MSc/MA Professional Practice (Specialism): Extended

The University of Bolton’s innovative and dynamic MA/MSc Professional Practice (Specialism): Extended allows you to shape your master’s degree to your individual passions and goals. Combining focused study in your chosen specialisms with essential training to develop the high-level transferable skills needed for career success, you can personalise your studies, extend your expertise and become the master of your future career development.

Career opportunities

The MA/MSc Professional Practice (Specialism): Extended offers named postgraduate routes for interdisciplinary studies capturing one or two fields of interest along with a host of career-relevant transferable skills and knowledge. It can act as a bridge, where appropriate, into a new field of employment or practice if your undergraduate degree was in another subject area. Additionally, it’s an excellent option if you’ve been working in a relevant field gaining degree-level knowledge through experience and self-study rather than formal education. This master’s aims to expand the knowledge and expertise you’ve gained through your undergraduate or professional work and pave the way for you to achieve your ambitions.

The key ingredient found in many successful people and leaders is ‘confidence without arrogance’. Successful people know how to use their skills and knowledge for maximum impact. An essential focus of this course is on giving you the confidence to promote yourself effectively by drawing on the most appropriate elements of your expertise, presenting your ideas and work in the correct way, at the right time and to the most relevant people. The University of Bolton’s strong and growing links with companies and organisations across the North West sets a scene that allows for coaching, networking and employment opportunities.

As a graduate of this master’s degree, you’ll possess in-depth knowledge in your field(s) of interest and a unique body of work that demonstrates your abilities and style. You’ll be able to act autonomously, and use your initiative, problem-solving and leadership skills to manage complex situations. You’ll have valuable skills in employability, problem-solving, and in collaborative and team working with other professionals, community members, and commercial organisations. Overall, the course offers no-nonsense guidance towards self-improvement. By the end of the course, you should have the skills to take charge of your personal and professional development and be able to reflect on your progress as you work towards your goals.

What can I do with this qualification?

This is a career-focused master’s degree that will support you to develop advanced knowledge and skills in your chosen field(s) of study. During the course, we’ll also guide you to make clear plans as to how you will use your expertise to progress your career in your chosen professional arena. This qualification also forms the basis for doctoral studies if you wish to pursue a career in academia or research and development.

As a graduate of this master’s degree, you'll be well prepared to seek employment or promotion, or become self-employed using the enterprise and innovation skills you’ve developed as part of the course. You'll possess the knowledge needed to submit financial/budget applications or business plans and to prepare and launch various projects. How you use your skills will depend on your chosen area(s) of study and your personal interests and ambitions. However, you can rest assured that you'll have the confidence, knowledge and skills to drive forward in your career or enterprise development.