Stefanie Lehrner

I remember that a friend, with whom I had studied "Journalism and Corporate Communications" at the FH Joanneum Graz, drew my attention to the Master's program "PELP", which was still quite new at the time: "Wouldn't that be something for you?". She knew I had a soft spot for philosophy and knew that I was flirting with further education. My situation at the time: I was in my mid-20s, had completed the degree course I mentioned a few years ago and was working in public relations in the theater, which I really enjoyed and didn't want to give up. The course content and the interdisciplinary approach particularly appealed to me at PELP, but I hesitated at first and wondered whether I would be able to combine the Master's degree with my career. I actually decided to go for it and pursued the course while working, but I also took a little more time and completed it step by step over several years.

What made me hesitate at first proved to be quite fruitful in the years that followed: the combination of theory and practice, or rather of scientific engagement with philosophical questions and professional activity, has promoted my holistic view of many things and some cross-connections have also emerged. As one of my passions is writing (both in journalistic and literary form), for example, topics covered in my studies have also found their way into my writing or, conversely, issues that have arisen in my working environment have motivated me to deal with them more intensively at university.

In general, studying PELP has made me more aware of moral issues and future challenges, including questions about climate change, social justice and technological developments. I would describe myself as a "generalist" with a wide range of interests (art & culture, environment & sustainability, media) - the PELP degree program suited me because it gave me the opportunity to set my own priorities in the curriculum. I can recommend the course to anyone who would like to deal with issues in the fields of politics, law and economics from a philosophical point of view and who is also willing to engage with topics that may seem unwieldy at first glance, but are well worthwhile. The course encourages analytical and networked thinking and familiarizes you with different moral philosophical positions. It gives you the methodology to think through a problem and the associated solutions consistently and from different angles and, as a side effect, also sharpens your use of language.

I can put these skills to good use in my current job, because after moving to Vienna and a few months of educational leave, during which I wrote my Master's thesis and completed my studies, I am currently working in the field of communication, project management and awareness-raising on environmental and sustainability issues. So far, I haven't regretted my decision to study and then - a few years later - I toasted my graduation with the friend I mentioned at the beginning.