“I can’t stress enough how much this degree has changed me both personally and professionally. ” – Read Nolan’s experience of studying online

Our online International Marketing MSc gives students the knowledge and skills to make an effective impact in their organisation.  

We caught up with Nolan Clack, one of our online students who is the Business Development Director & Co-founder of Venture Canada Immigration from his home in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Here’s what he had to share about his experience studying so far: 

Why did you choose to study online with the University of Sussex?  

As a Canadian living abroad in Southeast Asia, I was looking for an online program that provided a qualification that was globally recognized. Juggling work in different times zones was already a challenge; however, the online degree with Sussex provided me with the opportunity to both work and study concurrently.

Why did you choose to study International Marketing MSc (online)? 

I was first exposed to marketing when I moved to Southeast Asia during my time working with start-ups. I quickly came to realize how exciting and how much a career in the field of marketing has to offer, especially when residing in a foreign country. As an individual that loves to take on any challenge, I knew pursuing an Masters degree in marketing would provide me the extra edge and confidence to start my own company.

What’s been your favourite module so far and what made it so engaging? 

A bit of a difficult question to answer. To give an honest answer it would need to be the combination of both International Branding & Communications and Digital Marketing. The previous modules that were taught were steppingstones, building up to these other two modules that complimented one another nicely. Having completed the degree, these two modules provided a solid understanding how to systematically approach a real-world market problem, analyse it, and implement it. For these modules, I greatly appreciated the creativity that was given to the students on the assignments.

What made these modules so memorable was how passionate the lecturers were on these subjects. They were both very easily approachable and made the whole learning experience one I will not forget.

How have you found online learning?  

With the ever fast-moving world, online learning worked best for my busy schedule and working in different time zones. I particularly found online learning to be a great experience to interact with cultures I would have not necessarily had the chance to. This has given me a wider perspective to learn and appreciate different cultural working norms and thinking methods, to then adapt it within my own daily life.

How do you manage your study time around other personal and professional commitments? 

I’m not going to lie and say managing my time around other commitments was easy, because they weren’t. However, my method to studying a new subject was to frame it in a way that I could take the materials and apply it to my working day. I would typically find two or three areas within a module that interested me the most and I would move forward in learning those areas more predominantly. The other materials within the module eventually just fell in place, as if finding missing pieces to a puzzle.

How has this course impacted your career and/or personal development so far? 

I can’t stress enough how much this degree has changed me both personally and professionally.

Outside of the technical skills learned throughout my degree, it has given me a better idea to how I approach problems in everyday life. It has resulted in having a better self-awareness of my strengths, weaknesses, and what I am capable of if I put my mind to it.  Professionally, this degree has opened doors for job offers in Singapore and Hong Kong, which I never would have thought would have been presented with, prior to commencing this program.

What advice would you give to anyone considering this online course? 

As cheesy as this sounds – just do it! The support from everyone I’ve encountered throughout my time studying at Sussex was a memorable and exciting journey I will never forget.

If you would like to learn more about the online Masters that Nolan studied with us, please visit the International Marketing MSc (online) course page.