How my online master’s lets me rebuild my career while undergoing treatment

Since gaining her undergraduate degree in Financial Management Services from the University of Pretoria, Sumaya has held various roles in the South African banking sector, including a notable stint at  Absa Group Limited (previously Barclays Africa Group Limited). 

In 2020, everything changed with a diagnosis of a rare disease, leading her to resign in 2021 to focus on her medical treatment. As Sumaya made progress in her treatment, she began to find time to start rebuilding her career. That's when cyber security came into the picture. 

“I was actually first introduced to cyber security during my time as a Supplier Relationship Manager,” Sumaya recalls. “I was responsible for doing assurance testing on the suppliers' environments. 

“Then I did an online Cybersecurity Fundamentals course from the University of Cape Town, so between that and working with  various experts in the area day to day, I started to get a feel for it. It wasn't highly technical; I was coming from a more governance, risk and compliance perspective.”

After delving into cyber security content on YouTube, Sumaya researched the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate on the Coursera platform, and it was there that she came across the University of London’s MSc programme. 

“At first, I thought, ‘this is almost too good to be true’,” Sumaya admits. Traditional universities in South Africa often require a tech background for degrees of this kind, making it challenging for someone from the finance world to transition. “But the University of London were willing to look at more qualitative criteria.” 

After taking what she felt was a chance on the application, Sumaya was delighted to receive an offer, and began the course in April 2024. The programme's flexibility has allowed her to manage her health and studies simultaneously. 

It's a blessing in disguise for my situation, which I think is maybe a little bit unique. I am still undergoing medical treatment, so I pace myself because not all days are the same. When I have the energy and I'm feeling up to it, I'll do as much as I can, and when I need to rest, I rest.

While she misses the face-to-face interaction of attending lectures, Sumaya says she's been able to access support and make friends online. 

“There’s a Slack channel that includes all the past and current students of the programme, and we can also reach our tutors via the online platform. There are five of us from South Africa who started in the April cohort, and we formed a little study group that's already put me in touch with people that I wouldn't have otherwise known. 

“Hopefully as my confidence builds and I get into it, I'll start doing that on an international scale as well – because one of the other things that attracted me to the programme is the fact that it's truly global.” 

After completing her first module on the course, Sumaya says she has gained a deeper appreciation for technology and its associated risks. Her banking experience, previously focused on financial and operational risks, now integrates a broader understanding of cyber security and its importance. 

The Cyber Security Foundations module alone has changed my life, and it has changed the way I look at things. It’s no longer just a piece of technology when you have an idea of what goes into it.

Looking ahead, Sumaya hopes this degree will provide a solid foundation of skills to rebuild her professional career in a new specialism. She is also optimistic that the connections she makes through Coursera and the University of London will open doors to new employment prospects. 

“Obviously I'd recommend the Coursera platform, but I would also definitely encourage students to consider the University of London as a viable option,” she shares. 

“When I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 2010, it was unimaginable for us to be doing what we’re doing today:  participating in a degree that's happening in a different time zone on the other side of the world from the comfort of my home. 

“And we're still coming together to share and exchange ideas. So that's phenomenal. It's no longer a choice between going to my local university or uprooting my entire life to go and study in a particular place. It's like the best of both worlds.” 

Learn more about the University of London’s MSc in Cyber Security.