Enrolments: 561,733

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: 552,868

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.

Free University Short Courses

If you are considering enrolling in one of our unique Master degrees, why not ‘try before you enrol’?

Enrolling in these webinar-based free short courses allows insight into how we create a collaborative learning environment, and is also an opportunity to engage with other students and build networks.

Passing course exams will earn you a certificate of achievement, and may even qualify you for credit – successfully complete 3 or more short courses and be eligible for 1 industry elective credit.

For general information, visit our short course FAQs page.

Upcoming Courses

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Can’t wait to get into study? You can still access all materials for these short courses, complete tasks at your own pace, and sit the final examinations to test your knowledge.

Whatever your area of study, we’re sure you’ll find a subject that piques your interest. Note: the date in brackets is the year the short course was delivered.

Cyber Security

5,432 enrolledPractical AI for Non-Coders (2023)

Practical AI for Non-Coders is a 4-week short course for non-technical early adopters who want to make the most of the Artificial Intelligence paradigm shift without having to re-skill in the process. Its aim is to give students a solid understanding of the basic constraints and capabilities of contemporary Artificial Intelligence systems so that they can form their own conclusions.

Enrol here

4,715 enrolledCyber Defence Strategies (2023)

Cyber-attacks and data breaches are more prevalent than ever before. With ever-evolving threat actors, and tightening regulations, a good cyber defence strategy is crucial to helping prevent cyber-attacks.

Over four weeks Cyber Defence Strategies with Georg Thomas will introduce strategies for the identification and mitigation of cyber threats.

Enrol here

6,726 enrolledRansomware Techniques (2022)

Holding a computer network to ransom in one form or another has been with us for a while now, entering the zeitgeist famously in Jurassic Park waaaay back in 1993. We probably all know or have heard of organisations being held to ransom by organised groups, often with serious consequences for the business.

Over four weeks Ransomware Techniques with Jeremy Koster will take you through how to prevent and deal with active attacks.

Enrol here

18,790 enrolledCISSP (Updated) (2022)

Knowledge required for the CISSP is divided across eight different areas (domains) and is a combination of leadership and operational/technical expertise. Over four weeks, this course will take you through each of the eight domains and provide information on what is needed to obtain the CISSP credential.

An update of our extremely popular short course from 2013, this short course offers an introduction to our Professional Systems Security subject.

Enrol here

8,064 enrolledCryptography (2021)

Our digital footprint is ever growing and the requirement to keep our digital identities safe and secure is becoming increasingly important as our reliance on online technologies grows.

Understanding how to leverage available technology to protect ourselves against the myriad of attacks on our privacy and digital identities is vital; and knowledge of cryptographic technologies is one of the foundation stones upon which we can build protection for our digital self.

Enrol here

10,881 enrolledDigital Forensics (Updated) (2021)

Cyber criminals saw their opportunity and made the most of it in 2020. With such a drastic shift to online everything for everyone, we saw cyber criminals make some pretty daring moves.

Due to these increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks, forensic investigations are becoming more and more common. 

An update of our extremely popular short course from 2015, this short course offers an introduction to our full Digital Forensics subject.

Enrol here

8,524 enrolledDetecting and Defending against Cyber Threats (2020)

This course will take a practical approach to detecting and defending against cyber threats. Threat actors are evolving in their attack strategies and are increasing in frequency. Cyber threats can originate from almost any source; including nation states, organised crime, activist groups, and terrorist groups, to name a few. It is critical that appropriate and adequate strategies are in place to detect and defend against these threats.

Enrol here

14,571 enrolledCertified Information Security Manager (CISM) Prep (2020)

The CISM certification from ISACA is considered one of the key certifications to demonstrate knowledge of cyber security management concepts and processes within an enterprise. The CISMs strength is its focus on aligning a cyber security program with business goals. This course will guide you through the rich, but sometimes long and mystical CISM material in preparation for the exam.

Enrol here

23,750 enrolledPen Testing (2019)

This course will help you gain an in-depth understanding of the security posture of your IT environment. A penetration test highlights those areas that need fixing and which areas can withstand a concerted hacking attempt.

A well-written report detailing the findings of a penetration test can be invaluable to an organisation looking to protect themselves from cyber risks and this course will help you develop the skills necessary to produce them.

Enrol here

17,869 enrolledComputer Network Fundamentals (2018)

Join our resident networking and cyber security expert, Matt Constable, to develop your practical skills and begin preparation for the CompTIA Network+ industry certification.

