Sampurna is a graduate from the MSc Political Economy within Strathclyde's Department of Government & Public Policy

What attracted you to studying the MSc Political Economy at the University of Strathclyde, and what made you choose Strathclyde for your postgraduate studies?

I studied Politics and Economics at Undergraduate, and wanted to continue to study the intersection of both of these subjects as they are so interconnected and topical. I wanted to focus on economic policy and also really appreciated the focus on both qualitative and quantitative methods that Strathclyde offered. The course was also extremely timely and relevant for the current political landscape and developing events all over the world. In particular, the focus on comparative and international political economy provided a comprehensive, global understanding of economic policy. This is something I wanted to use in my professional career in the future.

Some of my friends studied at Strathclyde during their Undergraduate, so I had already heard great things about the student life and the variety of active clubs and societies to get involved with.

Looking back on your time as a Masters student, what did you particularly enjoy or find most valuable about your experience at Strathclyde?

One of my favourite things about studying at Strathclyde was how engaging, topical and relevant all the lessons were. This made learning incredibly enjoyable as we were able to discuss current events whilst also linking these to core concepts in the literature. This was an excellent way of applying concepts in the literature to real-world events in real-time. Most of the lessons also involved a lot of active discussions with classmates, which made for a very dynamic and interactive environment, which was one of my favourite aspects of this course.

I also really valued developing my quantitative analysis skills in R, and working with real-life data. I really appreciated this focus in terms of employable skills.

What skills, knowledge or ways of thinking did you develop during the Masters that have been useful in your working life since graduating?

The course also developed my skills in key areas of both quantitative and qualitative data software which I was able to use in my career in the future. In particular, the skills I learned in R and Nvivo prepared me very well for going into a career in policy, and producing reports in my career. The course also developed my thinking in terms of a comparative, global perspective when working in policy and communicating with various stakeholders, as well as giving me a more generally analytical way of thinking.

Did the Masters give you the opportunity to explore or develop a particular interest, and has that influenced the direction of your career since graduating?

The Masters gave me the ability to study something very specialised, being one of the only Political Economy courses in Scotland, and learn more about this specific area. The course was incredibly relevant, and intersects with many different areas which gave me the chance to bring a Political Economy perspective when working in various policy areas. In the future, I definitely would like to pursue a PhD and extend my studies further in Political Economy.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the MSc Political Economy at Strathclyde, or to a student who is just starting the course now?

The Political Economy MSc at the University of Strathclyde is an extremely engaging, dynamic course that gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the relevant literature whilst also relating this to current and developing events. If you are interested in the intersection of politics and economics, this is an excellent course. The course sets you up very well for the future in terms of giving you the analytical skills in both quantitative and qualitative analysis to work with practical, real-world evidence to be able to apply to various settings, including policy.