In 2022, Rhea Malhotra graduated from the University of Bath with a BSc (Hons) Social Sciences degree.
Now living in India (with aspirations to return to the UK) and pursuing a career in brand marketing and communications, Rhea discusses how her degree has shaped the person she is today.
Deciding to study social sciences
Before Bath, I studied economics, sociology and psychology for what would be my A-Level equivalent. I was curious about how society works - why systems are structured the way they are, how decisions get made, and how they affect different groups differently.
Because of this, I was inclined towards social sciences as it felt broad enough to explore my questions about society, without locking me into one path.
When I started my degree at Bath, it surprised me. The course was way more analytical and diverse in the way it trains you to think. We were encouraged to challenge everyone’s assumptions, including our own, which strengthened our critical thinking and communication skills.
It’s an interdisciplinary course and I really valued being exposed to different subjects. I could think structurally through economics, culturally through sociology, and about behaviour through psychology - sometimes all at once!
The degree taught me to connect things, trained me to hold nuance, and made me realise that most social issues aren’t binary. It strengthened my ability to sit in complexity. And honestly, it built my communication skills. Being able to articulate complex ideas clearly is something I use every single day now.
A home away from home
I always knew I wanted to study in the UK as I spent a lot of summers there growing up. Choosing a uni, for me, came down to one differentiating factor - the campus. I was drawn to the University of Bath because its campus is almost like its own contained ecosystem.
Of course, the university being strong academically was also an incentive, but I liked the sense of safety that it offered. Freshers’ Week was especially good at integrating everyone, and it felt like there was a real sense of belonging at Bath.
Moving to Bath was probably the easiest adjustment I’ve ever made! Coming from a fast-paced city, I didn’t realise how much I needed that stillness. Bath is a city that stays with you quietly. It reshapes you gradually - through independence, friendships, small (and big) challenges, university and campus life, long walks, and moments of self-doubt that slowly turn into confidence.
There’s something about Bath that allows you to think clearly. To reflect. To become more intentional.
Opening doors with an interdisciplinary course
The biggest strength with Bath’s Social Sciences degree is its flexibility and how diverse the course content is. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in terms of a career before coming to university. My course felt broad enough for me to explore my interests, without having to pick a niche. I wanted to avoid having to lock onto one path early on.
There are probably a lot of students who don’t have a planned career path before doing their degree. That's what makes social sciences a great field because you get such interdisciplinary exposure that you can use in many different careers, or even just everyday life.
This degree gives you the power to be many things; it expands you and trains you to understand systems, power, behaviour, and context - skills that apply far beyond one industry. You learn how decisions are made, who holds influence, what incentives are at play, and how to communicate effectively within that environment.
It has certainly helped my career. My degree built up my confidence because I knew I could say to a company, ‘my biggest strength is the fact that I bring these different, global perspectives and tie it into my work.’
Shifting to a placement year
Initially, I didn’t plan to do a professional placement and just applied for the three-year Social Sciences course. But in my second year, I decided I wanted to gain more practical experience to help with finding graduate roles, and so I decided to switch to the four-year degree with a placement.
I remember thinking, ‘another visa application, this will be tough!’ since I had to extend my visa from three years to four years, but it was so easy! The placements team supported me with the switch and were always there to help; they offered drop-in sessions every day and helped with CVs and applications once I started applying for placements.
In the end, I secured a placement with Genpact, an advanced technology solutions company, as a communications consultant in diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI). Throughout my year with them, I supported and helped shape Genpact’s DEI efforts, contributing to internal communications, employee engagement sessions, and people-centred programming.
My work sat at the intersection of strategy and storytelling - translating inclusion goals into tangible initiatives and narratives that resonated across the organisation. The communication skills and the ability to draw together different perspectives, which I had developed through my degree, were invaluable in helping me navigate this.
Using connections after graduating
After graduating from Bath, I intended to stay connected to the type of work I had done during my placement. So, after my final year, I reached out to my former manager from Genpact to explore any potential job opportunities. This is what landed me a full-time role at Genpact UK (London).
I began in DEI but quickly gained exposure to communications strategy, executive messaging, campaign development, and elements of brand and marketing. I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to do such impactful work had I not done a placement.
After living in Bath and working at Genpact for two years, I moved back to India where I've since worked in brand and marketing within the higher education sector at GradRight, supporting brand positioning and communications strategy.
Currently, I’m working at an education consultancy firm in India, REN Projects, as a Brand Marketing and Communications Associate, supporting projects and programs within the higher education sector.
