Natalie is a graduate from the MSc Education Studies programme...

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what brought you to Strathclyde...

I originally started at Strathclyde in 2019 studying the BA(Hons) Primary Education!  I was drawn to Strathclyde initially as the Institute of Education was renowned for excellent teaching and varied and exciting placement opportunities.  I had been recommended Strathclyde for teaching by many of my own teachers at school. 

The social experiences that Strathclyde and Strath Union offer also played a large part in my choice to go to Strathclyde.  I spent my school years very involved in music, so seeing how many different music societies Strathclyde had to offer, especially given that music isn’t a degree course here, was a huge draw to me.  I met some of my closest friends through the Concert Band and Jazz Orchestra!

After graduating with first class honours from the BA(Hons) Primary Education, I made the decision to continue my academic journey rather than undertake my probationary year.  Having experienced being at Strathclyde, and specifically in the Institute of Education, for four years, I knew I wanted to continue my studies within the Institute.  I knew that I loved research and policy and had particularly loved writing my Undergraduate dissertation, which I won an Institute award for so I spoke to my tutors, and they recommended I look into the MSc Education Studies. 

What drew you towards your chosen degree?

During my Undergraduate degree I had decided that although I loved the theoretical and research side of education, I didn’t want to become a teacher.  I had loved the experience of writing my dissertation and wanted to explore where an interest in educational policy and research could take me.

Following recommendations from my Undergraduate tutors, I attended the Postgraduate open day and spoke to staff who taught on the MSc Education Studies.  I had never considered what ‘Education Studies’ is before, but I knew that this would be the right degree for me when I was told about Education Studies’ roots in psychology, sociology, international relations and how it looks at education in a broader context, extending outside the classroom.   The main draw for me was being able to continue a career in education without being in the classroom, and to explore whether study past MSc would be the right fit for me.

The staff at the postgraduate open day also informed me that as a Strathclyde graduate, I was eligible for an Alumni Discount on my tuition fees, which massively helped as a Scottish student who hadn’t had to pay tuition fees before!

What specialist knowledge/professional skills did you develop whilst studying the course?

Each module on the MSc Education Studies taught me about aspects of education which I had never previously considered.  The Globalisation, Society & Education Policy module introduced me to the idea of Transnational Education partnerships, and how educational partnerships play a large role in international relations, connecting with wider social, cultural, political and global developments.  Transnational Education (TNE) is a huge talking point in higher education at the moment, and this module prepared me to discuss TNE in my current role at the University.

The Thinking About Education and Frameworks for Understanding Learning modules helped build my understanding of education outside the classroom. I was introduced to a number of educational theories and frameworks for how people learn which have helped me evaluate the effectiveness of some of our University mandatory trainings, as well as support my own workplace learning and professional development.

I chose the Education and Culture elective pathway which looks at technology in education and how culture shapes personal development.  With the recent rise in AI, being able to analyse whether AI can effectively and ethically be used in my role has been incredibly useful.  The Education and Self-formation in Cultural Contexts module encouraged a lot of critical self-reflection.  I have found that reflecting on my own assumptions, beliefs, influences and the cultural context which I work in, has allowed me to construct clearer arguments which extend beyond my own views.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Research Methods and Reasoning classes as well as the Dissertation talks we received.  Research Methods and Reasoning is crucial for informing your dissertation and knowledge of research methods and how to best utilise them can set you up for a career in academic research.  Writing my dissertation was again one of my favourite aspects of this course.  You are given such freedom to explore an aspect of education which interests you, I wrote about death education through film and television.  I learned academic writing skills, honed my critical thinking and analytical skills, I found myself independently managing a project where the onus was on me to communicate with my supervisor.  This has massively informed the way I work currently, prioritising my workload across four separate teams.  I was very lucky to have an excellent dissertation supervisor who was very knowledgeable but let me steer where I wanted my project to go, so I feel much more confident handling my current workload independently.

What was the best part of studying the Education Studies programme?

One of the most enriching parts of the Education Studies programme was how international it was.  I had come from a course which was predominantly female, Scottish students, and so, whilst entirely unexpected, one of my favourite parts of this course was being surrounded by people from a range of different cultures and backgrounds. 

I also have to say that the support provided by staff in the Institute of Education is second to none.  I have had only entirely positive experiences with my tutors, supervisors, and lecturers, and getting spend another year learning from them was a huge part of why I chose to continue my studies at Strathclyde.

Where are you working now and what are your hopes for the future?

I am now working at the University of Strathclyde in the University Compliance Office – it seems I’m never leaving!  I love my role here, I support the small teams who come under the University Compliance Officer – the Information Governance Unit, Legal Services, the Internal Audit Service, and the Safeguarding team, whilst also supporting the University Compliance Officer where necessary.

Experiencing Strathclyde as a student has been incredibly beneficial to me in my work, from knowledge of the systems used here and structure of the University, to having insight into the student-side of the University, which teams I work with are more removed from.

Whilst I’m not sure what the future holds, I know that I love being at the University, whether in a student or staff capacity.  I am really enjoying compliance, and I hope that I can continue working at Strathclyde, though further study perhaps into PhD, is something that I have my eye on for further down the line.  I have many colleagues who have been able to undertake part time study whilst continuing in their role here, so that’s definitely something which interests me and is such a benefit of working at Strathclyde.

What advice would you give to prospective students interested in applying for this programme?

My biggest piece of advice is to apply and be open to where the programme can take you!  Applying and enrolling on this programme is one of the best things I did for myself and my career.  I discovered a real interest in educational research and policy and what I learned on the programme informs my daily life, inside and outside of work.  I think it’s rare to find a course that fits your interests so well and I feel very lucky to have found that in the MSc Education Studies.

If you enrol on the course, make sure to ask for help when you need it.  This is something that I wish I had learned earlier in my time at university, there are so many routes of support: tutors, your peers, Strath Union, the learner development centre, to name a few.  Everyone wants the best for you and has a vested interest in seeing you succeed, take advantage of that!