 or so graduate students at the college (representing 27% of the overall student intake), there are about 4,200 in taught programmes and a further 1,800 research students. It is, however, important to note that the majority of research students are studying at PhD and postdoctoral level, with only about 400 students engaged in research Masters programmes.

This is not, of course, to say that research Masters degrees will not be appropriate for a large number of students. For example, people who might be looking to pursue a doctorate, but who may be fearful of committing four years to a PhD, could continue their studies for one or two years by undertaking a research Masters. This could then form the basis of any future PhD undertaken.

But a research Masters is not just about academia, and employment prospects will be enhanced by any postgraduate qualification.

Indeed, while a taught Masters degree could, in theory, enhance a person's general employment outlook more than a research Masters, the reality is that, by learning how to research, communicate, and defend research in front of a committee, a research graduate will be gaining some of the most crucial skills which are so highly valued by the employment market in general.

Indeed, the value of these communications and, indeed, entrepreneurial skills which come through a research programme can be seen in the number of research graduates who are entering into the general working world.

There is a preconception that research Masters and PhD holders will end up in academia, but recent figures show that only two out of every 10 people with a doctorate follow a career in academia, with 80% opting for the less rarefied atmosphere of the jobs crush outside of the cloisters of college.

Indeed, many research graduates go into business by themselves - possibly because they have become used, at an early stage in their careers, of intellectual property issues that arise around their own research.

But, at the end of the day, despite the noble intentions of obtaining qualifications, much of their worth can be experienced through future remuneration in the working world. And is there any difference in terms of the monetary value of a research or taught Masters?

"The first thing that people need to do is to get their MA or MSc or whatever, because statistics show that long-term earnings will be better for people who have a graduate degree, " said Ryan. "Whether that is a taught degree or a research degree, the employers won't very much mind. It is true that there can be a little more academic prestige attached to a research degree, but overall a person's career prospects will be much the same whether they studied a taught or research Masters."