Mastering uncertainty: subject choice, employment outcomes, and perceived necessity of degrees during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to higher education and labour markets. This study examines full-time master’s students in the UK during 2020/21, the first cohort to both begin and complete their degrees amid the pandemic. Using administrative data and the Graduate Outcomes survey from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency, this article examines whether the 2020/21 cohort exhibited different behaviours around the choice of professional subjects, how this was reflected in subsequent employment and wage outcomes, and in graduates’ perceptions of their degree’s necessity for their job. The findings show increased enrolment in both professional and non-professional subjects during 2020/21. These graduates were more likely to be employed and have higher wages, with greatest gains observed among the non-managerial and professional socioeconomic backgrounds and professional subject graduates (particularly women). Despite these advantageous employment outcomes, the 2020/21 cohort was less likely to report that their degree level and/or subject was a formal requirement for their job. This suggests potential overqualification or misalignment between educational qualifications and job roles, which may have been exacerbated by the economic conditions of the pandemic. These findings offer early insights into the pandemic’s possible impact on postgraduate education and early career outcomes and uniquely explore the perceived necessity of postgraduate degrees.