Welcome to Graduate Stories, where we celebrate the diverse journeys of our post-graduate political science students at Trinity College Dublin. Each month, our graduates share what sparked their interest, the highlights of their studies, and their advice for future students.
Kaley Burg
Graduated in 2024
What are you doing now and could you provide a brief overview of your career journey since graduating?
I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Vienna, working within the Vienna Doctoral College of Digital Humanism—a new interdisciplinary doctoral school spanning three universities (WU Wien, TU Wien, and UniWien). My position is with the Faculty of Social Sciences, while my study programme is housed within the Doctoral College of Computer Science.
After graduating from Trinity, I worked part-time in Dublin while exploring different career paths and applying for positions. I eventually decided to move to Vienna to pursue my PhD, which allowed me to continue developing the research interests and skills I discovered during my master's programme.What sparked your interest in the MSc Applied Social Data Science programme and what aspects did you find most rewarding and impactful?
Towards the end of my undergraduate studies I became increasingly drawn to computational and quantitative methodologies. Since I discovered this interest quite late in my degree, I looked for master's programmes that would allow me to focus more on data and coding. The courses on computational methodology and machine learning in the Applied Social Data Science programme were therefore particularly appealing.
What I found most rewarding was the programme's fast-paced nature, which kept me engaged and challenged throughout, and the flexibility to prioritise my own learning interests during the second and dissertation terms. This structure allowed me to explore research areas and methodologies that ultimately shaped my decision to pursue a PhD.What advice would you offer to anyone considering postgraduate studies in political science?
My advice would be to remain open to programmes even if they don't match your undergraduate degree exactly. The students in my programme came from extremely varied backgrounds and each wanted something different from their postgraduate experience, demonstrating that the decision to pursue further study means something different to everyone.
I also recommend reaching out to current students or faculty at the university before deciding which programme to choose. Speaking with people at the university can help you determine whether the course content is something you would be interested in and would be useful for your future goals.December 2025
Past Stories