Mackenzie Bartlett

PhD English

Mackenzie has wanted to be a university professor since she began her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. From there, she moved to Oxford University, where she was awarded a Master of Studies in English. A PhD was the next important step toward her career goal. She chose to study at Birkbeck, because:

'The Department of English and Humanities at Birkbeck has an excellent international reputation for high-calibre research in my field. It was always my first choice for my PhD.'

However, without funding, she could not have realised her ambition:

'I received a Birkbeck College Research Studentship, which pays the difference between international and home/EU rates. I would not have been able to afford to study and live in London without the college's support, so the research studentship was absolutely essential to my studies.'

She's clearly come a long way:

'Having grown up in a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada, I found moving to London both daunting and exciting. Birkbeck provided me with the initial sense of "belonging" to the city that I needed to fully embrace the experience. Studying in such a culturally diverse and vibrant city has not only made me more socially aware than I was before I moved here, but it has also made me look at my research in new and unexpected ways.'

Now in her fourth year, she can't recommend Birkbeck highly enough:

'Being a PhD student can be a lonely experience, but I have found everyone in the School of English - from the students I taught as a graduate teaching assistant to the professors who trained me - to be warm, friendly and generous with their research ideas. I feel that Birkbeck has managed to strike a successful balance between teaching and research, so that students are treated as an integral part of the institution and research endeavours are promoted with equal enthusiasm.

'I have been a postgraduate student representative for three years, and my experiences working with administrative staff, professors and fellow students have always been positive. The School funds and promotes reading groups, symposiums, and lecture series for postgraduates because they recognise that creating a supportive learning environment for students is just as important as encouraging research opportunities.

'I have already gained an amazing amount of research and teaching experience as a Birkbeck postgraduate student. Having access to the British Library and Senate House has allowed me to pursue avenues of inquiry into my topic that would not have been possible anywhere else. When I return to Canada, I will have a doctoral degree from an internationally recognised institution, which will open more doors for me as I move forward with my career.'

She is now planning to return to Canada to apply for postdoctoral fellowships:

'I will continue to work toward obtaining a permanent position as a university professor of English literature.'