ive done taught degrees (under) all my life and never done anything research. i am wondering how research postgrad is like... having come through the school system the only thing i know is how to study, learn , then spit it out during exam... never done research before.

1) who decides what topic do you want to research? you or your lecturer?
2) can detail how is it like?
3) is research degree more valuable than taught degree?

I have been in research most of my life. Depending on your field, you should look up for a thesis supervisor that falls within your research interest.

I'll give you an example. I was a microbiology graduate. After which, I embarked on my research dealing with antimicrobial, which mainly focused on searching for new natural antimicrobial compounds. I have pretty much learned everything on bacteria, which later led me to pursue my PhD on studying virus.

Basically I didn't deviate much from my undergrad. Just that I moved deeper into two main microorganisms, which are more related to human health. Of course there are others too but I decided to pick up these two as my core.

So it's basically up to you to decide what you want to do.

if u dont mind me asking... where did u get the money to study master/phd ? did your parents fund u? phd can take up to 4-5 years right? thats a pretty long period not working but have expenditure.

No way my parents could have funded me .. I'm from a B40 family. I did everything under scholarships, we get paid in the form of stipend with tuition fees fully covered. Not much but it covers most of my living cost with a little of saving. Doing a postgrad in Malaysia may not be the wisest choice. The stipend is so low considering the daily living cost. You get paid about 1.5k (master) to 2.5k (PhD) monthly? But it is a good starting point to build your resume if you're in one of the top RUs.

Comparing it to sg where they actually pay you 3k per month as a student and an increment of 500 2 years down the road.

Never self-fund for postgraduate. Not worth doing it. You may not even graduate and dropout in between. Doing a research is not the same as reading, memorizing and vomit everything during exam. Here, you form a hypothesis, prove it and conclude. And, most supervisors would only give minimal guidance, most of the time you're on your own.

Not to mention, research is about using what you have learned during your undergrad days and apply them in your research work to fill the gaps. In short, learn theory (undergrad) >> fill the gaps (postgrad) >> breakthrough (Nobel price winners)

This post has been edited by malz89: Oct 27 2025, 11:34 AM

1) generally you choose the supervisor & his lab/researches based on your interest, discuss potential topics, and see if the supervisor is willing to take you on that..
or it can be you have no specific topic but you have broad preference in that particular area, the supervisor will likely have idea/on-going research that needs another kuli..
the former is ideal, and the latter is common


2) from comp sci perspective: paper reading -> idea -> discussions w/ supervisor/others -> implementation -> gather results -> paper writing -> submission to conference/journal -> repeat...
when it comes toward the end, mash together all the research that you did into one thesis as a story, then explain your work to a panel of experts (might also be your supervisor own buddies )..then they decide whether to give u that degree.


3) in the end, you need to figure out your actual purpose to do postgrad..and you have to be really honest with yourself
advancing your career? siok sendiri want add a Dr.? don't know what to do so keep studying? don't want to join the rat race so early? too much free time don't know what to do?

if it's related to academic track, yea, u will likely require that advanced degree..
if R&D, maybe so...just maybe slightly bump salary/job grade
other than that...it's likely gonna be "marketing"

How is it. It's motivating if u know how to do it. It's torturing if you're new to it.

1. You choose usually
But if you apply through a grant (sometimes you will see supervisors advertise application for position as a graduate student with monthly stipend), your topic is based on the approved grant.

2. Do a research on your topic and write thesis/papers for publication. Attend workshops from time to time. Present your research in conferences/colloquium/proposal defence/viva voce.

3. If you wish to be a lecturer, it's better to take the research postgrad. Otherwise, no one cares whether you did research postgrad or coursework postgrad. If u intend to stay in industry, you can just do coursework postgrad at masters and doctoral level.

But if you are totally new to research, best to take a coursework masters before doing a PhD (research).

Which field r u in by the way?

This post has been edited by Blofeld: Nov 4 2025, 08:20 AM

Master by coursework is pretty much frowned upon. It is not a good stepping stone to PhD for most schools. Doing master by research would be a better option for those wanting to pursue a postgrad. At least, they would experience what research like before moving to do a PhD, especially if you're aiming to secure a scholarship/stipend.