Accounting and Finance

Han Nguyen, BSc Accounting and Finance

I was in the co-operation programme between the University of Bedfordshire and Foreign Trade University (FTU) in Hanoi, Vietnam. My first year was in FTU. I have transferred to the UK for the second and the third year. I love the UK and I wanted to experience being a student in this country.

However, I will come back to my country after I finish the degree. The economy of Vietnam is developing so that jobs in the Accounting and Finance field will help to get higher salary in comparison to others. Job opportunities in this field are competitive. Besides, I want to run my own business in the future, so I think Accounting and Finance major will help me make my dream come true.

The course has helped me to gain the knowledge in Accounting and Finance field. It has helped me build up my understanding. I learnt the skills of working in a group, presentation skills and I have been improving communication skills. The Business Pods and the Learning Resources area are great facilities for students.

Mengdi Li, BA (Hons) Accounting

I am a student from the International College Beijing. The reason why I chose Accounting is because I think Accounting could be interesting. This course also offers 9 exemption papers from the ACCA qualification, which is really helpful for the future career.

We have brilliant, fantastic and professional lecturers, such as Andrew Ekuban, Rob Carman and Mingru Sun, who have provided a lot of support and patient help for my studying in the University of Bedfordshire. And these lecturers are definitely the treasures of the Uni. I really wouldn't have been able to get the First Class degree without them.

I have been accepted to do my Masters in International Real Estate and Planning at UCL, but if I could, I would really want to work for the University of Bedfordshire and contribute and share the knowledge with more students. Bedfordshire is joyful, unforgettable and constantly improving.

Wajid Babar, MSc Accounting and Finance

I am very good with numbers and mathematics, therefore I thought I would enjoy studying Accounting and Finance. The UoB is near to my home and saves me time of travelling and also cost.

I have achieved a first class Bachelor's degree at the University of Bedfordshire, which enabled me to apply to Jubilee scholarship within the university. I got it and had the full cost of my Masters degree paid by the University!

The course is focused on self-study more than learning in class, and I think that prepares you for employment. However, I do enjoy group work and examinations. The tutors are very helpful, they welcome students in their office hours to discuss any issues.

All the necessary facilities are available; I mainly use the group working areas, library, IT Suite and the Business Source Premier database.

As a result of my studies, I've learnt to do things independently and work with people from different cultures.

I would recommend MSc Accounting and Finance because it is an excellent opportunity to further your career within one year.

Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations

Vivienne Long, BA (Hons) Public Relations (sandwich)

The Business School was brand new and the facilities were far better than any other university I visited. I also liked the idea of the Business Pod set up that made learning feel like a business environment. That is why I chose the University of Bedfordshire.

I think the best aspect of the course is we get to take on a real business brief and present our solution and campaign to a real PR company!

My aim is to have a successful career in PR and I believe my time at the university is helping me achieve this goal. I have done a year-long placement at the Luton Town Football Club as a Marketing/PR Assistant within the Commercial Department. I feel that coming back into studying I am now more able to apply real life experiences. On the course I have also improved my time management, punctuality, team work, creativity, and became a good communicator.

The lecturers couldn't do more if they tried. They are helpful within teaching hours and out of them. The University has a great feel about it, a buzz of excitement. It's a great place to learn. You'll love it!

Angelo Karvelas, BA (Hons) Marketing

The course shares equal focus on practice and theory giving you a full spectrum of skills. Many of the lecturers are industry professionals; you can't get much better than that.

The biggest challenge is managing my time effectively. Alongside my degree, I work two days a week in the careers and recruitment service, I am the Student's Union's Entertainment Officer as well as Faculty Rep and also work in the Mezzanine bar at the Student Union – sometimes behind the bar or running the pub quiz or an open mic night.

I probably enjoy the variety of being at Bedfordshire as a whole as there are so many opportunities to experience new things. The University of Bedfordshire is friendly, engaging and diverse.

