Kate Skellington

Tell us a bit about yourself?

My first degree is in Applied Psychology and Sociology (University of Surrey) and my PhD is in Psychology (Glasgow Caledonian University). I have worked for the last fifteen years as an academic, government and private sector researcher, mostly in the field of criminal justice research.

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

Five years ago I set up my own research consultancy business, which has allowed me to work on several interesting projects in the UK and abroad and to work collaboratively with professionals from a broad range of disciplines. Undertaking further study was a way of broadening my academic learning and balancing out my increasingly applied CV with a return to theory.  

I regularly have to consider ethical practice in the collection and analysis of research data. I thought it would be interesting to engage with new material and new ways of thinking in ethics, to contrast with my training as a psychologist. The philosophical content of the course was a real attraction compared to other similar degrees on offer.

How would you describe your experience of studying at Leeds?

The course was excellent in every way - the teaching staff were enthusiastic, responsive and helpful and the content always made us stop and think. The breadth of material that we studied was vast and there was something for everyone.

The most valuable part of the course was that it introduced new ways of thinking which sometimes contrasted or even conflicted with our own well-established ways of approaching work and life in general.  Remembering to consider the ‘wider’ perspective was an invaluable lesson.

The online nature of the course provided the flexibility I needed to fit around my work and family commitments, and was a valuable opportunity to re-engage with my academic interests. I’ve particularly enjoyed making new friendships with my fellow students who live and work all over the world.

The discussions we had were engaging, challenging and, at times, good fun! Sharing views and experiences and working together to understand these in the context of academic literature was rewarding and helped us all to develop our thinking as we progressed through the course. 

Many of us had never studied philosophy before and found this an interesting (and sometimes baffling) new experience! This course has instigated new networks and friendships that will last well into the future.