How could a Masters degree help you progress?

Do you want to enhance your job prospects, take your career in another direction or gain a greater understanding of a subject you love? Students past and present are invited to attend Northumbria University’s ‘Masters Open Days’ to explore how a postgraduate qualification can help you do just that.

The open days take place on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 April at Northumbria University’s city centre campus in Newcastle. Anyone who has already gained a degree, or is in their final year of study, at any institution, is welcome to attend.

The events will feature a range of activities and informative talks, including financial support sessions, tours of the University’s unique buildings and the opportunity to meet academics and current students. Further details of Northumbria’s £1.5m bursary scheme will also be revealed, offering eligible students the opportunity to access a Masters course free of charge this year.

Anyone who is keen to change their career direction will be able to draw upon the experiences of Josie Pointon, a graduate of Applied Sport and Exercise Science who is currently studying for an MSc. Josie will share her personal story with students and discuss how the international charity work she took part in through Northumbria’s Zambia project inspired her to venture into a new area of study.

“After my life-changing experience in Zambia, I decided I wanted a career which could make difference to people’s lives and help those most in need,” explained Josie. “I enrolled on an MSc International Development with Philanthropy and haven’t looked back since!

“I absolutely love the course as it really allows you to develop expertise in the specific areas which interest you. I could even focus on the Zambia IDEALs project for my dissertation – what better way to end my Masters than by studying the project that started it all off?”

Josie’s talk will take place in Sport Central, the University’s flagship £30m sporting hub that will be open for visitor tours. The state-of-the-art facilities include a six-lane 25m swimming pool and an indoor sprint track as well as specialist physiology, biomechanics and nutrition laboratories and strength and conditioning suites.

For prospective students who want to get the most out of these facilities, Senior Lecturer Mark Russell will be on hand to discuss Northumbria’s MSc Strength and Conditioning programme – a flexible course which is perfect for students wishing to pursue a sporting career, work within the healthcare sector or work in the fitness industry.

On the day, there will also be tours of the University’s historic Burt Hall – a Grade II listed building which has been purposely adapted for art conservation training – as well as a discussion with Dr Jane Colbourne on Northumbria’s MSc Fine Art Conservation.

For visitors who are more interested in making art themselves, Sandra Johnston, visual artist and Lecturer, will be on hand to discuss Northumbria’s Masters in Fine Art. The course, developed in partnership with the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, sees students working with internationally renowned artists, academics and BALTIC curators to develop their art practice. This talk will be held in the University’s Gallery North, where visitors will also have the opportunity to view the latest exhibition – Borderlands.

Other highlights include a talk by Senior Lecturer Simon Griffiths about the new MSc Environmental Health programme, which is professionally accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). The course looks at how the environment and our lives impact on human health – for example, how do our bodies respond to air pollution and how can we model, measure and control pollution levels? It provides students with the academic requirements to gain recognition as an Environmental Health Practitioner – opening up career pathways into the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK and abroad.

Another postgraduate programme which opens doors to careers overseas is the MSc Global Financial Management, which explores financial management within a global framework. Dr Satish Sharma will be on hand to discuss the course which focuses on investment, performance management and risk management – issues which are highly relevant in today’s business world. Career opportunities in this sector are extremely varied and the course equips students with skills that will help to position them for responsible management roles in business.

For those who are still considering whether to pursue further study, there will be the opportunity to find out more about Masters study at Northumbria and the benefits of gaining a postgraduate qualification. There will also be a careers session, drop-in sessions for international students and a talk about Northumbria’s postgraduate research community with advice on the application process.

For further details or to book a place, click here.