Conversion programmes

There are several reasons for pursuing a conversion programme:

• You may have decided that your undergraduate degree is not the field you want to work in and you need to upskill in a different area to allow you to pursue your chosen career.
  
• You may want additional skills to add to those you gained on your undergraduate degree to help further your career aspirations.
  
• You may have developed an interest in a new subject which you want to explore further.

Taking a conversion course is one of the best ways to fast-track a career change or continue studying in a completely different subject area from your undergraduate degree. The variety of skills and expertise could also allow you to improve your job prospects, achieve professional accreditation, and increase your chance of securing work in a specific field.

"I studied an undergraduate degree in business here at the University of Plymouth, and after completing my degree I secured a Marketing Executive role at an international animal charity in Wiltshire. I then returned to the University because I secured a new, full-time marketing role within one of the faculties.

I really enjoyed my work and experiences in the marketing world but I have also always had a real passion for helping others and began thinking about how I could incorporate this into my career path. When I started researching I realised I wanted to seek a new challenge and to make a difference to the people around me in a different way. Occupational therapy appealed to me because it is a professional role but with people’s wellbeing at the heart of it.

I chose the conversion programme because it is a fast track programme that covers all the essential skills and knowledge I need to pursue my ideal career direction. Having a masters qualification will really benefit me in terms employment and career progression. What do I hope to gain from it? Well, it’s simple, a learning experience that I will never forget!"

"I studied psychology as an undergraduate degree because I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour. I think it brings together science and people in a way that is both interesting and essential for our understanding of how society operates.

I then progressed straight onto my conversion course although I did work as a research assistant over the summer between finishing my undergraduate degree and starting my masters degree. 

I chose to convert my psychology degree into a masters in data science and business analytics because I wanted to enhance my employability. I did a lot of research and discovered that data science is a growing area. I also have previous experience as a research assistant and I really enjoy analysing data and understanding the impact that it can have. Taking on this conversion course
has allowed me to improve my knowledge and skills in this area and has also taught me how to use a variety of different analytical software."