Why did you choose an online course with Leeds?
“I work full-time and I’m a mom so an online course was a natural choice.
“I'm based in Canada, so I was looking at local universities as well. But the Leeds programme gave that breadth, I really like that it was with the School of the Environment and the School of Business. So, it would give me an understanding of the sustainability space, but then also the business side of it.”
How did the course fit in with your existing commitments?
“There were live webinars that were too early in the morning for me. But if I missed it because of school drops or anything like that, I was able to catch up with the recording, so that was actually a very important consideration as well, because it is not always possible to join the live instruction.
“So, it was nice to have that flexibility and the timing worked out if I could make it. But also, there was a recording available if I didn't.”
How has studying the degree contributed to your personal development?
“It's a good mix of foundational reading but then also contemporary, more recent research.
“It's been a little while since I did my undergrad. I have done a few continuing education courses, but it reignited that kind of energy for research, and for finding out information. That was probably a huge part of it in terms of building that foundation for the specific subject matter expertise.
“The other thing that I'll mention is that the cohort was very global. This is to be expected because of the nature of online learning and the accessibility that it gives. It was really interesting to have that global perspective in the class.”
How did you find the level of academic engagement?
“One of the nice things about it is that we are working with academics who are sharing their research. So, you get direct access.
“There was a case study that we did in the governance course on oil and gas companies, and that came directly from a professor who is a researcher working on this, so that was really exciting and is actually something that I am bringing into my professional world.”
Did you feel supported by your cohort?
“Yeah, there's always the forums in the modules themselves. If you have questions, that was a good place to ask. When we were doing assignments for example, or if somebody was stuck somewhere or just wanted to know how somebody approached a certain question, or how long they spent on something. It was a good place to gauge how others were doing.”
How did you find the Minerva learning platform?
“It was perfectly great. The thing that I like about it is how organised it is in the smaller sections so that you can easily keep track. It helps you keep track of how much of a module you have gone through. So, when you come back after a day or two you know where you are, like a little bookmark.
“And then there's easy access to the instructors and professors, so everything is in one place.”