Clare Breckin

Senior Engineer, Devon County Council
MSc Road Management and Engineering (2013)

I undertook my MSc as part of my professional development. Since completing it I have progressed into a new post.

How has your career developed since graduating from the University of Birmingham? 
I was already working for Devon County Council prior to attending the UoB, I undertook my MSc as part of my professional development. Since completing it I have progressed into a new post.

What is the best thing about what you are doing now? 
The mix of different work that I am involved with.

To what extent did your degree set you up for your career?
My MSc was essential to progress past a certain point and allowed me to apply for CEng status.

How far did your degree prepare you for practice?
The course is very applied, I found that having been working in the field much of it was familiar to me but in every case it extended my knowledge and presented new ways of working.

What were the most positive and also the most challenging aspects of your degree?
The most positive aspect was the small class size and its international make-up. The most challenging was completing the course whilst working full time, although the university were very supportive in that respect.

What was your favourite thing about the university?
The course community.

What advice would you give to current students studying the degree?
Make the most of the wide variety of experiences shared by classmates and lecturers.