It can be tough choosing where to study a specific course but for Jitesh Emmanuel it simply had to be the Cork Institute of Technology
Location, location, location
There are many reasons why I chose the Cork Institute of Technology CIT over others. Firstly, the location of the college in Cork, the security capital of Ireland, provides students with a great opportunity to reap the benefits of being located in close proximity to various cybersecurity companies. Silicon Valley has its Stanford, Cork has CIT!
With the setting-up of Cyber Ireland, the country’s ‘Cyber Security Cluster’ in Cork, the sector received much needed backing from the government to foster innovative collaboration between the industry and academia. Cyber Ireland put Cork and Ireland on the world map and it enabled them to compete internationally with other established clusters in the UK, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Israel.
High standards
Another reason why I chose CIT is the way the course is structured. It is tailored to meet very high standards and is consistently updated to keep pace with new trends in the world of cybersecurity.
The curriculum here is consistent and rigorous and is designed by lecturers who possess years of experience in the field of networking, security, incident handling and much more. Unlike other courses, the CIT MSc in Cybersecurity doesn’t have exams. The course involves continuous assessment of students in the form of assignments.
I like the idea of continuous assessment as we are learning new concepts every day while also practically implementing them simultaneously. I now realise that the knowledge I gain with this kind of learning is much better than that which I would have gained in the more traditional ways.
Early adoption
Another aspect of the curriculum which sets it apart is the early adoption of inputs from industry experts when deciding what goes into the course. This kind of collaboration among an academic institution and international companies ensures holistic growth of both the industry and the institutions. Students are not just prepared to face the challenges of today’s world but also equipped with tools to take on the future.
‘Bang for my buck’
The third and the main reason to choose CIT is that the course delivers maximum ‘bang for my buck’. With plenty of scholarships, MSc Cybersecurity is one of the most sought after courses in CIT.
As a result of its unique selection process, you will find students from different age groups and from different educational and professional backgrounds in the class. Over the years, the international community on campus has grown manifold thanks to courses like these where aspiring students from every corner of the world are eager to apply.
This is more so in the case of Indian students. You wouldn’t be surprised at all to find classes dominated by Indians. Programmes like MSc Cybersecurity attract hundreds, if not thousands, of applications ever year. These programmes are considered niche in the sense that they are among the very few programmes which fall under the Critical Skills Occupations List.
The main benefit is that the Critical Skills Employment Permit allows you the opportunity to apply for Irish naturalisation with permission to reside and work without the requirement for an employment permit upon completion of the Critical Skills Employment Permit’s duration.
It’s almost six months since I landed in Ireland and I can already say that my decision to come here for my master’s was the best decision and the best investment I have ever made!