Gintare Civilkaite, MSc Marketing Communications

After graduating from Media Production at Bachelor degree level, I felt Marketing Communications studies appealed to me based on my background. I had an option to attend the Royal Holloway University or the University of Bedfordshire. I chose the University of Bedfordshire because of the financial advantages and the value for money.

The biggest challenge for me was working within groups of people from different backgrounds, and experiences we had on live campaigns that were assessed. The course gave me a better understanding of the industry, prepared me for different roles within marketing campaigns, as well as developed my self-confidence.

Want to be part of the marketing industry. The course helped to produce my portfolio and allowed me to prepare for entry into the industry.

The University offered to improve my computing skills and engage with professional bodies and organisations through seminars and guest speakers.

The teaching is excellent and the lecturers are highly engaging. The knowledge gained through the course teachers makes you to think outside the box.

Business, Management and HRM

Sabath Shazia, BA (Hons) Business Studies

I always had an interest in business and also helped to run the family business prior to coming to University. The University of Bedfordshire offers a lot to learn, the course is interesting and fun, and the teachers are supportive.

I have had a great support so far from all of my lecturers, especially my tutor Mike Kennedy! Tutors' support has made a big difference in my grades, it is helping me with future career and preparing me for the real world.

The project management unit has been the best so far - we done our project on Malawi which was a success where we raised up to £655. The Vice Chancellor has also visited our project to show his interest.

Facilities here a brilliant, especially the Business Pods. The creativity room is very useful when doing group work.

Apart from studying, I enjoy working for University's Careers and Recruitment Services and Access Partnership team. This has given me a wealth of experience, especially working in schools. My long term ambition is to become a teacher.

Rachel Taylor, Executive MBA

I decided to study on the EMBA as part of my agreed Personal Development Plan with my line manager. I felt that the EMBA was a natural next step in my career progression. I believed that the course would allow me to gain insights into theory and practice for business managers. I chose to study at the UoB as I felt that I could relate my studies and my day to day working more closely by studying and working within the same organisation.

The skills that I have developed the most are those relating to management and leadership. This has greatly supported me in my first role as a line manager and in supervising a team. The learning around strategy and implementation of strategy into organisational operations has greatly improved my understanding of the work of my team and how this impacts on the wider business of the Faculty and University.

The best aspects of the course are meeting and working with others from a variety industries and sectors and sharing different experiences. I think that this is a great course for business managers. It offers a good step forward for people who are developing in management roles. The course also offers a good opportunity to consolidate knowledge for more experienced business managers.

Ahmad Awais, MA International Human Resource Management

The fact that the University of Bedfordshire is investing highly in students and continuous growth was one of the reasons why I chose this University.

My course has given me confidence and grip over HR field and I think the most important thing this course instilled is the ability to critically evaluate and solve HR related problems in academic and organisational setting.

The assignments were of practical nature through which I learnt a lot. The group discussion activities and seminar activities in the classroom were the most practical learning experience which allowed me to think out of the box and to think beyond the subject.

Before coming in this University I was expecting a high quality teaching facility and Bedfordshire lived up to my expectations in this regard. I'd give ten points out of ten to my lecturers. The University of Bedfordshire is the best!

Law

Kenroy Justin, LLB (Hons) Law

I refuse to study in London because everything is ridiculously expensive there, but Luton is not too far from London, it's an ideal location.

There is an emphasis on extra-curriculum activities. To be a barrister you need to be someone who is pro-active. We tend to meet lawyers and go to events, mingle with them so we get into the professional environment before we actually start working. Another emphasised aspect of the course I enjoy is public speaking.

Because of the nature of law, it helps you think critically and therefore the course prepares you for the working environment. There is a whole range of jobs that you can do with a law degree.

I'd like to go into commercial law and be a barrister, but there are a million other things that I want to do, like doing Masters, starting a business and eventually writing a book.

I am a strong advocate of taking a gap year. A lot of young students come in without any clue what they want to do, they just do a course because it sounds like a good idea. They end up wasting their time and money. Taking a gap year and entering the working world would form a better understanding of what it's like out there and what they need to do to get where they really want to be.

