Durham University

I chose to do the Management masters as this allowed me to continue to study people and how they function, but in a way that was applicable to the business world that would open more doors for me in my career. I chose to study this course at Durham to experience the incredible teaching here, as well as continue the amazing college experience I enjoyed during my previous degree also at Durham. The highlight of my master’s course has been the breadth of topics I have been introduced to, as well as growing my research skills during my dissertation.

Charlotte graduated in January 2012 with a distinction in MSc in Risk and Environmental Hazards. As part of her degree she completed a dissertation on ‘Large-scale atmospheric influences on flood events in the UK’ and took an elective module on ‘Hydrological Hazards’. Charlotte says: “I really enjoyed the variety and mix of knowledge we were able to gain about different natural hazards and risks faced in our modern world”.

Since graduating she has found work with a leading environmental consultancy (Halcrow) as a Graduate Modeller. Charlotte says: “Now that I have started work I really see the parallels that the Hydrological Hazards practicals were preparing us for the future work environment, or further study. The practicals definitely gave me a background which has helped me for my career in the flood risk sector”.

I was drawn to how the programme perfectly balances theoretical depth with practical application. Durham’s connections to industry and its alumni network also mean there’s ample opportunity for real-world collaborations and career support, crucial for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact in the field of Business Analytics.

David graduated in January 2012 with a MA in Risk and Security.

David says: “Whilst studying for my MA in Risk and Security I covered a wealth of material from health to international politics, taking in technology and terrorism along the way ... Learning about the various conceptions of risk and some of techniques used to study it really opens up a world of possibilities when it comes solving problems”.

David is now pursuing a career in the film industry and says that the “MA not only provides a solid safety net to fall back on, but ... potential employers are interested to know what a degree in Risk and Security means and how widely it can be applied”.

I chose to study at Durham Business School due to it being internationally accredited, one of the world’s most prestigious universities and due to the expectational teaching that it has on offer. I felt that it would offer me a greater opportunity to develop practical and analytical skills amongst other people that had a love for study. I felt studying a masters would give me a competitive edge amongst others applying for graduate jobs. The university has amazing facilities and remarkable teachers in their field. A particular highlight is the vast number of opportunities you receive to listen to guest speakers from individuals that are leaders in their field. I have successfully obtained a graduate job in London, commencing in September 2021 within the commercial department of Berkeley Group, where I hope to have a long and successful career.

I've been at Durham for four years now. I am not ashamed to say I am having the best time ever. I love the feel of Durham, the friendliness and safe feeling around the whole city. It helps that the place is so pretty - with the Cathedral and Castle always being the best backdrop to almost any workspace in the university. I know that not everyone might have been as lucky as me, but I know that even those who don't enjoy it as much as I have are able to have the right support around them from both their college and academic department to make any situation better. I have also loved the wider extra curricular activities. I play football and have loved the sport culture in Team Durham as well as trying new stuff for the first time in college sport. The perfect combination of academic excellence and enabling students to enjoy being a student.

I am from Vietnam. During my undergraduate, I studied Psychology in Italy. After that, I decided to pursue a career in Human Resources. Durham University Business School is a prestigious and high-ranking institution that will aid me greatly in my future career. The University has supported my skills, especially with the career services and interview workshop. Besides that, Durham is a lovely town with many international students and society; you can always join activities and enjoy vibrant student life.

The MSc Accounting programme offered an ideal opportunity to gain specialist accounting knowledge and professional accountancy qualification exemptions in a supportive environment. I have been able to explore different facets of accounting, which has been hugely beneficial in narrowing down a potential career path within this industry.

The range of topics and people I encountered was fantastic, it has easily been my most interesting year of higher education! It was great to spend a year with the kind of people who ask exactly all of the right questions, and to be taught by academics who knew all of the right answers.

I can’t stress enough that the vast majority of the course was extremely interesting, challenging and everything I hoped for from a Masters at Durham. Studying at Durham was a long standing ambition and this year has certainly not disappointed!

As a result of studying this programme I am now working for Applied Resilience as a resilience advisor – a startup public sector mutual providing emergency planning and business continuity services to Runnymede, Spelthorne and Guildford borough councils in Surrey.

Graduated January 2023

One of the highlights was definitely being able to experience such a traditional and historic institution in a beautiful quaint city. One of my favourite activities was attending MCR formals – these were a series of formal dinners run for postgraduates and hosted at a different college each time. I got to experience some of the older colleges (Castle, Chads, Hatfield) and their traditions, and some of the more modern ones (John Snow, Aidan’s) too. I found the postgraduate community to be friendly and welcoming. I found myself meeting a variety of people from different backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. I was able to build up a really mixed friendship group and community. In terms of my course, I really enjoyed the small-group seminar format – these fostered some in-depth (and sometimes even heated) discussions and allowed a deeper dive into the literature than was available through more-distanced Undergraduate lectures.

What are you doing now and how did your degree help prepare you?

