Choosing the right course for the next Masters of industry

Northumbria are among the universities helping to bridge the gap between higher education and prospective employers

Getty Images

Most graduates embarking on a Masters or a doctorate these days have an eye on whether their qualification will improve their job prospects, even if only to pay off their student debt.

Studying at a university that has strong industry links with means students are more likely to find useful work experience. Employers want applicants who have had experience in industry or have completed internships - and universities can assist with placements.

Gaynor Nutty, who recruits Rolls-Royce’s Masters intake, looks for applicants who can hit the ground running: “It is a competitive market,” she says. “This year we took on 160 people with a Masters in a relevant subject, but we had around 1,000 applicants for those posts. In many cases, having done an internship has been critical to being offered a place.”

University of Warwick and Coventry University have long had reputations for working with industry, but newer universities like Northumbria have worked hard to build links and partnerships. Schemes at the university include formal sponsorship of a Masters programme by Faulkner Brown, a northern-based architectural company. The university is part of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership that places post-graduate students on industry projects for up to a year.

Lucy Winskell OBE, Northumbria’s pro vice-chancellor (business and engagement), believes links such as these are essential. “We have industry links across all faculties,” she says. “We have Nissan in engineering; Capita in the business and law faculty and Northumbria Health Care and NHS Foundation in Health and Life Sciences.”

Warwick University is famed for its WMG, originally Warwick Manufacturing Group, which was set up to bring new ideas to the UK manufacturing industry. “Everything we do is about real-life problems,” says Professor Paul Jennings, who leads WMG’s energy and electrical systems research group. “Our doctorate students spend their time developing new ideas that will improve engineering and other industries.

“It can be really important to choose a university with industry links. If a course is too theoretical, it can mean students do not have experience of implementing ideas in a real-life context.”

Rebecca Falconer, 36, is doing a Masters in cyber security at WMG Group. The key factor in her choice of courses was being able to apply what she had learned. “The course means I get to know what happens in industry. I like the fact that I am able to see cyber security operating in work places,” she says. “I have been out of the industry working as a general manager, so I have been able to update my knowledge.”

This article was created by the Independent and sponsored by Northumbria University, Newcastle. Based in Newcastle and London, Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focussed, professional university, with a global reputation for academic excellence. One of the Top 50 universities in the UK, Northumbria’s inspirational academics, cutting edge courses, outstanding facilities and extensive partner network means that they offer exceptional opportunities to learn from the best and give your career an edge. Northumbria is Top 4 in the UK for graduate start-ups and Top 7 for graduate employability. More than 560 employers and almost 50 professional bodies sponsor our courses – one of the highest rates in the UK. Click here to find out more about studying at Northumbria University, Newcastle.