Master Degree and Graduate Certificate Course Enrolments: 8,865
The total number of Master degree and Graduate Certificate enrolments since Charles Sturt University and IT Masters launched our first qualification in 2003.
Short Course Enrolments: 552,869
The total number of enrolments in our free short courses that we offer as a taster of what it is like to study via Distance Education with Charles Sturt University.
Charles Sturt University (CSU) is the largest provider of postgraduate IT degrees to Australian students. Our focus is on preparing students for the professional IT world by combining the practical training of industry certifications with the high level, structured learning of a post-graduate qualification. You can see the value of this type of post-graduate training in data on IT professionals’ income from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which shows that having a post-graduate degree is better for your hip pocket.
IT Masters employs experts working in the industry to deliver relevant and up-to-date postgraduate training, in partnership with Charles Sturt University (CSU).
In 2002 we launched our first Masters with CSU and in 2009 CSU became (and still is) the largest provider of Australian postgraduate IT study of any domestic university.
Absolutely – many of our students have never studied at university when they start their course with us. If you have the right level of professional experience you can study our Masters via the Graduate Certificate pathway. Fill out this short form and one of our staff will be in contact with you to discuss your options for entry into our courses.
Yes! You can get credit for up to 50% of your subjects through industry certifications. This means you won’t have to study or pay for a subject if you’ve already done the industry certification for it. Visit our credit page for more information or fill out our eligibility form and a credit expert will be in touch with you.
The program is structured to be as flexible as possible as most students undertaking the Masters Degree will have work commitments.
May 2023 (Term 2)
Study from 22 May, 2023 – 18 August, 2023
July 2023 (Session 2)
Study from 10 July, 2023 – 13 October, 2023
August 2023 (Term 3)
Study from 28 August, 2023 – 15 December, 2023
November 2023 (Session 3)
Study from 13 November, 2023 – 9 February, 2024
February 2024 (Session 1)
Study from 26 February, 2024 – 14 June, 2024
Your course will be delivered through a supportive online environment where you can find all the teaching materials you need and chat with your mentors and other students. You will also be able to access CSU’s extensive online library and student support services.
For most subjects you will be asked to purchase a textbook or resource, however, e-copies will also be available for short-term rental through the library service.
Find out what to expect from your course and the support you’ll receive while studying on the CSU website.
It usually takes two years to finish your Masters if you study our recommended load of 2 subjects per study session. However, if you receive credit you’ll do less subjects and take less time. You can also stretch your Masters over up to 4 years by taking leave or studying one subject at a time.
Most students study 2 subjects per study session which will have you finishing your Masters in 2 years, however you can do anything between 1 and 4 subjects depending on your work and family commitments. Just make sure you can find between 10-12 hours of study time for your subject each week.
Students are entitled to up to four sessions of leave in four calendar years, which provides flexibility if you have large projects coming up at work, or for vacation time.
Please note that students are unable to take a session of leave in their first session of study. If you are unable to commence your program in your first session, students must apply for a deferral.
Many of our students choose CSU’s online option so they can fit their study around full-time work and family commitments. We recommend finding 10-12 hours a week for each of your subjects, but with all of your materials available 24 hours a day, you decide when you study.
Articulating means that you transfer from a Graduate Certificate into Master’s degree. Students often study the Graduate Certificate first so they can meet the academic requirements of entry into the Masters. As the Graduate Certificate is simply the first 4 subjects of your Masters degree, you don’t pay for or study any extra subjects by doing it and you end up with two post-graduate qualifications when you finish your Masters. See Graduate Certificate Explained to find out more.
Fees vary depending on whether you’re studying a Masters or Doctorate degree. Check our Fees and Payment Options page for your fee details.
Your degree will be conferred by Charles Sturt University (CSU), and is fully accredited under the Australian Government Qualifications Framework. This means the CSU logo will appear on your degree when you graduate.
If you have completed two-thirds or more of your course at Charles Sturt University you may receive an award with distinction, depending on your results. You can see more details in the CSU academic manual.
There is no need for you to go to a campus unless you would like to attend your graduation ceremony. Everything we teach is conducted online without the need for face to face classes.
Every subject has different assessments but generally you’ll have two assessment pieces (such as a case study, a quiz or an essay) and a final examination or large final assignment. You’ll find out what your assignments are through your subject outlines, which will be given to you at the start of session.
Some subjects will have examinations for their final assessment. You can sit your exams at CSU’s examination centres located in many different locations across Australia and the world. You also have the option of sitting an eExam online from your home or workplace.
The 2022 IT Skills and Salary Report found:
Not at all, many of our students to have not studied for many years or haven’t studied at all. CSU offers many support services to prepare you for study including short course programs like StudyLink designed to assist your transition to university.
If you have a credit average in your Masters Degree this will qualify for candidature for the Doctor of Information Technology.
“The traditional doctoral education in Australia is primarily research oriented with little or no connection with the industry. Charles Sturt University (CSU) has identified the need for an outcome oriented professional doctorate and has restructured its Doctor of Information Technology (DIT) course to make it practical and industry-driven. Students in this course bring strong industry connection through their work experience and conduct practice-based research, solving the real issues faced by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. They demonstrate how they have impacted professional practice as well as how they have affected the deeper and broader understanding of the practice through research. This provides students an opportunity to put their practice through research.
Given that most students hold senior level positions in their respective organisations, they can easily drive change as result of their research outcomes. Another salient feature of the DIT is that the students report their findings in form of publications while they progress in the course. Thus the solutions to a particular industry problem are widely disseminated in form of white papers, technical reports, refereed papers and finally in a thesis.”
If you would like to discuss potential research topics or any other facet of research, email Dr Quazi Mamun on qmamun@csu.edu.au