Natalie has recently joined the South Staffordshire Council’s Planning team as a Planning Graduate. The district is comprised of villages with great historic significance, allowing her to play a key role in protecting heritage for future generations and balancing the needs of communities using my knowledge of sustainable development:
One concept that was woven into every aspect of the MSc was “Sustainable Development” and its impact on surrounding society. It was this topic that provided the perfect bridge between my passion for heritage and a viable career in Planning.
Natalie’s educational background in Historic Object Conservation provided a strong foundation for the Sustainable Heritage MSc, which gave her the opportunity to explore a range of heritage related topics and the ability to contribute to real-life case-studies.
Talking to professionals in the field gave me the confidence to voice my own opinions and provided a wealth of knowledge about heritage related challenges. I particularly enjoyed meeting the Hampstead Heath management team, as this was the first time I had been introduced to landscapes as a form of heritage.
For Natalie, UCL’s diversity and status as a global university was a key benefit of the course. She enjoyed the opportunity to discuss concepts with classmates from a range of academic backgrounds which exposed her to a wide range of opinions, for her this diversity “was a fantastic cultural experience.”
Overall, Natalie found the course intellectually valuable and helped her learn new skills to take into the workplace:
The Sustainable Heritage MSc is perfect for someone looking for an intellectual challenge, and complements a variety of future careers relating to the built environment or museum collections. I not only gained a wealth of knowledge, but I have also widened my skillset through teamwork and project management, which will be invaluable in my new role.
We’d like to thank Natalie for sharing her experience of studying Sustainable Heritage MSc and wish her well in her new job.