Finding a course that allows you to study what you want, when you want, can be a challenge but thanks to De Montfort University (DMU), graduate Martin Buchanan is doing exactly that.
Not only was he able to study part-time for his Education Practice MA, but he also secured a VC 2020 Scholarship, which saw his tuition fees slashed.
“I had been thinking about further study but as I work in community-based organisations that don’t pay particularly well I wasn’t sure I would be able to afford it – particularly if it meant I had to give up work to study full-time,” he said.
However, the situation changed when Martin, who first graduated in 2012 with a BA in Youth Work and Community Development and works at Beaumont Leys Community Centre, received an email informing him he was eligible for a VC 2020 Scholarship. I have to say that the discount sold it to me as well as the opportunity to study part-time. It meant I could take part in postgraduate study and I could do it at a university I really enjoy while still earning.
“There are some great lecturers at DMU and you are continually challenged. My course leader, Dr Sarah Younie, specialises in technology and, given I am particularly interested in digital skills and the barriers faced by many adults, it is really great to have someone who is top of the field teaching you.”
In fact, Martin is now thinking about taking his studies further. “If I pass my master’s and I do OK I am considering doing a PhD and I would certainly do that at DMU. There are other universities that have good offers but I like DMU. I like the staff, I like the way it is set up. It is a good university.”
He also thinks that the steps DMU takes to improve its graduates' employability are impressive. “While it is a little different for me because I am already employed, I have had lots of emails detailing the support that is on offer. I think that initiatives like employability week are really great, especially for those students who don’t have any real world experience and need to get out there,” he said.
In fact, Martin is such a fan of DMU that he has even recommended it to his children. Whether his children take his advice and head to DMU is yet to been seen but, in the meantime, Martin is happy to continue to recommend both the undergraduate and postgraduate experience to those looking to enter further education.
The VC’s 2020 Scholarship offers a tuition fee discount of up to 50 percent on selected full-time and part-time postgraduate courses. Based on academic achievement and merit, it is automatically applied to all home and EU graduates who achieve a 2:1 or higher and who are graduating or have graduated within the past two years. Individual faculties may also set their own eligibility criteria, terms and conditions.
Posted on Monday 9 March 2015