Meet our Masters students: Cezary Lisicki – MSc Advanced Materials Engineering

Cezary studied MSc Advanced Materials Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University and now works as a Materials Scientist and Project Leader for MCS Ltd.

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Cezary, and I studied MSc Advanced Materials Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University. I now work as a project lead and Materials Scientist for MCS Ltd.

Why did you decide to study a Masters?

It was the thought of being stuck in one place at my previous employer. I was an engineering technician at the time and I’d been there for just over 4 years. I didn’t see my future there, so I decided to do something about it. That’s when I decided to go back to university, because I thought a Masters degree will give me the edge I need to get hired in the industry I wanted to be in.

What did you enjoy most about studying your Masters?

The thing I enjoyed most about the Masters was the small number of people on the course, which helped us bond together and led us to fully understand the subject. My favourite memory from studying my masters was at the labs that we did, which was the practical side of the Masters. I really feel it prepared me for what I’m doing now, and being exposed to the practical side of things gave me an upper edge over people that only did the theory.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started your Masters?

I wish I knew the benefit it was going to give me. I wouldn’t have waited as long as I did if that was the case.

How did you overcome the financial side to studying your Masters?

I had to talk to my wife first to look at our expenses and whether we could support it. I also continued to work part time, and got additional funding from SAAS as well. That was the main difference, because if I had to pay the whole tuition fee myself, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.

When did you decide on a career path? 

I knew what career path I wanted to take when I studied my Masters. There was a module on my course called Forensic Materials Engineering, which involved a lot of practical lab work, research and investigation. Solving the problem, finding out how it failed and why, it gave me a sense of completion.

What opportunities did your Masters open up for you?

My Masters opened up a lot of opportunities. When it comes to getting hired, I felt that I was a lot more attractive on the job market because I already had the experience I needed to start work rather than learning everything from scratch.

What advice would you give to someone considering a Masters degree?

Just got for it. Don’t wait, don’t doubt yourself, it will pay off.