What did you study at undergraduate level and when did you graduate? What are you studying now? Are you studying and working at the same time?
I studied for a Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and graduated in 2018. I am now studying for a Master's in Criminology & Criminal Justice and will graduate in 2020. I am working part time and studying full time.
What have been the most important stages of your life?
Experience Abroad, University Education, Moving into a house with friends, my former job, high school. These events were significant portions of my life and definitely have impacted upon the person I am today. They go in order from most important to least important, they are the major events that I can think of.
How did you get to your current (or most recent) job position and how long have you been working there?
I heard about it through the university and applied through their site. I have been working there for a month.
What made you decide to progress with further study?
I wanted to make sure I finish my study as soon as possible so that I don't have to go back to school when I am older. Also, the field I am going to work in often requires a master's degree for far better money and job opportunities, so having one is beneficial.
How did you choose your particular further study course (compared to others)? / Were you weighing up any alternative degrees or career pathways before choosing this qualification?
No, I always knew this was the one I wanted to do. This is a direct follow-up degree from my undergrad and will make it relatively easy for me to get a job post-graduation. This is the field I want to work in and the degree I want to study.
What was the process to get accepted into your course? What were the prerequisites?
Having completed an Undergrad degree in the same course was the only prerequisite. I just applied online and waited for them to accept me, and then I enrolled through the same process as my undergrad and then began my studies, the process is very similar to my first degree's process.
What does your study involve? Can you describe a typical day? (if it’s difficult to describe a typical day, tell us about the last thing you worked on?)
I'll typically study for a few hours a day and/or work on assignments. Nothing too crazy, I space out my study so I don't have to cram it all last minute. The last thing I worked on was a behavioural analysis of people in a shopping centre food court that I observed.
Will this course be beneficial in your career? Where could you or others in your position go from here? Please explain your answer.
This course will be beneficial because a lot of higher-up positions in my field require a master's degree and by having one when starting my degree will make it easier to move up through the ranks and ensure I do not have to go back to school later in my life.
What do you love the most about your course?
Some of the subjects can be really interesting and brain-stimulating, an example is the course Offender Profiling which allowed us to review police case notes and create a profile of an offender(s). Also looking at real-world cases that use the theory we have learnt in class makes it seem worth it.
What are the limitations of your course?
There is no one job which is offered after graduation, there are so many possibilities that it makes it very stressful to decide upon one pathway. A lot of possibilities is a good thing, but not having a large knowledge about any one particular pathway can make it difficult to decide upon a future career.
Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current undergraduate student? They don’t necessarily have to be related to your studies, or even to one’s professional life.