Rebecca Thorpe, UK

MSc in Law and Finance 2010-11
Consultant Bovill, Part-Time Student

"The seed of the idea of undertaking a postgraduate course was planted back in 2006 by one of the partners of the firm that was my previous employer, Deloitte, when I was working in their regulatory consulting practice. But then soon after I moved to Bovill (a small boutique regulatory consulting practice) and with the challenges that helping grow a small consulting firm bring, somehow I didn’t get around to pursuing it seriously for another four years.

I was looking to push myself and broaden my academic horizons (and in my opinion a consultant that thinks she knows everything is a bad consultant!) And whilst I have spent the last eleven years making a career out of financial regulatory consulting, and collecting various industry qualifications along the way, I have always been conscious that, unlike the professions of law or accountancy, there is no recognized formal qualification path one must take as a management consultant.

I chose Queen Mary for its excellent reputation, and because the newly established Law and Finance Masters seemed the perfect fit for furthering my career in financial regulation. It also suited my mathematics background, which was the subject of my first degree from the University of Durham in 1999. The fact that it was twelve years since I had sat any degree level exams was a little daunting, but also part of the challenge.

And it has very much been the correct choice. I am taking the course part time, over two years. Although it wasn't quite the plan, I still seem to be working full time as a Principal at Bovill, and the time pressures of balancing work, study and lectures have made it especially tough. But challenge is what I was looking for, and my colleagues and clients have been understanding and supportive.

The MSc in Law and Finance has surpassed my expectations in terms of the quality of teaching, and access to professionals in their field. The combination of law and economics modules provides new depth to thinking about very current and very topical issues, for example through examining and dissecting the root causes of the financial crisis. It has been refreshing to hear new views, and the teaching has provided more formality to my understanding of the subject of law in particular, and an approach to problem solving using more formal quantitative research techniques. The course has renewed my interest in my subject.

Particularly interesting have been the guest lecturers that have been invited in- from a visiting overseas lawyer that is a specialist in US securities law to a volatility trader working in one of the largest investment banks, all of which helped bring the subjects alive and encouraged thinking about the subject matter from a different and very practical, as well as academic, angle. What I hadn't expected was how my fellow students would enrich the experience - I have made new friends, from many nations, and this has definitely helped make some of the challenges much easier and lectures very enjoyable.

I'm not going to pretend that the time pressures of balancing work and study has been easy (there are only a hardcore handful of fellow students willing to attend lectures from 6 until 9pm on a Friday evening) but I am lucky to have a very understanding and supportive husband."