A day in the life of a Masters of Internal Communication Management Student Kate Waters

I’m writing this at 9pm on a weekday evening. It’s a few days until my next deadline, and my phone is buzzing with Whatsapp messages from my coursemates (who have now become friends). 

This week, we’re analysing examples of leadership communication, using everything we’ve learnt about rhetoric and discourse analysis. It’s fascinating stuff, but I’m tired - it’s only 10 days since we submitted our latest 5,000 word assignments. We’re all looking forward to a summer break before starting our final management report in September. 

I started my career in PR, working for an amazing charity. But my passion for internal communication really grew during my time in the NHS. At a specialist heart and lung hospital, I was responsible for communication during a big move to a new hospital - and then, rather more unexpectedly, a global pandemic.  It was challenging and rewarding work, and I saw first-hand how internal communication can help people and organisations thrive. 

My role at the University is focused on change communication. There’s no textbook for delivering change in an 800-year-old university (or if there is, please let me know!). To communicate change effectively, you need to be flexible and quick-thinking, continually adapting your approach in response to feedback. Everything I’ve learnt on the MA course so far is helping me look at problems through many different lenses and develop new ideas based on academic theory. 

The course is divided into four modules, each starting with a two-day workshop in London. The workshops are a chance to get to know the tutors and your coursemates better, and get an introduction to each new topic. Then you go away and start reading - there’s a lot of reading!  Most of the reading list is available through the University library, but I think our cohort is probably keeping a certain second hand bookstore in business. 

Doing an MA course alongside a busy job and a family is not easy. You do need a certain amount of grit and determination to get the textbooks out after a long day at work or write an assignment on a sunny Sunday morning. But I’m so glad I signed up. I’ve learnt so much that will be useful in work - and life - for many years to come.