Student: David Bond

Course: MA in Career Education, Information and Guidance in Higher Education

The CEIGHE course at Warwick was a really positive experience for me, especially given that it was a number of years since I had studied formally.

I wanted to join the programme in order to build upon the careers qualification I had taken before but to increase my theoretical knowledge of careers ideas and concepts. The major value of the programme was to develop my confidence in initiating new programmes in my workplace and be able to articulate how making changes to our existing programmes can have identifiable benefits to our students.

I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss ideas with colleagues from a range of backgrounds, and to understand how what we learnt related not only to my work situation but also in a variety of settings from the private coaching sector, to schools, youth work and higher education.

With the support of my employer, Birmingham City University, I was able to choose to focus my dissertation topic to better understand the barriers of commuter students in undertaking part in year-long placements, which has led to our department beginning to develop a more flexible offer to students which better suits their own situations as commuter students.

I really enjoyed the support of the academics who look after the programme, and the flexible structure which has meant that the course didn’t impact on my job. I really enjoyed the whole programme and feel it has definitely benefitted me professionally and personally, making me a more confident and thoughtful practitioner.