Online postgraduate study allows students to apply their learning directly to their professional practice. For those studying Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, this often means exploring wider issues such as governance, healthcare, ethics, and societal impact.
In this second part of our conversation, Marvin Hylton, a Senior Digital Health and AI Transformation Leader in Canada, reflects on how the University of Southampton’s online MA in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation) has influenced his work and future goals. He also shares why he nominated the programme team for a Vice Chancellor’s Award for Student Experience and offers advice for prospective online students.
Read the first part of our conversation with Marvin Hylton.
How are you using the knowledge and skills from the programme in your work or daily life?
The knowledge and skills I have acquired from the programme have enhanced both my professional work and my overall understanding of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation. One of the most significant impacts has been the encouragement to adopt a more rigorous and interdisciplinary perspective on AI. This shift in focus goes beyond merely discussing automation and emerging technologies; it also encompasses governance, organisational systems, ethics, adoption, and societal impact.
Professionally, this has influenced how I approach digital transformation, interoperability, and organisational change within healthcare and technology environments. The programme has strengthened my ability to think critically about systems integration, implementation strategy, governance structures, and the broader implications of AI adoption in human-centred settings.
One of the most valuable aspects of the programme has been the opportunity to engage with international professionals and academics from a wide range of disciplines and industries. These discussions have significantly broadened my thinking and exposed me to different perspectives on AI adoption, organisational transformation, governance, ethics, and emerging societal challenges. Studying alongside individuals with diverse professional and academic experiences has fostered a richer understanding of how AI is interpreted, implemented, and debated across different sectors and environments.
The programme has significantly enhanced my academic and professional writing skills. I have integrated more rigorous research methodologies, critical analysis techniques, academic literature, and evidence-based reasoning into my professional and strategic work. By engaging more deeply in scholarly research and structured analytical frameworks, I have improved my approach to writing, systems analysis, governance discussions, and strategic planning in my projects and professional practice.
Perhaps most importantly, the programme has fundamentally changed the way I think about AI itself. Studying AI through an academic, research-focused perspective allows you to move beyond headlines and simplified narratives to understand the underlying architecture, trade-offs, governance considerations, limitations, and operational realities that shape these systems. That deeper level of understanding creates a far more balanced and informed perspective on both the opportunities and the challenges associated with AI adoption.
The programme has also influenced several independent research and strategic initiatives I have been developing outside the classroom, including the AI Umbrella Initiative. Much of this work explores augmented AI, human-centred systems, governance, and the societal implications of emerging technologies. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human expertise, I believe its greatest potential lies in augmenting human capability, strengthening decision-making, and supporting the responsible evolution of organisations, institutions, and society. In many respects, I see augmented AI as one of the most promising directions for the future development and responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence.
My studies at Southampton have significantly strengthened the analytical rigour, structure, and interdisciplinary thinking within that work and have helped me approach AI not only as a technical discipline but also as one deeply connected to humanity, institutions, ethics, and long-term societal outcomes.
Overall, the programme has had a meaningful impact on the way I think, analyse systems, write, and approach professional problem-solving. It has strengthened both my academic capabilities and my professional practice while also helping shape the broader direction of the work and research I hope to contribute to within the field of AI and Digital Transformation.
How do you manage your time and stay motivated while studying?
Motivation has remained consistently high for me because pursuing a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation) is something I have genuinely wanted to achieve for a long time. AI is reshaping industries, institutions, and broader societal systems, and I have always been deeply interested in how these technologies can be implemented responsibly and strategically to contribute positively to society. That long-term sense of purpose has helped keep me focused and motivated throughout my studies.
What has strengthened that motivation further is the direct connection between the programme and my professional work. Much of my work already operates within areas related to digital transformation, systems integration, governance, and organisational change, so many of the concepts explored throughout the programme feel highly relevant to real-world challenges I encounter professionally.
The programme has therefore become more than academic study alone; it has also influenced how I think about systems design, implementation, governance, policy, and the broader societal implications of AI adoption.
Managing time effectively while balancing postgraduate study, professional responsibilities, and personal commitments requires structure and consistency. Because I am based in Vancouver, Canada, while studying within a UK-based programme, I have developed routines and organisational systems to help manage the different time zones and maintain consistency. I use calendars, reminders, multiple time-zone clocks, and automated alerts across my devices to stay organised and ensure I remain up to date with lectures, deadlines, announcements, and programme communications.
I also try to participate in as many live lectures and discussions as possible. While recorded sessions are valuable, I believe there is significant benefit in engaging directly with professors and fellow students in real time. Those interactions create opportunities for discussion, critical reflection, and the exchange of perspectives that are difficult to replicate fully through recordings alone.
A significant part of my routine also involves independent reading and research outside the formal curriculum. I regularly follow academic journals, emerging AI research, policy discussions, parliamentary debates, and developments surrounding governance, ethics, and technology adoption across different regions and institutions. I also maintain structured notes and reference systems so I can revisit important ideas, research findings, and developments that may later inform my academic writing or professional work.
At the master’s level, independent learning and self-discipline are essential. The programme has reinforced the importance of consistent reading, critical thinking, and ongoing engagement with both academic research and broader global developments. For me, managing time effectively ultimately comes down to maintaining structure, staying intellectually curious, and remaining committed to work that I find genuinely meaningful and impactful.
