Becca - Taught Masters

Becca talks about her experience of studying at Edinburgh and why she chose to study ecological economics with us.

Becca Andrasko

Becca Andrasko moved from Washington, D.C., to study a one-year taught masters in Ecological Economics in the School of GeoSciences.

"The University of Edinburgh was the top choice for my masters because of its stellar international reputation and long history of scientific innovation.

Ecological Economics is also quite a specific degree programme that few universities offer, so I knew I’d be with other students who share the same interests and with professors who are world leaders in the field."

Choosing Edinburgh

I tend to be a very head-driven person, but I had a gut feeling about the University of Edinburgh.

Of course, the University fit into rational criteria like being a world-leading university in scientific research and having unique opportunities for field work.

I felt immediately connected to the University from the beginning of my masters process in a way that was entirely different from any of the other schools I was evaluating.

I chose Edinburgh because of the amazing history, the opportunity to travel around Scotland and get to know Scottish culture, and Scotland’s pop culture connections.

Studying at Edinburgh

I came into the masters experience with a completely open mind about the types of people I’d meet.

I was concerned that I would be a bit older than my classmates and could have a hard time making friends, but that fear was dispelled within the first five minutes of induction week.

Settling into the programme

My friends in my programme are from all over the world and are more diverse (in opinions and geography) than my friends from my undergraduate school.

Any time I have a question or concern about the university system, I ask a classmate or a professor, all of whom are understanding and helpful in making my transition easy.

Settling into the city

Edinburgh is such a warm and welcoming city. It has blown my expectations out of the water!

The city has everything you would want – museums, cultural events, fantastic pubs, coffee shops and music venues.

Field work in South Africa

I’m so excited for the hands-on experience that I’ll get from the field work component of the programme.

The majority of Masters programmes through the School of Geosciences do field work abroad. My programme is going to South Africa in April for two weeks.

We’re going to spend a week in a UNESCO World Heritage natural park conducting field work. We will then develop our findings in a required class during second semester.

Students are free to travel around in the second week. I’ll probably spend time in Cape Town and go on a safari in Kreuger National Park.