Figures from 2009-10 show almost 353,500 students enrolled in postgraduate courses according to the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (Hecsu), with the demand for masters degrees up 7.4 per cent and preliminary evidence suggesting a further increase in 2011.

As the job market becomes increasingly more competitive and masters’ fees set to rise alongside the undergraduate tuition fees, picking a course based on industry links and job prospects is becoming an increasingly popular search criterion among prospective post graduate students.

It is therefore important to pick your course with your career objectives in mind – whether that's work in academia or a particular industry sector advises James Intriligator, a senior lecturer at Bangor University.

"Find as specific a programme as possible," he adds.

Recruiters like masters courses, but only if graduates can demonstrate its value to their company.

"If post-graduate qualifications are undertaken for the right reason and graduates are able to explain their worth to prospective employers, they can be very worthwhile additions to a CV," says Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters.

Even if your intentions of picking a course are sound, the fact still remains that embarking on a masters course is no guarantee of walking straight in to your dream job, and “whatever postgraduate path you pick, make sure you're committed to the hard work. At least 70 per cent of what you get out of a masters is directly related to how much you put in," says Intriligator