My RAU experience

I chose this course because it offers the kind of flexibility I was looking for to enable me to study and continue to work. Every effort is made to accommodate different work/home situations, with part-time study available, the option for distance learning and recorded lectures. There's also a good range of modules to choose from, which could lead to a variety of roles in the heritage industry. Because I was returning to education after a long break, I began with the PG Certificate but was able to move on to the Diploma - and I plan to continue to the full MSc.

Experiencing VR as part of my Heritage Interpretation module was something new for me, and has been a highlight of the course. We were encouraged to think about how it made us feel, how it might be used in a heritage environment and what the positive and negative effects might be.

What I’m enjoying most about studying at the RAU is I love being in a stimulating environment with people who share the same passion for heritage and history. We all benefit from sharing our knowledge and being encouraged to think deeply about heritage issues from a professional point of view.

 

What I gained from the RAU 

I would like to explore the opportunities for freelance work in the heritage industry, using my skills as a technical author to produce professional practice reports. Our assignments teach us how to produce professional reports rather than academic essays, so there's always a focus on employability.

One challenge I’ve faced as a mature student is I haven’t had to deal with tech such as AI or reference management software in my previous academic experience. However, the training modules gave an excellent and balanced view of how to use these tools, particularly highlighting the pros and cons of AI. This has given me confidence when working on my assignments.

To any student thinking of studying this course at the RAU I would say go for it! It has been such an enjoyable experience. You can choose the modules that best fit with your interests, and tailor your assignments and research work to fit with your future career plans. The course is a mix of people of all ages and from all sorts of career backgrounds, which makes it dynamic and stimulating.