Postgraduate Prospectus 2013 - Swansea University

Our long history of working with business, industry,
commerce and the public sector enables us to add real
value to your education. We listen closely to employers
when they tell us what skills and experiences they
demand of their graduate employees, and we tailor our
courses to make sure that you gain the professional and
high-level skills that will enable you to thrive in today’s
increasingly competitive world.
Many of our courses are accredited by professional bodies,
offer project placements with industry, and give you the
opportunity to apply your knowledge in a practical setting. After
all, developing your academic skills and love of scholarship is
just one part of what we do. We’ll also encourage you to gain
as much practical experience as possible.
That’s why each course description in this prospectus tells you
upfront what the degree will train you to do and what skills it
will help you to gain.
We also pioneered the GO Wales work placement
scheme, which helps students to find employment with local
small- and medium-sized companies, as well as public sector
organisations, giving you the chance to improve your skills
and career prospects.
Careers and Employability Service
If you are undecided about what you want to do after university,
don’t worry. Whether you are interested in jobs, postgraduate
study, voluntary work, or taking a year out, our trained advisers
are on hand to give you the support and information you need.
Serious about your skills
We can help you to:
• develop a portfolio of relevant skills, knowledge,
and practical experience
• gain maximum benefit from job placements
and vacation work
• find term time jobs and other opportunities to
develop your skills
• complete job applications and prepare for interview
• secure suitable employment or further study opportunities
after graduation
Our Helpdesk is based in the Library, and we have extensive
information resources to help you plan your future. Careers
Advisers are available Monday to Friday for guidance on any
careers related issue, and you’ll also find our website helpful:
www.swansea.ac.uk/careers is updated daily and contains lots
of useful information and links. You can also book appointments
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with Careers Advisers and attend Careers events.
Did you know?
The Careers and Employability Service is
externally credited by the Matrix quality standard
for information, advice and guidance services. As
part of Information Systems Services, it has also
received the Customer Service Excellence Award,
the Government’s customer service standard.
Keeping track of your development
The Careers team works alongside our academic staff to
provide personal development planning for all students, ensuring
that your employability is continuously improved throughout your
time at Swansea.
We’ll help you to identify and develop
a variety of skills that will enable you to
make the most of your time at university,
and to get what you want from your
career. You’ll then create and maintain
an e-portfolio that documents the skills
you acquire, the personal qualities you
develop, and the experiences that bring
your CV to life, from your involvement
with sport and societies, to the more
formal roles you might undertake in job
placements and volunteering.
Stimulating entrepreneurship
Whilst you’re at Swansea you can take
advantage of many opportunities to learn
and practise key business and
entrepreneurship skills. You can:
• take part in seminars and workshops to
learn from inspirational guest speakers
from the private sector
• attend a masterclass to see how the
most successful entrepreneurs run and
grow their businesses
• study entrepreneurship and
employability modules in subject areas
such as Childhood Studies,
Engineering, Management Studies,
and Modern Languages
• enjoy a week-long Summer School
programme that will help you develop
enterprise skills such as business
planning, finance, and business law
As a student, you’ll also have access to
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a
not-for-profit organisation active in over
1,500 universities in 47 countries. SIFE
focuses on market economics, success
skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy,
environmental sustainability, and business
ethics. Getting involved could give your
career a real boost. And if you’ve got a
great idea for a new venture, you can
talk to us about our early stage funding
and business planning support to help
graduates to establish their own business.
Making your degree
relevant around the world
Employers in the UK understand the value
of a degree from a British university, but if
you decide to work in Europe or further
afield, how can you be sure that your
degree will be recognised no matter
where in the world you end up?
When you complete your studies, you’ll
receive a Diploma Supplement, which
provides a detailed description of the
nature, level, context, content, and status
of your course. It highlights the intellectual
and practical skills you have acquired,
enabling employers to see at a glance
what you have achieved.
Swansea was the first university in Wales
to introduce the Diploma Supplements,
which have been developed by the
European Commission. They are not a
substitute for your CV, but they certainly
add value to it.
Discovery – Student
Volunteering Swansea
Do you want to gain valuable
interpersonal, leadership, social, and
enterprise skills at the same time as
helping other people to fulfil their
potential?
Discovery is a registered charity that has
been established for over 40 years. It has
hundreds of student volunteers who get
involved with a wide range of projects
across the City of Swansea.
Discovery’s student-led initiatives bring
new experiences and opportunities to
some of the region’s most disadvantaged
groups, and help our students to
appreciate and enhance their own
personal development. For more
information, please visit:
www.swansea.ac.uk/discovery
Building your international
networks
When you graduate, you will become a
member of our Alumni Association, an
invaluable network of 55,000 active
members who share common experiences
and a love of Swansea. Our alumni are
working at every level in industry,
commerce, sport and the public sector, in
the UK and overseas, which means that
you will find like-minded friends and
colleagues wherever you are in the world.
Our alumni regularly tell us that they
benefit professionally and socially from
relationships they have forged through the
Association. Many are actively
supporting the next generation of students
in the UK and overseas, helping them to
decide what to study and how the
Swansea experience can have a
life-changing impact on their careers.
Many of our alumni choose to become
ambassadors for the University. Wherever
you are in the world, you can still help
Swansea by setting up a local branch of
the Association to enable old friends to
keep in touch with each other. Equally,
you could help to promote the University
to prospective students in the UK, Europe
or internationally. For information about
our Alumni Association, please visit:
www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni
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