When applying for business and management master’s courses MSc Marketing Student Ambassador, Shalini Hadpawat, had a list of requirements and wants from her future programme. With so many programmes and universities to choose from the decision was far from easy. Find out how Shalini navigated her way to choosing her degree and use her process to help yourself.
When applying for master’s courses, I had three things in mind: networking opportunities, quality of course and location.
I had my mind set on universities in London, and to be in the heart of England where everything is accessible, whether it was travelling, experiencing the buzz of the well lit buildings or simply making the most of the events and career opportunities available to me.
I had a hard time selecting which master’s programme I wanted to pursue as well as specifically at which university.
To get honest and transparent advice about which university would be best for me, I;
- spoke to numerous people
- dug through the university’s website
- researched everything I possibly could about the universities
But, with so much information to digest and ultimately choosing one university and one master’s programme seemed impossible.
After completing my undergraduate degree and working for 2 years, I knew that I wanted to pursue my master’s degree in a management related course. I had to decide:
- Which course is best suited for me?
- Which course will I most enjoy?
- Will this course help me in achieving my career goal?
These were a few of the numerous questions constantly running in my head.
To bring my mind at ease, I created a spreadsheet to put together data of all the management courses available at LSE which immensely helped my decision making process. The spreadsheet allowed me to see the requirement of each course as well as the course structure and whether it aligns with my career prospects.
After making a decision on which master’s programme and applying, the second part was the anticipation of knowing whether I would be accepted. Getting accepted to LSE was a dream come true. But, I needed to ensure whether the course would provide me with all the tools, knowledge and experience necessary to strengthen my skill set and adapt to the ever evolving business environment.
…I needed to ensure whether the course would provide me with all the tools, knowledge and experience necessary to strengthen my skill set and adapt to the ever evolving business environment.
5 things that sealed the deal for me were:
- Diversity – Each cohort is a mixture of students from all over the world with work experience from a range of industries. Coming from different cultural backgrounds meant conversations and debates on a range of topics, and understanding different perspectives.
- Networking opportunities – Despite the pandemic, LSE held several online events for offer holders, this meant a lot more enriching sessions as an LSE student as well.
And I’m glad I was correct. There are multiple online sessions each week, whether it’s chatting with alumni, career fairs or even sessions to prepare for case interviews. - Seasoned professors – I was sure that at any university I went to, the professors would be knowledgeable and supportive. However after reading journal articles and books by professors of the programmes I was interested in, it was sheer reflection of how the programme would be taught which caught my attention.
Upon coming to university I witnessed the care, support and attention every professor is willing to provide students. This came in forms of assistance with group projects, further explanation on course work or even discussing future career or education plans. - Final Project – Whether it is a dissertation, extended essay or a group project, all the final projects seemed really interesting to me. As it would allow me to piece together everything I learned in the past year and view the whole picture.
I decided to go with the MSc Marketing programme. The Marketing Action Learning Project appealed to me most as I would be working with a team to solve an actual marketing issue and provide effective solutions to a company. - Societies – During my undergraduate studies I loved partaking in societies as it meant meeting more people and the opportunity to apply learning from my programme to society events. While researching LSE societies, I came across several societies which were business related, with a large student following, which instantly convinced me to be a part.
I truly believe that the decision I made to join LSE has really allowed me to experience an enriching and inspiring master’s programme despite being affected by the pandemic. LSE has made the effort to support its students and continually provide resources to expand knowledge and make the most of a one year master’s programme.
I truly believe that the decision I made to join LSE has really allowed me to experience an enriching and inspiring master’s programme despite being affected by the pandemic.
Learn more about our MSc Marketing programme