Marcela Mandiola
MA HRD & Management Learning, 2002
Country of origin: Chile
Employer: Universidad Diego Portales
After eight years of professional experience as a psychologist, I felt that I needed something to give me an edge. Lancaster not only offered the kind of course that interested me, but also the opportunity to study at a highly prestigious university. The HRD & Management Learning programme (now known as the MA in HR and Consulting), has given me a deeper understanding of the organisational field from a critical perspective, which encouraged me to adopt a different approach for my future challenges.
One of the things I most enjoyed about my time at Lancaster was the relationship with my tutors. They didn't treat me like a student, but as someone who actually had something worthwhile to say. At the same time, the international environment of the University, and mainly of my class, gave an unbeatable atmosphere of diversity and co-operation from which I could develop a marvellous learning process. The course was extremely enjoyable and satisfying, though tough at times. If you are open-minded, smart and you relish a challenge, I strongly recommend this programme for you.
After the MA I returned to work as an independent consultant in my country, as well as a lecturer at two universities. My next step was to do a PhD and, of course, Lancaster and the Management Learning Department was my choice once again.
