Prospects Postgrad 1

ADVICE AND GUIDANCE Postgrad 27 The postgraduate environment CAROLINE CARSON is studying an MSc in Environment and Development additional material and there are more set texts for lectures. Students at postgraduate level come from a much wider variety of academic and professional backgrounds as well as different countries. These different I studied for a BA in Latin American Studies with Human Rights at the University of Essex and became interested in the area of international development. After spending some time researching careers, it was clear that a postgraduate qualification was a valuable asset to have. A postgraduate degree can provide you with an edge over other competitors that is necessary in today’s employment market. As it was important for me to gain work experience with a major organisation whilst studying, I wanted to be based in London. The multidisciplinary nature of the degree matched with my existing academic background and that, combined with its outstanding reputation, meant that LSE was the obvious choice. With the amount of cost involved in studying at postgraduate level, this can put people off but LSE offers various methods of funding. A lot of students apply for this so you need to be quick as I applied too late! Therefore, I am funding the course with savings and earnings from a part-time job. NEW BEGINNINGS My Masters is very at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). After the completion of her Masters she will be remaining in London to work as a researcher. Below she shares her postgraduate experiences with us. I volunteer on a regular basis and also have a waitressing job in the evening, which allows me to study during the day. As I do not have lectures or seminars every day I sometimes volunteer during the week. experiences and opinions add another dimension to seminars. Also, further study has proven to be more stimulating as you have more freedom to pursue your own particular areas of interest. I was delighted to discover that being a postgraduate student offers a higher degree of mutual respect with lecturers and other academics. However, the workload can be stressful at times with more effort and concentration required compared to an undergraduate degree. I am coming to the end of my Masters now and already have a research internship lined up for when I finish my dissertation. I am hoping to get a job with the same company when I have finished the three months and I plan to remain in London for the immediate future, working in policy research and/or consultancy within the environmental sector. I am also investigating opportunities within development NGOs and in British politics. different from my first degree and some aspects of development theory and environmental degradation are new to me. As I am studying a joint Masters it includes courses from the Development Studies Institute and also from the Geography and Environment Department. Within this aspects of environmental policy and sustainable development practices are covered, particularly in the context of developing countries which is really interesting. Dissertation projects vary and my own topic looks at the influence of the Hugo Chávez presidency on the emerging environmental movement in Venezuela. Postgraduate life is very similar to the final year of an undergraduate degree. You are expected to contribute to seminar discussions through reading http://www.lse.ac.uk/

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Prospects Postgrad Autumn 2008 Contents: What’s Inside For Love and Money Cash for Qualifications A Tale of Two Students Meet the Postgrad People All Aboard The Postgraduate Environment Maths Market The Postgrad Programme Teacher Training Arts and Humanities Science and Engineering Business and Management Social Sciences

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