How did I choose my Master's at WBS?

MSc Marketing & Strategy student Kira Gathani shares how she chose her Master’s degree at Warwick Business School, from finding the right subject to comparing courses and deciding that WBS was the right fit for her.

When I was finishing my undergraduate degree, I knew I wanted to do a Master’s, but figuring out exactly what I wanted to study took a lot more thought. Choosing a Master’s degree can feel genuinely overwhelming, with so many courses, universities and different directions you could take.

I studied Media and Communication in Berlin, and I loved it. But as my degree progressed, I started noticing a gap. My course was quite theoretical and, while it was fascinating in many ways, I often found myself wondering how what I was learning would translate into an actual job.

I wanted more practical business knowledge and to feel genuinely confident walking into industry roles after graduation.

Looking back, choosing to study MSc Marketing & Strategy at Warwick Business School was one of the best decisions I’ve made. However, getting there involved a lot of reflection, a fair amount of Googling and genuinely asking myself what I cared about.

How do you choose the right Master’s degree?

Two things pointed me in the direction of Marketing.

First, there was a marketing module during my undergraduate degree that I genuinely enjoyed. It was one of the first times during my course that I found myself thinking, “Oh, I actually want to know more about this.”

Second, I took on a part-time marketing and project management role alongside my studies during my final year.

That combination of creativity and strategy – branding, consumer behaviour and business decisions – just clicked for me. By the time that job ended, I was pretty sure marketing was the direction I wanted to take.

For a while, I was torn between a Management MSc and a Marketing MSc. Both seemed interesting and both felt like plausible career paths.

What settled it for me was going through the actual module lists side by side. When I read through the MSc Marketing & Strategy modules, I felt noticeably more excited. I could picture myself in those classes and genuinely wanted to engage with those topics.

That sounds simple, but it’s honestly one of the most useful gut-checks you can do when choosing a Master’s.

My advice is not to get too hung up on course titles. Look at what you’ll actually be studying week to week and pay attention to which modules make you think, “Yes, I want to learn that,” rather than, “I suppose that could be useful.”

Why did I choose MSc Marketing & Strategy at Warwick Business School?

Once I knew marketing was my focus, I started properly researching Master’s courses. WBS came up quickly, and the MSc Marketing & Strategy stood out straight away.

I was planning to study abroad and wanted somewhere with a strong academic reputation and real career prospects. I also spent a lot of time on the WBS website itself, which I’d genuinely recommend.

The postgraduate course pages provide detailed information about modules, teaching approaches, professors and career outcomes, while the course brochures go even deeper into the structure of each programme. It’s the kind of information that can be easy to skim past, but actually taking the time to read through it made a real difference to my decision.

Something I wish I’d known earlier is that Warwick also offers one-to-one appointments with both the careers team and admissions staff. Being able to talk through your interests, background and goals with someone experienced can take a lot of the pressure off, especially if you’re still unsure which course is the right fit for you.

There’s a lot of information to take in when researching Master’s degrees, so don’t be afraid to make use of the support available to you.

Can you study a Master’s that’s different from your undergraduate degree?

One thing that has really struck me at WBS is the range of backgrounds represented in my cohort. People have studied law, engineering, economics, psychology and many other subjects.

A Master’s doesn’t have to be a straight continuation of what you studied before. It can deepen your existing subject, or take you somewhere completely new.

For me, MSc Marketing & Strategy was a way to build on my communication background while gaining the practical business and strategic skills I felt I was missing. It brought everything together in a way that finally made sense.

My biggest tip throughout the decision-making process is to reflect on what genuinely interests you, look closely at the modules, think about the career you can actually picture yourself pursuing and make use of the support available to you.

The right course tends to be the one that feels less like an obligation and more like something you’re genuinely excited to show up for.