Transcript for the video Masters research at the University of Leeds embedded on the Learning and Teaching page.
[Music]
[Beth Peacock, an Msc Biopharmaceutical Development student with a 12-month work placement, appears on the screen. She is sitting in a laboratory.]
[Beth Peacock says:] My undergraduate degree was biological sciences, and yeah, I just got to know the University and knew that they cared about how they teach you
A lot of the time when I was doing the undergraduate degree you would talk about antibiotics or chemotherapy, which is more small molecule drugs, but gene therapy was something new and you get to do some really good things, you're developing a drug and making something safe to make someone better.
It's something that I think is the future of science, so I wanted to get involved.
[Beth is shown working in a laboratory.]
[Beth Peacock says:] So as a postgraduate you do a lot more independent learning, a lot of the lectures they'll tell you a big broad overview of everything, but then your assignment's specific, so you would have to go away and research these things.
A lot of the different assignments were looking at very different things, from developing a business plan to looking at how you would design a biobetter drug, and then in contrast you had other modules where you would be working in a group with people from different Masters [courses].
[Beth is shown sat at a table with other students, chatting and using a laptop.]
[Beth Peacock says:] There was a lot of presentations that you had to give, so you kind of came out of your comfort zones. I've learned how to be more confident, more independent and just believe in myself.
Your supervisor is someone who's there to help you throughout your postgraduate studies, this isn't just really into what you're being taught and what you're learning, it's also [that] they're there for you if you've got any problems outside of the university and teaching.
[Beth is shown giving a presentation to a group of people in a conference room.]
[Beth Peacock says:] I think my Masters has prepared me a lot. I know about lots of different areas that you wouldn't normally know about.
Outside of science I guess it's taught you to be confident, talk to people from external companies and in general, just work with people from different backgrounds.
[Beth is shown walking into the Covance building.]
[Beth Peacock says:] I've got a job here at Covance afterwards and I do think without this Masters I wouldn't have been able to get there, because I've learnt so many things and I've had the opportunity to be trained in lots of different techniques.
So this course has taught you not just the theories behind things, but about the actual industry and the drug development process.
Especially coming into industry you really see the value of being taught about all those different things.
[The video ends with a screen containing the University logo.]