This is a guest blog by MA Media & Communication student Julia Weiss. Julia discusses why she continued to study at BU after her undergraduate and what she enjoyed most about her Master’s degree.

Bournemouth University offers a wide range of services but also opportunities, which I was able to firstly experience during my bachelor’s degree at BU. The experiences I gained during my BA degree motivated me to continue my career journey with a master’s degree at BU. Not only the great support I received during my BA convinced me to stay at BU, but also the excellent facilities I’m able to use were a key point in my decision.

My master’s course in Media and Communication enabled me to improve my writing skills and allowed me to gain insights in critical media studies and theories. I started the course in September 2021 and till now explored the units Key Concepts & Methods, Communicating in the Digital Age, Contemporary Perspectives in Media and Communication and New Media Innovation.

Apart from written assignments, I’ve also practised myself as an investigator and tried to map out structures of powers in my unit Contemporary Perspectives in Media and Communication. The unit provided me with a different perspective upon research methods. Moreover, although my course mostly consists of writing assignments, we also do some more creative tasks. As you can see, Media and Communication is a wide field worth exploring.

Power map created with Graph Commons

However, two of my favourite units consisted of doing research and creating portfolios. Particularly, in one of these units we got to learn and study other cultures, which I found extremely valuable and a great learning experience.

Finally, due to my master’s degree I realised I’m not done with researching and studying and want to explore further options. Particularly of interest for me is the option to do a PhD, for which BU also offers Q&A sessions. Of course, there is also the option to opt in for a placement, through which you can gain work experience and be able to apply skills you’ve learned during your degree. Also for the placement, you’ll receive support from our placement team. This shows that you have a wide range of options after your degree and even if you’re unsure at the beginning of your degree what you would like to do in the future, you can request support from our supportive careers team.

Durdle Door, photo taken by Julia Weiss

Also, it’s important to take time off and relax! Dorset has so many beautiful places you can explore, and which may inspire you. My advice is take time for yourself and get to know the stunning nature with your course mates. Of course, this will only be possible if you manage your time effectively and start as soon as you can with your assignments.