Student profile
Ursula Joers

Ursula Joers

“I have felt challenged yet supported at every step of the way, in the classroom and outside of it.”

Course

Information Systems

Before joining the University of Surrey, I’d been working as a project and community manager for a couple of years at Testlio, a start-up company in Estonia, my home country. I felt I wanted to learn more about the theories behind organisations’ everyday behaviour and decided that I would like to explore this as part of a group of people who are equally interested in studying new things.

For me, studying computer science doesn’t mean that you have to become a software engineer or analyst; it also gives you essential skills and an excellent background to be able to tackle issues that face our society. 

In addition, I love a good brain teaser, and studying computer science is really about constantly solving problems.

I decided to study for the MSc in Information Systems at Surrey firstly because I was impressed with the University’s connections to the computing industry and the way that academic studies are strongly tied to the real world. My second reason was a personal one: I’d already fallen in love with Surrey’s campus having visited it a couple of times.

As a postgraduate student in the Department of Computer Science, you’ll meet inspiring and supportive academic staff. I have felt challenged yet supported at every step of the way, in the classroom and outside of it. For example I’ve had the opportunity to choose a theme for my dissertation project that is very close to my heart – gender balance in the technology industry. This wasn’t on the original list of possible topics, but I was fully supported by my supervisor to pursue it – yet another great example of the support the University provides.

I’ve also enjoyed both the technical and business-focused modules which make up the MSc in Information Systems. I’ve really appreciated both types of modules as they tackle totally different problems and make you look at both sides of the industry.

When I complete my masters course I want to put what I’ve learned at Surrey into action, working in a smarter way with the help of the knowledge and ideas I’ve gained. I would also like to do further research on women in STEM disciplines and contribute to the increasing dialogue across different communities on this subject.

To anyone unsure whether to apply for the Information Systems MSc course I’d say: consider the bigger picture. Would the programme help you to achieve the long-term goals you have set for yourself? I believe that this programme is a great investment for your future.

Why not explore our courses in computer science, including our Information Systems MSc course?