Career Summary

Arielle Rusman successfully completed a Bachelor's double degree in Criminology and Information Technology (IT) in 2022. With a diverse educational background, she has positioned herself at the intersection of two fields, bringing a unique perspective and skill set to her career.

During her studies, Arielle had the opportunity to gain valuable industry experience through a 4-month internship as a Technology Consultant in FSO Cyber Security at EY (Ernst & Young). This internship provided her with hands-on experience in the fast-paced and ever-evolving field of cybersecurity. Working alongside professionals at EY, Arielle honed her technical skills and developed a deep understanding of cybersecurity practices and strategies.

Following her graduation, Arielle's talent and dedication were recognized, leading to her appointment as a full-time Graduate Technology Consultant at EY. In this role, she continues to contribute her expertise and collaborate with teams to provide innovative technology solutions and address the complex challenges faced by organisations.

Career Pathway

Present - Graduate Technology Consultant, EY
2022 - Intern Technology Consultant (FSO Cyber Security)
2022 - Bachelor of Criminology and Information Technology (IT)

Why did you choose to study a double degree in Criminology and IT at Monash?

I started the degree back in 2019, and the reason I wanted to do a double degree was because I really enjoyed the idea that I could study these different areas at once, especially in such a short amount of time of just four years. 2019 was the first year they offered the specialised Bachelor of Criminology instead of simply being a major in the Bachelor of Arts, and I was really excited about that.

I chose Criminology because I've always had a great interest in the crime space. I've always watched True Crime documentaries on Netflix, listened to True Crime podcasts, and I wanted to delve into that some more and gain academic knowledge within that space. In terms of the IT side, I chose to pair that with Criminology because I wanted to pursue a career in Cybersecurity. I felt as though both areas would be relevant in my future career.

How was your Monash experience?

I found the experience of completing the double Bachelors degree at Monash really great. The classes are really useful, I use the knowledge that I gained from them in my job now. All the tutors and lecturers are really great, and the faculty had really great industry connections. We had a lot of opportunities to partake in internships within the Criminology industry. I also had a class that brought on people from the industry to speak on their experiences and expertise. The cohort was really friendly, everyone's super supportive, and it's really cool to see how even though we all graduated from a Bachelor of Criminology, everyone's on a different path, pursuing their interests within their specific field. My favourite unit was regarding managing and preventing crime. That class gained me a lot of knowledge in finding ways to prevent cybercrime, which is what I do now.

What opportunities did Monash provide for professional development?

During my time at uni, I completed an internship at Ernst & Young (EY), which is one of the big four accounting firms. I worked as a Cybersecurity Consultant in a team, and during those few months I was there, I was able to see how criminology would really be able to help me within my role, with things such as understanding cyber criminal behaviour, helping to identify emerging threats within the cyber crime space, as well as the ethical side of cyber security.

Tell us about your current role and the influence of your degree. 

After I finished my course I was lucky to be offered a role at EY as a Graduate Technology Consultant. My day to day role involves providing expertise and advice to different organisations on how to protect their digital assets from different cyber attacks and cyber hackings. The degree in Criminology also helps me to provide a unique perspective and skill set that complements the technical aspects I learned from my degree in IT.

What advice do you have for prospective students?

In terms of any advice I have for prospective students looking to see what degree they may want to pursue, I think what’s really important is to explore your interests and hobbies.

Taking the time to find out what genuinely interests you is really important since you're going to be spending a lot of time on it at uni, and you want to make sure that you're actually enjoying it.

If you’re still unsure, that's okay. It’s also great to remain open minded and flexible. Give it a try and if you don’t like it there are plenty of other options for you to choose from.