In what ways do you think this course will influence your future career?
I believe this master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation) will significantly influence my future career by strengthening both my technical understanding and my strategic perspective on how AI is shaping organisations, healthcare systems, governance structures, and broader society. The programme helps refine not only my knowledge of AI but also my analysis of complex systems, organisational transformation, and the long-term implications of emerging technologies.
One of the most valuable aspects of the programme is that it is helping me evolve from a technology and transformation professional into an expert working at the intersection of AI, governance, systems integration, digital health, organisational strategy, and responsible implementation. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the systems people rely upon every day, I believe there is a growing need for professionals who can bridge the gap between technological capability, operational realities, ethical responsibility, and human-centred implementation. The programme is helping me strengthen that perspective in a meaningful and academically grounded way.
The course has also encouraged me to think beyond immediate implementation challenges and consider how AI may influence healthcare delivery, public trust, organisational decision-making, and long-term societal outcomes. It has strengthened my ability to evaluate not only what AI systems can do, but how they should be governed, integrated, and applied responsibly within complex human environments. Questions surrounding equity, accessibility, ethics, and institutional readiness are becoming increasingly important, and I believe the programme has provided a strong foundation for contributing thoughtfully to those discussions.
Looking ahead, I increasingly see my future work focusing on the responsible integration of AI within healthcare, governance, organisational transformation, and broader public systems. I am particularly interested in how AI can be implemented to augment human capabilities, support better decision-making, improve equity, and strengthen the systems and institutions that people depend on every day. Many of the independent research and strategic writing projects I am currently developing explore how AI can be integrated into complex environments in ways that remain accountable, inclusive, and beneficial to society while still supporting innovation and progress.
Another aspect that I believe will influence my future career is the opportunity to learn alongside a diverse community of professionals, researchers, academics, and future leaders from different sectors and international backgrounds. Exposure to those perspectives has broadened my thinking considerably and reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration when addressing complex technological and organisational challenges.
Ultimately, I hope to continue contributing within leadership, governance, advisory, and transformation environments where decisions surrounding AI implementation, healthcare systems, policy, and societal impact are actively being shaped. The programme helps provide the academic foundation, strategic perspective, and interdisciplinary understanding needed to contribute responsibly and thoughtfully within that future.
What advice would you give to prospective students considering online study with the University of Southampton?
My advice to prospective students considering online study with the University of Southampton would first be to reflect carefully on why you want to study Artificial Intelligence and what you hope to accomplish through the degree. AI is evolving rapidly, and there are many ways to approach the field. I believe it is important to understand not only a university's reputation but also the programme's philosophy, structure, and focus.
One of the aspects I valued most about Southampton’s programme is its socio-technical and human-centred approach to AI. While the course includes technical and strategic elements, it also places strong emphasis on governance, ethics, organisational systems, societal impact, and responsible implementation. For students who are interested in how AI interacts with people, institutions, healthcare, policy, and broader society, I believe the programme provides a very strong and thoughtful foundation.
I would also encourage prospective students to approach online postgraduate study with discipline, curiosity, and openness to interdisciplinary learning. Master’s-level study requires a significant amount of independent reading, research, critical thinking, and academic writing. It is rigorous work, but it is also extremely rewarding if you are genuinely engaged in the subject matter.
From my own experience, the online learning environment at Southampton has been very supportive and professionally organised. The flexibility of online study is particularly valuable for working professionals and international students balancing careers, family responsibilities, and time zone differences. At the same time, I found it important to remain actively engaged with the programme by participating in live lectures, interacting with fellow students and professors, and consistently reading and conducting research outside the formal curriculum.
Another aspect I appreciated was the level of support provided by faculty and programme staff. Throughout the programme, I found the professors approachable, supportive, and genuinely invested in helping students succeed academically and professionally. Even within an online environment, there was still a strong sense of engagement, guidance, and academic community.
More broadly, I would encourage students not to view a degree simply as a credential, but as an opportunity to challenge themselves intellectually and broaden their thinking about complex problems and systems. No degree, diploma, or certification works in isolation; it is ultimately the work, curiosity, discipline, and application behind it that create meaningful impact.
For me personally, studying at Southampton has been an extremely positive experience, both academically and professionally. It has strengthened the way I think about AI, governance, healthcare, systems transformation, and societal change while also pushing me to grow in ways I did not fully expect when I first began the programme. I would absolutely encourage prospective students who are genuinely interested in those areas to take the leap and pursue the opportunity.
Thank you to Marvin for speaking to us about his experience on the online MA in Artificial Intelligence at Southampton!
How does an online MA in Artificial Intelligence influence your career?
Marvin Hylton's experiences throughout this Q&A highlight how the University of Southampton's online MA in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation) helps students develop technical knowledge, strategic thinking, and a broader understanding of AI's impact on organisations, healthcare, governance, and society.
By combining academic rigour with practical relevance, the programme encourages students to explore AI beyond its technical applications and consider how it can be implemented responsibly in complex real-world environments.
For professionals considering online postgraduate study, the programme offers a flexible and interdisciplinary approach to understanding AI while building the skills needed to contribute to responsible innovation and digital transformation.
Explore our MA in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation)
