Kiki Roberts

''My BA in Combined Modern Languages sparked an interest in politics and as I wanted another qualification on top of my undergraduate degree, I decided to continue my studies to Master’s level. I started my research online choosing universities at random to look at those which provided a taught MA in politics and this particular course at Aston caught my eye.  The Double MA in Europe and the World is a two year course, with a semester at the prestigious Institut d’Etudes Politiques (IEP) in Lille, France and a six month internship.  I had already visited Aston University and studying and living in the centre of a city as vibrant as Birmingham (with such good shops!) was another reason I was drawn to this university.

Master’s students are not eligible for the same government funding as undergraduate students and as I come from a single parent family, I was unsure as to whether I would be able to cover the costs of my fees, accommodation, and living expenses.  I was really lucky with regards to financial support at Aston as I applied for two scholarships and was accepted for both.  The first was an English teaching role, taking speaking classes for Chinese, Japanese and Korean students which paid for half of my tuition fees.  The second was a further £1000 fee discount from the Aston Centre for Europe, which meant that my tuition fees were only £900 for the year.

Although Master’s level studies require you to be able to work more independently than at undergraduate level, the teaching staff were very supportive and encouraging.  They helped me realise my potential and I am very pleased with the achievements I have made, particularly as this area was relatively new to me when I started.

I am not entirely sure of the career path I would like to follow; the choice of units at Aston enabled me to get to grips with a vast range of subjects which would be relevant in a number of different careers.  I chose this course because I felt that such a unique qualification which combines academic work, the opportunity to improve my language skills as well as allowing me to gain practical experience in a related internship would make me stand out when applying for jobs.  I know that I would like my work to involve using my language skills and putting into practice the knowledge I have acquired about the way the EU works, which I feel this course has equipped me to do.''