Postgraduate Taught: Richard's Transition to Belfast and Management
Richard Flood is an MSc student in Management, making the transition from an undergraduate history degree in Dublin to life in Belfast.
When I finished my Undergraduate study of History at University College Dublin, I realised that I didn’t want to pursue a career in history. I wanted to switch areas completely, and I was looking for a course that would provide me with an introduction to the wider areas of Business, Economics and Finance.
When I began my search, I discovered the MSc Management programme at the School. It appeared to be the perfect course for me as it is designed for students who have not studied a management-related degree at Undergraduate level.
When I researched past students through LinkedIn, the course seemed to provide a clear pathway to getting employed in the top firms and sectors I was interested in. I was also attracted to the variety of students who had studied this programme - it was exciting thinking about joining a cohort of students from a range of different academic and personal backgrounds. I then researched the School further and, upon discovering its EQUIS and other accreditations, this solidified my decision.
The MSc Management course is a great introduction to the world of Finance, Business, and Accounting. Firstly, I love the relevance of the course to the issues facing the economies of the world today. The topics and issues we discuss in our modules are current and appeared in the news daily. Coming from a History background, it felt great to be studying a course that offered current solutions to current issues.
The course is also great at understanding that we were all only beginning to learn in this area. There is a great degree of support and understanding from the lecturers with staff often offering extra tutorials and meetings on difficult topics, to discuss your ideas, and help you understand anything you were struggling with. This was often done in their own free time, and they are more than happy to help.
The MSc Management course has also been great for my future career goals. Following my undergraduate degree, I knew that the key areas I wanted to build my career in were consulting, or the development of Irish enterprises in global markets. The course has been great for helping me grasp these opportunities, as Management students are highly sought after by employers, and they regard the School highly.
I have been provisionally accepted on to a graduate scheme for the coming year which I am really looking forward to. The Careers Service at Queen’s were an incredible help with this process. Their support reached to areas including mock interviews, career discussions and CV development. I cannot recommend this service enough.
Overall, I have really enjoyed studying at the School, and in Belfast. Queen’s is a great university. Everything they offer is student-focused and aimed at making new and current students feel welcome, get employed, and make life easier. During my first week here, there was a host of meet and greet events which offered tours of the campus, explained how the online portal worked, how to get around Belfast, and more.
From the start of my time here, I have been impressed by the organisation and clear communication. Queen’s University and the School were very organised and good at communicating about Covid-19, exam extensions, and other arrangements.
The amount and range of events offered is something I have never seen at the University level before. Personally, I made great use of the Careers and Employability Service help and events. They were fantastic at getting me ready for interviews. There were also several small things that help make students’ lives easier, such as the Graduate School’s free coffee bar. This is an incredible addition to the Graduate Library and very helpful.
I personally moved from Dublin to come live and study in Belfast. I was a little nervous about moving up from Dublin to a new city and college. However, I have really liked living here. A major thing is affordability. Compared to Dublin, Belfast was extremely affordable to live and rent. It is also a very easy city to navigate and get around. Everything is within walking distance of your doorstep and there are loads of things to do.
I enjoyed exploring and getting to know the city this year. Some of the highlights were Cave Hill, a trip up the North Antrim Coast and the great pub scene – if you’re new to Belfast I highly recommend you check these out. There is also a host of young entrepreneurs starting up new and interesting businesses in loads of different sectors. It's been a great city to live in.
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone starting the MSc Management programme it would be to get involved. There are so many different and interesting opportunities offered by the School. Research, apply and get involved in as much as you can.
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