Poppy

In the final year of my undergraduate degree in BA (Hons) History at Oxford Brookes, it dawned on me that I wasn’t ready to stop learning. I enjoyed the learning environment and really respected my academics.

My undergraduate degree sparked a real interest for me in British criminal history. In particular, my second-year module on Jack the Ripper gave me the desire to want to learn more about this world. This influenced my decision to study an MA in History, as it has enabled me to continue my academic journey of studying the two areas of history that interested me the most.

Continuing my studies with Dr Erik Landis and Dr Katherine Watson allowed for my knowledge of Russian History and British Criminal History (respectively) to become more specialised.

During my course, the history department was always on hand with support when I needed it, and made me feel they were invested in my personal development. Oxford Brookes is a wonderfully supportive university. It encourages you to thrive despite difficult circumstances that may arise, something I experienced myself during my postgraduate study.

My advice for current undergraduates not sure about pursuing postgraduate study is factor-in tuition fees into your financial plans early on. I found information on postgraduate loans speaking to finance at a postgraduate open evening which really helped my financial planning!

Also, I found that fees for postgraduate study for my course at Oxford Brookes were cheaper than many other universities. The 10% alumni discount on postgraduate study gave a nice additional incentive to continue studying here. Along with the fact, I got to stay in the city which felt like home for many years, whilst learning from academics who were specialists in their field.

All these reasons and more gave me plenty of reason to continue on here at Oxford Brookes following my undergraduate degree.