Coventry University London paves path for extended work experience in the UK through extended MSc courses
New Delhi: Coventry University London, part of 175 years old Coventry University, today announced the launch of six new Masters (MSc) courses with ‘Extended Professional Practice’. These courses will be delivered over 18 months as opposed to the regular 12-month timeframe, allowing students to undertake a longer internship or project as part of the course in the UK. A few existing MSc courses have also been redesigned to offer Extended Professional Practice. Developed with an aim to increase graduate employability, the extended MSc courses start in September 2019.
Coventry University London works closely with industry to develop courses and to secure work placement opportunities for its students. The focus is on job-readiness of its students across disciplines and geographies. The University has a 97% employability rate – one of the highest in the UK – and aims to equip its students with the skills that employers need worldwide. The six new MSc courses with extended Professional Practice are a result of the feedback from students and industry and demonstrate Coventry University London’s commitment towards enabling the global employment ecosystem.
The extended courses offer all international students aspiring to study in the UK, the potential to gain important extended work experience in a key international market while developing networks and connections that will help them in their professional journey. Indian students specifically stand to gain immensely from Coventry’s Extended Professional Practice. The UK is the preferred higher education destination for Indian students across disciplines. Over 160,000 Indian students have studied in the UK over the last decade; and the number of Indian students going to the UK has been growing each year.
The new programs — across various business and management domains — are as follows:
MSc Global Financial Trading
MSc Professional Accounting
MSc Enterprise and Innovation
MSc International Project Management
MSc International Fashion Marketing
MSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management
The coherent programs are designed to provide the students a quality international learning experience while preparing them for the world of business with confidence. Through the duration of the extended course, they will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how businesses operate and how to apply theory to real-world scenarios. The University’s Careers, Employability and Enterprise team will support the students to secure an extended placement with the right employer and pursue their career goals.
“We are delighted to announce the new suite of extended MSc courses which will allow our students to put into practice the theoretical skills, helping them jump start their careers. With a belief that practical application is essential to develop the skills required for a successful career, the extended professional practice will pave a direct path to employment (in the UK) through longer and more meaningful internships,” said Gareth Lewis, Head of Careers, Employability and Enterprise at Coventry University London.
Coventry University London concluded its first Global Employability workshop on 12th April, 2019 at the British Council in New Delhi. The workshop was designed to encourage dialogue on the employability challenges in India and present innovative proposals on how career skills can be made central to any curriculum or corporate training programme. The event was attended by employers, employees, job seekers, career professionals, academics, graduates, policy makers and professionals.
Commenting on the workshop that was an extension of the University’s ideology, Gareth Lewis added, “Preparation for the world of work is at the core of our course curriculum. Keeping in mind the dynamic job market, the courses are tailored to provide the students with in-depth knowledge, soft-business skills and career-ready competencies that are sought after by employers. The discussion at the Global Employability workshop was extremely insightful as we deliberated on the supply-demand mis-match and ways of maximising graduate employability – the key skills of tomorrow and how to best deliver them at university and enterprise level.”
The broad portfolio of courses offered by Coventry University London aim to equip the students with in-depth understanding of the field and the practical skills necessary to lead effectively in the fast-paced world of business.
Launched in 2010, Coventry University London is situated in the heart of the financial district of London – one of the most successful business and financial centres in the world. It is one of the largest providers of business-related degrees in Europe. With an objective of providing quality teaching, modern facilities and a London-city student experience, the University offers industry-relevant courses in Business, Marketing, Management, Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Fashion, and Hospitality & Tourism.
The skills gap is a global challenge, with employers in different parts of the world having different expectations on what skills graduates should possess. According to the 2018 QS Global Skills Gap Report, the most important skills for employers are interpersonal skills, adaptability, problem solving, teamwork and communication. The challenge for universities is to deliver a curriculum that has a real focus on employability skills at its core, to help bridge the gap between employers’ expectations and graduates’ skills.