Royal Holloway, University of London

"Studying MSc Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies at Royal Holloway was a great experience that really set me up for a career in terrorism threat analysis. The lecturers provided me with a great foundation of knowledge and allowed me to select the optional modules that best suited my interests.

I was able to build on the information I gained from my undergraduate degree in Criminology and Psychology at Royal Holloway whilst learning about how this knowledge applies within the security sector in the U.K.

I have since gone on to work in threat intelligence and threat analysis where I can apply academic knowledge and real time intelligence to the current terrorist threat in the U.K. I highly recommend this course to anyone wanting to work in the counter-terrorism field or wanting to learn more about terrorism."

"My goal is to go into banking and finance and my degree has been really good in terms of preparing me for my future career. What I would say to anyone hoping to study a Masters in the Department of Economics is that you should absolutely go for it, it's a top notch university with an amazing department and amazing facilities."

"As a mature student on this course I hoped it would lead to a fulfilling career in social work, and it did. What I didn't expect was the life-changing effect it would have on me in general.

I'm not exaggerating when I say learning takes you on a journey of self-discovery and reflection, with new information and experiences.

The teaching staff guide and motivate you to be the best social worker you can be and equip you with skills to apply in every part of life.

I highly recommend this course, and recommend that you strap yourself in for the journey."

"During my studies I was taught to be a critically thinking social worker and to consider the role of power in every situation.

I felt empowered to challenge myself. Your long-held beliefs, assumptions and opinions may be put to the test, but your views of the world and of yourself become refined.

Beyond the classroom, Royal Holloway will provide an enriching atmosphere. With students and academics from diverse backgrounds, you will feel like you belong."

The degree appealed due to it being jointly delivered by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Law and Criminology – this facilitated my learning from a range of disciplines in a way which simulated a multi-disciplinary team.

In many ways, this mirrors my experience of working within different forensic settings, where there is a need to communicate with colleagues from various backgrounds and who have different perspectives. The range of areas of study allow for breadth of understanding from both an academic and clinical perspective, and assignments allow for experiential learning that represent the range of tasks that you become accustomed to within the role of a trainee forensic psychologist.

Statistics and research techniques modules allow for the design of studies that are of direct interest to the forensic psychology field. When selecting a dissertation, there was a lot of autonomy afforded to students who had their own ideas for a project, with there also being opportunities to engage with projects where there was a pre-established research question identified.

The MSc at Royal Holloway afforded me with an invaluable fundamental theoretical and practical understanding of what the role of a trainee psychologist entails, giving me a good basis for evidence-based practice.’

"I really like the community feeling when I arrived here, as it was on a really nice campus and it felt like a very close-knit community. I also enjoyed meeting people from all over the world because our cohort was so diverse.

The fundamental skills I learned during my time at Royal Holloway are invaluable to me, particularly teamwork, public speaking and leadership. All of hose skills are things that I use on a daily basis and have helped me so much to succeed."

"I enjoyed the small seminar setting, it really allowed me to interact with my lecturers and classmates.

I've had the opportunity to take optional modules in communications, quantitative methods, and international relations and my modules have all included assignments and activities focusing on professional skills, such as developing a campaign strategy, using statistical software, and presenting research."