Meaning & use
pursue further education
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to continue studying after finishing school, usually at a college or university, in order to get more qualifications.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; the subject is usually a person. It does not take an object.
Patterns
- pursue further education
- pursue further education in something
- pursue further education at a place
After finishing high school, she decided to pursue further education rather than look for a job immediately.
Many adults choose to pursue further education part-time while working.
He moved to another city to pursue further education in engineering.
Common combinations
- pursue further education
- She plans to pursue further education after her gap year.
- decide to pursue further education
- He decided to pursue further education in order to change careers.
- pursue further education part-time
- Many people pursue further education part-time while holding a job.
- pursue further education abroad
- Studying overseas is one way to pursue further education abroad.
Synonyms and how they differ
- continue one's education
- This is a more general phrase that can include any kind of learning after school, not just formal college or university courses.
- go on to higher education
- This specifically refers to studying at a university or college after secondary school, and is common in British English.
- undertake further study
- This is slightly more formal and often used for research or specialized study, not just general education.
Word family
- further education noun
- Education for people who have finished school, often at a college rather than a university.
- higher education noun
- Education at a university or college, usually after age 18.
Commonly confused: pursue further education or further education?
pursue further education vs further education
In British English, 'further education' often means education below university level, while 'higher education' means university-level study. The phrase 'pursue further education' can mean either, depending on context.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pursue further education' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'pursue further education' is used without a direct object; it means to continue studying. Option 1 incorrectly adds a direct object ('a master's degree') after the phrase. Option 2 is correct because it simply says someone decided to continue studying. Option 3 wrongly adds 'the university' as an object. Option 4 is grammatically possible but changes the meaning to 'in order to learn more', which is not the typical use of this fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pursue further education”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.