I am now undergoing a Collaborative Doctoral Award (PhD) through the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Programme at Northumbria University in Newcastle. My research looks at the legacy of the eighteenth-century author Laurence Sterne in French fiction and is in collaboration with the Laurence Sterne Trust based at Sterne’s former home, Shandy Hall in Coxwold. My postgraduate studies at Durham helped me explore and develop my interests in the eighteenth-century (I did a module on women’s writing in the eighteenth century, a module on post-French revolutionary writing, and also wrote my dissertation on Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Hays, two feminist writers from the 1790s), providing me with an excellent knowledge base to build upon for my PhD research. During my time at Durham, I attended many of the skills sessions available to me through the library and the university, strengthening my understanding of things such as digital skills, health and wellbeing, and time management. All of these put me on excellent ground to go into my PhD studies with more confidence in my academic abilities, and a portfolio of academic and vocational skills and knowledge which would aid me through the next stage of my career. The career service and my academic advisors at Durham were pivotal in helping me finetune my PhD application and supporting me in the transition to PhD level study.

My highlights of studying at Durham were: the cosy English Department, with a friendly cohort of like-minded students; the scope of the MA English Literary Studies course, which allowed me to study a wide range of texts, from Renaissance Humanism to Post-War Drama; and, the beautiful city, witnessing it change through all four seasons. I met some of my best friends at matriculation, and during the year, I experienced university life from college balls to bartending at the Student Union. Moving to the North East, I got to discover a whole new area of the UK.

Now, I live in Paris and work as a communications and campaign manager at the British Embassy. I use languages every day, writing products like social media copy and email marketing newsletters. My degree gave me the confidence to apply for the job, the paperwork to start as an intern, and an understanding of literary techniques used for different audiences. I typically communicate to businesses, both British companies selling to France and French companies investing in the UK. I’ve also worked on exciting projects like the UK-France Summit and crisis communications to British nationals living in and travelling to France during the pandemic.

My one piece of advice for prospective applicants to the English MA at Durham is to go for it. Only you can open that door for yourself. If you decide to accept the opportunity, make sure to use the year to its full potential. It doesn’t take long to discover the small city, but you can fill your time even in the summer by getting involved in whatever interests you: talks, walks, travel, work. Make it work for you, and leave with no regrets.

My programme has been immensely rewarding, with excellent teaching quality. The new state-of-the-art business school building is also a great bonus! I have been lucky enough to attend the Economics London Field Trip, which provided me with invaluable insights into potential career paths within the industry and expanded my professional network.

From the get-go, I knew Durham was the place for me because its commitment to sustainability and the journey to deliver solutions to a net zero transition resonated with me. This cemented my decision that I was indeed choosing the right place.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and have already recommended it to people who have asked me about it. I particularly enjoyed the Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Hazards module as it gave me an opportunity to explore hazards that I hadn’t researched at undergraduate level.

I would recommend undertaking a vocational dissertation, as it allows you to see how hazards and risks are assessed from a business perspective.

The course has given me a great insight into the insurance industry, and has increased my employability for jobs relating to risk. Definitely a worthwhile course!

As an international student who had yet to experience living abroad, I was terrified to leave home. I quickly learnt that there was nothing to fear! I have benefitted from a range of student support services available including DCAT (Durham Centre for Academic Development) writing sessions and the careers service, which has enabled me to access multiple University opportunities: Open Day ambassador, Student Marketing Team Intern and Alumni Campaign student caller. Student societies like DUCK (DU Charities Kommittee) and DUSVO (DU Student Volunteering and Outreach) have further contributed to making my experience at Durham memorable.

The lectures are of very high quality and given by experts in each subject. Assignments are at times demanding but also very rewarding, since I have been able to use new software and solve real-life problems in the field of renewable energy generation and integration.

Terry graduated in January 2012 with a merit in MA in Risk. Health and Public Policy. As part of his degree he completed a dissertation on ‘”Media coverage of the radiation risks from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster” and took the elective modules Social Policy & Society and Social Risks for Population Health.

I am currently employed as a Risk Analyst with the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, DC. I work to protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attack. My current focus is on the security of the chemical sector. I strive to ensure that the focuses of security regulations account for all of the consequences of a terrorist event – human health, economics and critical national mission needs.

I believe the Risk Masters is a very important course. The significance of the linkage between risk and human health is too often minimized. Governments allocate the majority of resources to the protection and recovery of the economic sector, ignoring the often long term costs of health related effects, both physical and psychological. The Risk Masters brings to the forefront the need to consider all costs in the analysis of risk, not just those that can easily be assigned a monetary value. I believe this course, or one with a similar focus, should be mandatory for those in the civil service who have to deal with the difficulty of balancing risk management resources and/or creating risk based regulations.

There are only few universities in the UK set up the entrepreneurship course which I am specifically interested in, Durham University Business School is one of them, also the course is ranked 5th in the UK. Durham University is a very welcoming society and I received a lot of caring and love from my college, mentors as well as my friends. I got many chances study with a group of students from different backgrounds, it definitely developed my collaborative skills as well as communication skills. When I look back, I realised apart from study, my soft skills have been improved as well. Alongside, I attended many different social events from different colleges and societies, this made me discover new hobbies and interest that I didn’t realise I even had.