The general atmosphere around campus and within the School of Geography was friendly and supportive, making it a good environment in which to learn and excel. There are so many opportunities to develop yourself and I took advantage of these whilst making lots of friends on the way. This was the perfect MSc for me as my goal is to establish a career in research and it provided the right stepping stone.
Jason graduated in 2019 with an MSc in Environmental Science by Research. Below, he tells us what he's doing now and how his course prepared him for his career.
"I am currently undertaking a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded PhD at UCL and Zoological Society London, exploring how humans are impacting tropical coral reef biodiversity across the Great Sea Reef, Fiji.
The MSc in Environmental Science by Research gave me the self-confidence to thrive in the world of academia. For my thesis, my supervisor included me within a wider project that collaborated with other institutions which gave me an opportunity to contribute to the wider aims, whilst allowing me freedom to express my own research interests within the scope of the project.
During the MSc I was able to hone my lab skills in the world class School of Geography laboratories, using bespoke equipment under the supervision of the amazing lab staff. The first semester revolved around taught modules and included a fieldtrip, which was both useful and fun as it helped bring everyone’s skills onto a similar level and facilitated making friends and useful connections with the broad array of students on the course. From the second semester, my MSc was effectively a mini-PhD, which was perfect to help me make the step to undertaking a PhD and preparing for life in academia.
Queen Mary rightly prides itself on inclusivity and diversity and this is deeply instilled within all teaching and extracurricular activities. By getting involved with the Geography Society, the Queen Mary Men’s Football Team, and working as a postgraduate teaching assistant, a geography ambassador, and a laboratory assistant, I was able to learn from and work alongside students and staff from across the world on many exciting projects and activities. The sheer number of opportunities offered to every student is incredible and being able to apply myself in these roles gave me extra CV points for my current PhD role, but also would have set me up nicely for a graduate scheme. In addition to the practical and social skills I picked up, there was the bonus of getting paid for the two latter roles, which was particularly helpful as money can be tight when undertaking an MSc.
The general atmosphere around campus and within the School of Geography was friendly and supportive, making it a good environment in which to learn and excel. There are so many opportunities to develop yourself and I took advantage of these whilst making lots of friends on the way. This was the perfect MSc for me as my goal is to establish a career in research and it provided the right stepping stone."
This profile was conducted by Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Nathalie Grey. If you would like to get in touch with Jason or engage him in your work, please contact Nathalie at n.grey@qmul.ac.uk.