Class of 2023
Niamh Tyrer made the move from engineering after deciding to pursue her passion for Intelligence.
What Brought You to the University of Cumbria?
I looked around several universities that offered intelligence based programmes, but when I came to Cumbria, I loved the community feel and felt really at home. At the open day, I sat down with Iain Stainton, the programme leader and he gave me loads of information and helped to negate any concerns I had.
After speaking with several academics and taking a look around the campus, I’d made my choice.
Why did you choose to study Security, Intelligence and Investigative Practice at Cumbria?
When I came to the open day, and I listened to the course talk, I thought the modules sounded really interesting and realised what a wide range of careers these could lead to.
I was studying engineering, but I fell out of love with it, and decided I wanted to study intelligence as it was something that was so interesting to me.
I found the modules on communicating really interesting.
What did you enjoy most about your course and Cumbria?
I loved the amount of interaction between students and tutors. There’s lots of time allocated to discussion, where we can share and listen to personal views to gain lots of different perspectives. This really develops your understanding when you hear so many different view points.
We also had the chance to have time 1 on 1 with tutors, which allowed us to ask any questions and often this provided a wider knowledge and context.
What was the most difficult obstacle you have overcome in your education journey?
My first year was during the pandemic, so everything was online and I didn’t get a chance to meet with my peers. It made it awkward to engage in group discussion, and this made it quite difficult to gain an understanding in the online space.
We had Whatsapp groups for discussion, but it just wasn’t the same, so it was nice when it was all over and we could meet in person!
How was University life beyond your studies?
It was great! I played netball in local groups that I found online, met up with my classmates to work collaboratively, went for lunch and drinks with them.
What skills did you learn that helped you on to your next step?
Confidence! I was very quiet to begin with, especially with classes taking place online, but I was made to feel comfortable to share my opinions and discuss others.
We did a great module on interviewing, and we had to present to our peers, which was a great opportunity to express myself and it really helped me to come out of my shell.
What are you up to now?
I work at a Law firm, collecting intelligence for car insurance claims. It’s a far cry from what I thought I’d be doing, but I love it. I’ve had great experience working with databases and working in a team.
What are your top tips for someone wanting to study Security, Intelligence and Investigative Practice at Cumbria?
- Get involved! Talk to people, make the most of the opportunities given to you.
- Use your time with your tutors to your advantage, it will broaden your understanding and help you to understand anything you’re not sure on.
- Communicate and work collaboratively, it’s great to hear other peoples points of view.
If you're interested in joining our BSc (Hons) Security, Intelligence and Investigative Practice programme, click here Security, Intelligence and Investigative Practice