Student profiles
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Katie Stjernholm
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)Current student
"My advice is that if you have a specific passion- maybe it is social entrepreneurship, media, design, sport, politics, working with youth, or promoting artists - the course will provide the practical skills and the theoretical foundations to make a tangible difference. There was a study done that cited ‘creativity’ as the most sought after skill by employers. Because a degree no longer guarantees a job, being able to ask the right questions and provide new ways of thinking will definitely serve as an advantage. " Read more.
Sarah Fortuna
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)Projects Manager, Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Melbourne
"I had been working for a few years in international development. I was getting some great experience in different countries but knew there were a few important skills I wasn't picking up on the job. When I found out about the EMA I was drawn to the opportunity to learn about leadership, organisational culture, creative thinking and financial management without doing an MBA. The idea of exploring all of these subjects within the disciplines of history, philosophy, anthropology and political science sounded ideal to me." Read more.
Bill Webster
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)Analyst, Accenture
“Apart from the fantastic people involved in the program, both students and staff, the best aspect of the EMA for me was the ability to tailor it towards what I wanted to do. Along with the core subjects, students have to complete a number of electives. The great thing is that the electives you choose are very flexible. I was able to study Mandarin for a year, as well as focus on more business subjects, which I feel definitely helped to secure me a role as Analyst with Accenture.” Read more.
Laura Collins
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)Research Officer, Aspire Learning Resources
“I chose to study the EMA because I wanted to develop new skills in professional communication, leadership and project management. I also wanted to learn in a collaborative and personalised environment that can be hard to get in a university with tens of thousands of students. The EMA offered the opportunity to develop the skills I wanted, as well as unique networking opportunities with like-minded post-graduates and the chance to learn from experts in both industry and academia. I was also drawn to the internship subject within the EMA as I was interested in utilising my new skills in the workplace and getting a foot in the door in the non-for-profit sector, in which I now work.” Read more.
Rocky Xu
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)Brand Building Supervisor
MAYSU, Jala (Group) Ltd. Co.
“The EMA helped me to think strategically and improved my communication and evaluation skills. I completed my internship with an indie designer’s brand-Nu Couche and after completing the EMA, I moved back to Shanghai and I’m now working as Brand Building Supervisor for a cosmetics company. My advice to future students is to position yourself like you would position a brand in the market. The EMA will not only help you to find a job, but help you find your niche and put you on the right track for your career. You need to do something that you are really interested in and also something you are inspired by.”
Georgina Cole
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)Projects Officer, Victorian Government
“The best thing that universities can give students is those relevant and practical skills that can be directly applied to the ‘real world’. I found the EMA greatly assisted in my professional communication skills, both written and oral, as well as introducing me to business and financial management – something I never thought I would be able to understand let alone apply to my daily life. I did my internship at the Public Records Office in the Victorian Government, assisting as a researcher on the Public Sector Information Release Framework. The internship was very successful and I was incredibly lucky to get my foot in the door and this placement turned into a role as Projects Officer with the Victorian Government.”
Jonathan Hunt
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)“The key skills that I picked up from studying the EMA were communication, project management, managing time and prioritisation, teamwork, leadership, budgeting and financial management – all of which are crucial skills in the workforce. I feel like I am more confident having completed the EMA and have the skill set to back this up.”
Jill Ismailova
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)
“I was lucky enough to do my internship at the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme Headquarters in Bonn, Germany, which was an incredible opportunity. Borders are limitless, opportunities are countless and it is very true that you can tailor the EMA to your own profession and goals – not every course can do that.”
Kenny Chy
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)
“I did my internship at Arts Victoria, which was an invaluable and insightful experience into how the Arts are run at a state government level. My project was to revise a web-edition of the Export Guide to the Performing Arts which required me to contact, collate, edit and present up to 50 of Victoria’s leading performing artists and companies into an export-ready guide for international touring. I mostly worked autonomously but liaised with the Marketing and Community Development team, Communications team and New Media team. The project was quite fun in a way because I got the chance to talk to all sorts of people in the Arts and find out what shows and performances they were working on. I also really love publishing and editing online content so that made it easier.”
Lauren Edema
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)
“I was motivated to study the EMA, as it is a highly professional degree with an emphasis on leadership, and I felt it was just what I needed to finish my education. I most enjoyed challenging group projects, which really showed what we are capable of, both individually and as a group. These projects mirrored real life scenarios, and students had to communicate, cooperate and pull their weight to meet tight deadlines. My EMA experience was topped off with an internship with the Corporate Policy Unit of the Victoria Police, where I conducted a research project around police discretion.”
Helen Sweatman
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)
“If you are interested in studying the EMA, it helps to be open-minded about your future career prospects and goals. Enter the EMA course with an idea of where your interests lie and an awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. Then mould the EMA course and your career goals to suit your field of interest in a way that uses and develops your strengths and lessens your weaknesses. Take advantage of the opportunity to mix with and exchange ideas with international and interstate students, and use the EMA as a launching pad for your future.”
Tamara Poetsma
EMA (Executive Master of Arts)
“The key skills I picked up in the EMA were definitely leadership and managerial skills. These were further developed when completing my internship at the Australian Red Cross, where I worked closely with the Business Process Improvement Department. My project was to design and help implement a Communications Plan for the department as a whole and individual plans for the various areas within it. This involved conducting interviews, and receiving relevant feedback from the people in the department.”
Watch some of our students talk about studying the EMA.