She studied the Work Based and Integrative Studies degree whilst working and has even been able to have a say in the name of her degree title:
Tell us about your job and did you study whilst working?
I work for All Nations Christian College, developing and facilitating online courses and an organisation in Nepal where I give support with expat recruitment/HR, staff care and orientation training. About 2/3 of my study was done on sabbatical and 1/3 while working.
What motivated you to start the course?
I was motivated to do this course because, over the years, I have moved away from my original training and profession and have only done limited study in my area of work and interest. I also lacked qualifications to support my two jobs - one of which requires a Master's degree in order to qualify for a work visa in Nepal.
The topics I covered are extremely relevant for my working areas and are essential for our increasingly interconnected world.
What have you achieved?
More than I expected! It gave me the opportunity to systematically explore areas of interest and forced me to dig deeper than I would I ever would have done otherwise. I was able to gain credit for some of the work I had done in the past; this was both satisfying and rewarding - and little scary in revealing how little I knew before. It has opened up an entire field (or several fields!) that I hadn't properly explored before and has given me a wealth of resource for future reference. As a result of my research I have been able to produce a framework that I am confident will enhance the learning experiences/delivery of training in my two organisations. It's also been good to know that I can still achieve something like this as a 'mature' student.
Would you recommend the WBIS degree at Chester?
I would definitely recommend this course, especially for experienced professionals/practitioners, who are seeking to become more effective in their area of work and would benefit from academic research and/or qualifications.
If you are self-motivated, this is an excellent way to combine work and study under the careful guidance of an experienced tutor who understands the need for academic rigor at the same time as learning that is rooted in real life. The emphasis on reflective process is extremely beneficial in ensuring that learning develops the person as well as building head knowledge. A course like this also brings added benefit to the workplace not just the student!
Tell us about the added benefit of being able to negotiate your degree award title.
Yes, I negotiated the award - it was entitled 'Intercultural learning and communication'. I had loads of ideas floating around in my head and my tutor helped me to tease-out what was important. She used the helpful analogy of selecting things to put in a shopping basket - and also gave me a sense of proportion by reminding me (often) that I can't study everything (I was enrolled to do a Master's not a PhD!).
Why not find out more about our Work Based and Integrative Studies degrees here at Chester, which allow you to focus on an area of your work as the basis for assessment and can be studied whilst working. You can choose to study a first degree or postgraduate degree. It is ideal for anyone who has been out of education for some time and your previous qualifications and any work related study can potentially count towards your degree.
