For many people considering stepping into postgraduate study, their questions centre around their course: What will I be doing? Will I be able to do it? What do the modules look like? Is there any flexibility? What career options will it open up for me?… That’s why access to academic staff at a postgraduate open day is so valuable.
We spoke to postgraduate student Kathryn Cook, who is studying for an MA in Sport Marketing here at Coventry Uni, about why she decided to go to an Open Day and how it helped her make a decision:
I chose to attend an Open Day because I wanted more information on my course, and I wanted to get a feel for the campus and what facilities there were for postgraduate students. It was also a better way to decide if a master’s was actually for me. At the time I wasn’t 100% sure what to do after I finished my undergraduate degree.
I found out about the Open Day when I was looking at the course page on the Coventry University website and decided to go…
Meeting the staff for the first time
The relaxed nature of the teaching staff was important, it was really easy to talk to them and they made it so welcoming. The way it was set out was nice, as it wasn’t a case of staff sat on one side of the table and visitors on the other, which would have felt like an interview!
The information sheets provided from course staff were helpful, and looked at the course I was interested in in more depth. This also provided more information into the course’s expected outcomes and a more up-to-date module list.
How it helped me decide what to do
In terms of outcomes, the Postgraduate Open Day did help me decide that I wanted to a master’s and I knew Coventry would be the best option for the course. Having the discussion with the course director ultimately helped me make up my mind, as the website and prospectus offer some good information, but having the opportunity to discuss various modules and other opportunities really helped me to get a wider perspective on the MA Sport Marketing course.
Staff were really helpful on arrival, as they provided loads of information on where to find specific Coventry staff members, the talks which were on and information about the campus tour. I felt the Sports Marketing course director was really welcoming and informative, which helped to put me at ease – I was quite nervous about going somewhere I hadn’t been before.
They were/are very familiar with the course, which made it easy to ask questions and have a discussion about what it offers, future employment options and other opportunities. They were also able to talk about the guest lecture week the Sport and Event Management/Marketing (SEM) department runs in semester one, which I found interesting and helpful. Finally, they even provided me with a contact card in case I had any other questions that I hadn’t thought about on the day.
