Louisa Kitcatt is an MSc Disaster Management Student at BU. We asked her some questions about her experience of the course and studying at BU. 

Why did you decide to study at BU and what has attracted you to this course?

Louisa on the beach

I decided to study at BU because of the strong reputation the course held in the UK and internationally. I also love the fact that the teaching occurs in monthly intensive one-week courses with follow up online zoom sessions for the rest of the month which meant I am able to stay at home whilst studying at a university course which is a great plus. Some of my fellow course mates also maintain a fulltime job whilst studying too! The course is entirely assessed through coursework which was a big incentive for me as someone who doesn’t thrive with memory test exams.

What do you like the most about studying at BU?

The best part about studying MSc Disaster Management at BU has to be the incredible 1-1 support from the lecturers. Due to being such a small cohort, it has meant that we have had the opportunity to really get to know both our course mates and our lecturers. Our lecturers spend a huge amount of time dedicated towards providing us with the best feedback possible to ensure we understand and are able to improve our academic writing ability. Particularly the fact that the lecturers are experts in their field is incredible, they are able to tell stories and recall real life case studies that they have personally experienced is really inspirational to listen to as a student.

What do you enjoy the most about your course?

The opportunity to test our knowledge at the end of each intensive week with an ‘exercise’ which gives us a simulation experience to cement the learning we have discussed during the week. As well as the option to attend fieldtrips and external exercises such as a trip to Carnival Cruises Headquarters in Southampton to gain real life experience. I also love that our course mates come from such a variety of backgrounds, no one student is the same which create some fantastic discussions!

How is your course preparing/prepared you for your future?

I have gained and developed a multitude of skills during the BU course which have enabled me to secure my dream graduate role from September. This includes being able to network, build working relationships with a range of ages, nationalities, abilities and backgrounds, I have grown in confidence through presentations and discussions as well as pushing myself further to gain new experiences and talk to new people. We have also had the opportunity to experience writing a variety of different assessments, it’s not just been standard academic essays, we have written press statements, communique’s, incident exercises, scientific reports and academic literature reviews.

What would your advice be to anyone thinking of studying the same degree at BU?

Absolutely go for it, I have never had this much support, advice and quality of teaching in any educational setting before! I have absolutely loved my time at BU this year!

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MSc Disaster Management