Becoming a specialist through online postgraduate study

In this article, MA Marketing and Digital Communications (Online) student Inge shares how studying a master’s is helping her to become a specialist in her field. 

My name is Inge. I’m 27 years old, and I live in Groningen, a city in the Netherlands. I graduated with a BA in International Communication five years ago and have since been working at Hanze University of Applied Sciences. I'm currently involved in a variety of activities focusing on international student recruitment – it is a very varied role.  

I’m passionate about marketing and digital communications; it’s such an engaging field that's ever evolving and dynamic. Ever since I was a kid, I've been interested in content creation – writing short stories, creating videos, and coming up with creative ways of approaching challenges. I'm also very interested in the why behind consumer behaviour: why do people make certain choices, and how can marketers influence those choices? There's room for both creativity and psychology in the marketing and communications field, and that's something I truly enjoy. 

Before I started the MA, I was looking for a course which would help me strengthen my strategic thinking skills and help develop my background knowledge of marketing, since my first degree was more focused on communications.  

I believe that after finishing this MA, I'll feel confident and ready for a more strategic position in marketing and communications

After scrutinising several online courses, there were three reasons why I chose Falmouth. The first one is the future-focused approach to the MA – this made the course much more relevant than some of the others I had investigated. The second is that I loved how there were no exams, just assignments and coursework, offering maximum flexibility to fit around my work and life. Last, but not least, I reached out to the course team before starting and the communication was very pleasant. Everyone was extremely responsive and helpful, and this was the kind of reassurance I needed in order to make the right decision. 

The thing I enjoy most about the course is how it's adapted to fit around what goes on in the world of marketing and communications. I love how I can immediately apply what I've learned on the course to my current job. We also have freedom as to how to approach our assignments - there's usually a few themes that you can choose from, and we’re even challenged to bring in our own themes. Learning through doing makes the process much more fun. 

The course is really helping me specialise in the topics I wanted to learn about: strategy and content development. I believe that after finishing this MA, I'll feel confident and ready for a more strategic position in marketing and communications. The experience has also piqued my ambitions. For now, I'm very happy working in education, but I’d love to go into teaching someday or even set up my own business or do freelance work on the side.  

Regardless of where I end up, I'm confident that through this MA, I've gained invaluable skills and confidence which will help me progress. 

My advice to future students is this: combining a master’s with a demanding job is a challenge that should not be taken lightly. However, with the right dedication, motivation and time-management skills, it's certainly a very rewarding experience.  

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