My experience with the Q-Step programme has been very positive overall.

Firstly, the courses themselves are well-taught and nicely structured, giving us students a solid foundation in statistical concepts, research processes and different regression models. Personally, I really liked the cohort being small and the same core lecturers teaching throughout the programme, as that created a sense of familiarity. The department is lovely and I truly appreciated the amount of feedback and help available. In comparison to the compulsory methods courses for Politics students, the Q-Step proframme allows for a much more in-depth and personalised approach to gaining quantitative skills. Analysing data sets on different societal issues taught a new way of approaching and thinking about societal challenges and their interrelations. At the same time, the programme also leaves much room to develop one's own ideas and research interests, particularly in fourth year.

Secondly, I have greatly benefitted from the programme both profesionally and academically. On the one hand, it provided me with relevant statistical and analytical skills, which allowed me to work part-time for a renowned research institute throughout my degree. On the other hand, it prepared me to use quantitative methods in my dissertation, which I do not think I would have felt comfortable doing without the extensive prior experience gained through Q-Step. Overall, I am glad to have acquired these more practical skills alongside my International Relations degree, hoping to improve my employability. So, I can only recommend at least trying the programme and giving it a go in second year!

First published: 5 June 2025

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