Zuzana Fryntová | MLitt Film, Visual Culture & Arts Management
Having decided to change the direction of my career prospects following an internship at an arts and cultural organisation in London in 2018, I was researching a master's that would prepare me for the challenges of working in the arts sector in practical terms – and this course was the only one in the country that offered the flexibility, practical classes, and internships that I was looking for.
The programme all changed with Covid, so in the end none of the internships or practical classes I was looking for the most happened. However, I felt very grateful for all the support we received from the professors and other UoA staff and appreciated the generosity and understanding they all provided us with.
Being linked with Deveron Projects, an arts organisation based in Aberdeenshire, as part of the course proved crucial for my career. I stayed in touch with the organisation during the pandemic and applied for an internship to work after my graduation. A job offer followed, and I lived in Huntly for over two years! Thanks to the experience I have gained through working at Deveron Projects, I have secured a position at Alchemy Film and Arts, another socially engaged arts organisation in Scotland - and it all started with that initial contact as part of the UoA course syllabus.
I spent only a few months in the city before the Covid pandemic (I started the course in January 2020) and fell in love with the area. Walks at the beach, day trips to Stonehaven or the Cairngorms National Park – Aberdeenshire holds so much natural beauty (and is not as crowded as the west coast of Scotland!) Aberdeen is also very well connected with an international airport and is close to Edinburgh.
Studying in the UoA library provides glorious views of the sea and the campus hosts a myriad of student activities you can join – I loved being a part of the Kickboxing Club and made friends in the club as well as in the class whom I have been in touch with despite the fact most of them moved to different countries across the world. You can really feel the diversity and multitude of cultures throughout the campus, which, coming from a different country myself, I absolutely loved about studying at the University of Aberdeen.
If you are considering studying at the University of Aberdeen, go for it! And make use of as many of the opportunities and amazing resources the university and the course offer – the experience is largely what you make it. And you will not be alone – you will always get the support you need if you ask for it.
Cerys Davies | MLitt Film, Visual Culture & Arts Management
I applied on a whim because I wasn’t sure if I had the entry requirements, grades, or skills to undergo a postgraduate at the University of Aberdeen. When I got my acceptance letter, I was so happy, I knew this was the right path and course for me, and I knew I had to accept the offer. Within a week of getting the acceptance letter, I chose the University of Aberdeen and my course even though I was still waiting to hear back from other Universities.
Not only did the course give me further understanding and knowledge of the subject’s area, but it allowed me to build on skills I had previously learnt in my undergraduate in a more specific setting, and I was able to ask questions, be curious and learn from not only the lecturers but people currently working within Arts Management. I also undertook a work placement with an international arts organisation and discovered how the theory we learn is applied and contributes to Film, Visual Culture and Arts Management.
This course gave me confidence in my ability to build skills I have taken forward with my career, like managing large-scale events and connecting with others through public engagement and social media.
Aberdeen is such a student city. You can easily find your people, and there are so many bars, clubs, and restaurants for students to take full advantage of social and academic life at university. I moved to Aberdeen for my undergraduate degree and stayed for my postgraduate degree. Now, I live and work in the city and am happy to call it home.
If you are reading this thinking I don’t know if I’m good enough for the University of Aberdeen, do it. I had the same thought process that my grades in school weren’t good. I did well in my undergraduate, but this was a higher level of study, and I didn’t know if my success would continue throughout the postgraduate level. However, the staff were so welcoming and supportive of students, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made.
