Postgraduate profile: masters in e-business

Chloe Butler took a masters in IT and business to improve her career prospects.

A lecturer first mentioned postgraduate study to me after I was unsuccessful in securing a position on a graduate scheme. I did some research and decided that further study would help me consolidate my previous education and benefit me more than starting on a career path that I was unsure of. I really enjoyed the business aspect of my first degree so this seemed the best subject to continue with.

What the MSc involves

My MSc comprises nine week-long modules and a 20,000-word dissertation on a subject of my choice. I've decided to focus on Denial of Service (DoS) and how smaller organisations can protect their websites from attack when they haven't got the budget and expertise that a larger organisation might have. The course requires self-motivation: I have to make sure I undertake my own subject reading and research. This has meant that my time-management skills have improved a lot. We also benefit from outside sources, such as guest speakers and case studies, so my knowledge isn't purely theoretical and I can apply it to real-life situations.

Group work with students from different countries has been a challenging but positive experience - it's really helped me to develop my communication skills. Also, we are expected to put in 40 hours a week, most weeks. This has been tough at times, especially as I've had to work part time to finance myself.

My career options

I don't think I would have felt able to pursue a business career path with just my BSc, but with an MSc I feel more confident in my knowledge and abilities. Postgraduate study has also given me a real sense of achievement - going a step further and pushing myself to do well has made me realise that I can do things once I set my mind to them and it has made me appreciate my abilities.

Chloe took her MSc in e-business management at the University of Warwick.