Kamran Malik, LLB (Hons) Law, LLM Corporate Law

I have completed my LLB with a first class honours and received a Jubilee scholarship which allows me to do a Masters for free. I am on the LLM Corporate Law programme full-time, work every weekend and have a young family as well.

The LLB course was very varied. One day you could be reading case law, the next seeing it all in action in the courts, or you may find yourself taking part in a mooting competition! If fact, winning the internal Mooting competition and competing in the ESU National Mooting competition was the highlight of my time at University.

LLM Corporate Law provides the theoretical knowledge of a company's internal operations. I enjoy studying about corporate governance, EU competition law and corporate finance the most.

All the lecturers are passionate about their subjects what is reflected in their execution of lectures and seminars.

In order to be successful in your law career a degree is not enough, you need to engage in as many extra-curricular activities as you can. I was the President of Law Society and a Member of the Bar Society. I spent two weeks work experience at Pictons LLP and have worked two years at Luton Citizens Advice Bureau. I am currently volunteering at PSU (Personal Support Unit) which is based in the Royal Courts of Justice (Strand, London).

Silviya Simova, LLM International Commercial Law

Studying on a Masters level is a challenging opportunity as a whole. My LLM course requires much hard work and reading lots of information in a short period of time in comparison to students who study Law on undergraduate.

I think that lecturers are the main factor of the good reputation of this institution. What I appreciate much is that the LLM course leader really cares about how we prepare for our lessons and the way in which we present our knowledge. The so called disputes which we do with my classmates are similar to cases that are considered by the Court. Putting the knowledge into practice this way is very useful for me.

Tourism, Leisure and Events

Daria Visnyakova, BA (Hons) International Tourism Management

Our course is organising trips, e.g. to Wimbledon or World Travel Market event, as well as employability days where companies like easyJet, Premier Inn, Thomas Cook just to mention a few come to talk to students. Moreover, different opportunities are coming up during the year like jobs for summer or taking part in other events and projects.

I think that the preparation for employment also depends on how motivated the person is to gain experience and develop himself in order to graduate from the university not only with a diploma but with some extra knowledge.

I am doing my placement as student service administrator / student adviser with the University's Careers and Recruitment Services. I think the whole placement year is a big challenge as I am gaining a lot and learning so much. Besides customer service, I learned web-editing, financial part of the department and many other things.

I also take part in various projects outside the curriculum, e.g. with NOAH that is aimed to help homeless people in Luton, and investments for Milton Keynes as a tourism destination. I started a Spanish language course provided by the Learning Resource Centre, which I have received a bursary for.

Alexandra Barat-Abrams, MSc Tourism and Events Management

The course uses a lot of case studies and tutors have a wide range of experience students can learn from. There is also a lot of group work and presentations. Finally, at the end of the Events Management unit, student groups organise a fundraising event to put theory into practice.

My favourite are all events related units, as learning about that was the main reason I started the course. However, I also enjoy the research principles and practice units as they teach me a lot about academic studies and writing, and the team taught units as you get a lot of different input within one unit.

I developed my in-depth research skills, project/event management and communication skills. I would ideally like to own an events management company in a few years time. Bedfordshire helped with teaching the necessary skills and providing opportunities to apply theory to practice.

I would recommend this course because it has experienced staff, international student body and a challenging but interesting curriculum.

Yu-Tsang Cheng MSc Tourism Management

The course fitted my interest and I had heard it had a strong teaching team and good student support, so I chose UoB. I came from Taiwan, where a lot of people with undergraduate degrees are unemployed, so I want to increase my employability by studying on a Masters level.

My favourite aspects of the course are leisure psychology, where we learn about the things customers are really looking for, and marketing, as I am finding out new ways to promote and grow a business.

I think studying aboard is good for your future. Look at the variety of courses as there is a lot of choice. UoB is a place where you will enjoy quality and success if you work hard and are committed.