We spoke to Marzia about how the flexibility of the BSc (Hons) Social Sciences course at Bath helped her discover and shape her interests over time.

Her story traces a path from undergraduate study to policy research and a role focused on exposing barriers to climate progress in Europe.

Starting my journey

For an 18-year-old with broad interests and no fixed career plan, the Social Sciences course at Bath offered the kind of open, flexible, and intellectually grounded degree I was looking for.

I knew I wanted to study something rooted in the real world, something analytical but not STEM-focused, and something that could lead in lots of directions. The ability to shape the degree around evolving interests, while still being guided through a clear structure, was ideal.

What stood out about the course was the way it brought different strands together: politics, sociology, policy, and development. You could draw your own connections and build a degree that made sense to you.

In my case, that journey started with a first-year module around manufacturing consent, which focused on how the tobacco industry shaped public health policy. The unit completely shifted how I understood the relationship between big corporations, the state, and policymaking.

That thread of corporate influence over policy went on to shape my dissertation, my master’s degree, my early research roles, and now my current job. The foundation laid at Bath gave me the tools and frameworks to keep exploring that interest and build a career around it.

From Bath to Brussels to a strategy role focused on fossil fuel influence

I now work as a strategist at ARIA, a non-profit research organisation that investigates issues of power, influence, and corporate accountability in the climate space.

My work focuses on scrutinising the fossil fuel industry’s influence on European policy, particularly where there’s pushback against efforts to phase out fossil fuels.

Our work is designed to be used by others. So rather than publishing directly, we collaborate with journalists and civil society groups to develop and share research that supports stronger climate action.

It’s a role that involves a lot of technical analysis and critical reading, especially around specific policy instruments or EU directives. Being able to navigate that complexity and translate it into something clear and actionable is something I developed over time, starting with the policy modules at Bath. I often return to the kind of structured reasoning and clarity of argument that was built into essay writing and coursework. There’s a way of thinking and communicating that stuck with me.

After graduating, I went on to do a master’s in International Social and Public Policy at LSE (the London School of Economics), then worked for the University of Bath’s Tobacco Control Research Group.

It has been a direct continuation of what first interested me in Year 1 of my Social Sciences degree. Around that time, I also became more involved in the sustainability field and began noticing something missing, the role of corporate lobbying in delaying or weakening environmental policy was not being addressed as much as in other areas like public health. That was the space I wanted to work in, so when a role at ARIA came up, it felt like the perfect fit.

Placements that shaped my direction and confidence

I feel that my professional placement experiences at Bath added to my readiness for a career.

I had no work experience at that point, so the chance to be guided into a professional setting was really valuable. The University’s support in helping students find and secure good placements made the process much more accessible.

I did two placements: one in Brussels at the Smoke Free Partnership — which aligned closely with my growing interest in tobacco industry influence — and another in Paris at Rare Diseases Europe.

Even in that second placement, I found ways to focus on corporate lobbying, looking into how pharmaceutical companies shaped European access to medication in ways that sometimes made things harder for patients. Those experiences confirmed that I wanted to stay on this path of research and policy.

A way of working that still shapes what I do

The kind of analytical approach I developed at Bath continues to influence how I work now.

I spend a lot of time breaking down complex issues and turning them into structured arguments, whether that is for internal use or as the basis of a collaboration with a journalist. When I am interpreting policy documents, writing briefing notes, or developing arguments, I often realise how much of that was first practised in lectures, seminars, or coursework.

It’s not just the content that stuck, but the methods and how to structure a line of thought, how to build a clear case, how to challenge assumptions with evidence. These are all things that are now part of how I work day-to-day, and they are skills that grew gradually during my time at Bath.

Bath as an international student - a place to grow

I am originally from near Bologna in Italy and came to Bath from a public school.

Adjusting to the UK university system was a big step, but Bath was a supportive place to make that transition. It’s a beautiful and manageable city, which helped me settle in without being overwhelmed.

In my first year, I lived in the city rather than on campus, so I built a strong connection to Bath itself. I spent a lot of time in the city centre, in the library, and in the outdoor eating areas around the Parade.

I also remember discovering the walk from the campus down Bathwick Hill, which leads to the canal and a view of the skyline. It’s a route I would always take down the hill, but never back up!

A course that lets you find your direction

One of the most valuable things about the Social Sciences course at Bath was that I didn’t need to have it all figured out at the start.

It’s a degree that gives you the space to explore and the structure to guide yourself through, even if your interests shift along the way.

In my case, a first-year module set off a chain of interests and decisions that still shape what I do now. The course gave me the confidence to pursue a path I hadn’t imagined at the start — and the skills to make a meaningful impact.