Giedre Visockaite, MSc Strategy & Innovation (Class of 2011)

Having graduated from Maynooth University with Bachelors and Masters Degrees I can’t commend this university enough for its exceptional approach in gearing its students up for a successful career.
Finance and Venture Management Degree was very enjoyable and gave me a wide range of skills in Finance, Economics, Business, Management and IT. In addition, a part of the Degree was a 6-month work placement, which I completed in Beijing, China. This significantly helped develop my cultural intelligence and international business skills.
Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I wanted to advance my knowledge in the fields that interested me the most – Strategy and Innovation. I was delighted when I find out that the Maynooth University School of Business was rolling out a new course – MSc in Strategy and Innovation, which was exactly what I was looking for. This well-structured, extremely business focussed and challenging Masters Programme was delivered by the lecturers of highest calibre from all over the world, who brought extensive experience to the class and gave it a real business flavour.
One of the highlights of the Masters Programme was the Business Research Project. The way this was designed really impressed me. The applied nature of the research meant that all students got to work with companies all over Ireland and carry out research about real business problems, which made it a particularly beneficial and interesting experience. In addition, this created immediate employment opportunities for many students including myself.  Based on successful completion of my Business Research Project and my overall performance, I was offered a permanent position in the company as Strategy and Innovation Analyst, after which I was promoted to Strategy and Innovation Department Manager’s position.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience studying in Maynooth University for 5 years. Not only did it give me immense knowledge in the subject areas I was really interested in, but it also provided exposure to the real world business environment and challenges and exciting employment opportunities.