MSc Human Resource Management (MSc HRM) student Taru Kiiskinen discusses transitioning from an undergraduate course to a postgraduate degree and her academic life at RGU.

Choosing RGU

When I was 19, I clearly knew that working with people in human resources was my path. Consequently, after an undergraduate course in BA (Hons) Management with Human Resource Management, the only logical choice for me was to proceed with a master’s degree in the subject area.

Before applying to RGU, I explored the modules and courses from various universities in Scotland, but I was ultimately drawn to RGU. Indeed, I had knowledge of the professionalism and excellent teaching quality of the lecturers, as well as the selection of modules and the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) accreditation that the MSc Human Resource Management course offers. With all this in mind, carrying out my postgraduate studies at RGU felt like an obvious choice.

Academic life as an MSc HRM student

The teaching has been amazing and has prompted engaging debates and conversations in class, where I have learnt so much from my peers.

The transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies was natural. While the concepts were already familiar, the undergraduate course also prepared me for the challenge of conducting deeper analysis and thinking about a variety of new notions, which has strengthened my knowledge and understanding of the field. Moreover, as I directly progressed to the master’s course after graduating, I was still very much in the headspace to study, which made jumping back into it easy.

The highlight of the course has been the fun of the classes, which has been beyond anything I could imagine. The teaching has been amazing and has prompted engaging debates and conversations in class, where I have learnt so much from my peers and their variety of perspectives. On campus, I have excellent access to support, not only from the staff but also from my peers, and learning from each other has truly been the best. I can happily say today that many of them are now my dear friends.

While the times have been unprecedented, and there has been worry around the case numbers within the community, I could not imagine doing this postgraduate course in any other way. The great thing is that, while we have most of our classes on campus, we also have access to pre-recorded theory lectures through the online learning platform CampusMoodle. This has given me the flexibility to schedule and prepare well in advance for my classes and around my other commitments outside of the university. As a result, I am always more than ready to contribute to the lectures and tutorials.

Building a career in HR

The MSc Human Resource Management course opens so many doors for me. Not only with its pool of knowledge, but with the professional CIPD accreditation, which is almost vital in any HR professional career, particularly at higher levels. This master’s degree will not only make me a better professional but also help me take those necessary steps in my career. I am beyond excited to see where it will take me in the future.

Taru Kiiskinen

Related Blogs

Studying Management with Human Resource Management at RGU

Undergraduate to postgraduate journey at RGU: Kirstin’s story

Studying an online MBA at RGU