During this live online short course you will learn how to:

  • Design and implement functional networks
  • Configure, manage, and maintain essential network devices
  • Use devices such as switches and routers to segment network traffic and create resilient networks
  • Identify benefits and drawbacks of existing network configurations
  • Implement network security, standards, and protocols

Enrol here

8,975 enrolledEnterprise Cyber Security Fundamentals (2018)

Join IT Masters’ cybersecurity and networking expert Matt Constable to develop your practical skills and begin preparation for the CompTIA Security+ industry certification.

Enterprise Cyber Security Fundamentals will include in-depth discussions on defending against attack — including protecting the perimeter, best practice design principles, and much more, all from the perspective of industry.

Enrol here

8,452 enrolledCyber Warfare and Terrorism (2017)

This four week short course introduces you to the rise of state sponsored cyber attack; a concept that only a few years ago seemed the realm of science fiction.

You will be introduced to the major classes of cyber weapons: trojans, worms, and Distributed Denial of Service as well as sophisticated hacking. You will also learn the history of nation state involvement in cyber attack, as well as the looming threat of cyber attack from terrorist organisations.

Enrol here

4,418 enrolledApplying Law to Emerging Cyber Dangers (2016)

In this short introductory course, you will learn about the basic principles of applying the law to emerging cyber dangers; how best to collect, preserve and present evidence to law enforcement agencies and or lawyers for civil litigation; and what international mechanisms are available to law enforcement agencies. You will also be familiarised with the legislation applicable to combat cyber dangers.

Enrol here

19,143 enrolledCybersecurity Management (2015)

In this short course you will get a high-level view of the security needs of an organisation and the responsibilities of a cybersecurity manager. You will develop an understanding of the ever-evolving threat landscape and the foundations of an internal cybersecurity practice.

Enrol here

10,630 enrolledInformation Security Incident Handling (2014)

This short course covers sections of our subject ITE512 Incident Response, which is an elective subject in the Master of Information Systems Security degree at Charles Sturt University.

The ITE512 Incident Response subject is based on the GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) industry certification exam.

Associated Subject: ITE512

Enrol here

Project Management

4,607 enrolledDevOps (2022)

This short course explores the fundamental principles of DevOps and how they apply to the modern IT organisation. We will discuss what DevOps really is, where it came from and what it works closely with. The core reasoning behind many of these principles will be examined.

Enrol here

5,105 enrolledProject Management Updated: PMBOK7 (2022)

Project management has never been more important in any organisation – it’s a high demand skill. The Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is the premier guide for project professionals around the world.

If you’re new to project management or a current practitioner join us for an in depth guide to the recently updated PMBOK7.

Enrol here

5,706 enrolledAgile Data & Information Management (2021)

At one end of the big data spectrum lies the IT systems that collect, store, and manage it all. At the other end are the non-technical users who rely upon that data to make agile decisions every day. Somewhere in between some magic happens to get the right data into the right minds at the right time.

This course will explore the stepping stones between how humans make agile decisions, how we interpret information through visualisation, and how information management systems can work to support it all. Whether you are a collector, caretaker, or consumer of business information – this course will have something for you.

Enrol here

7,368 enrolledBusiness Analysis Career Start (2018)

Join one of our senior project management lecturers, Karen Sleeman, and develop your business analysis skills to prepare for entry into the workforce.

Enrol here

2,903 enrolledRecovering Troubled Projects (2018)

Brenton Burchmore will be delivering a course designed to provide the principles and concepts that are derived from practical experience and converted into a framework that can be universally applied to any failing project.

We’ll introduce the tools and knowledge to effectively recover a failing project and bring it back to a successful baseline and conclusion.

Enrol here

8,212 enrolledPRINCE2 Primer (2017)

The PRINCE2 Primer introduces an important project management system, PRINCE2.

This free “primer” short course details the key characteristics of PRINCE2 and highlights what makes this method different, covering the most important principles of PRINCE2 and showing where it fits among other project management frameworks.

Enrol here

6,313 enrolledScrum Master Primer (2017)

Sarah Ireton describes a variety of Agile and Scrum concepts and clears up a number of common misunderstandings surrounding this role in this three module free course. By the conclusion of the course, students will have a clear understanding of a number of Scrum principals in preparation for completing the International Scrum Master Certification.

Enrol here

22,886 enrolledIntroductory Certificate in Business Analysis (2016)

This short introductory course is directed towards people who are interested in pursuing a career as a business analyst. You will learn more about the tools and techniques used by business analysts, and how to work more effectively with business analysts.

Enrol here

10,858 enrolledProject Management Professional (PMP®) Certification (2015)

Prepare for the world’s most popular Project Management industry certification – the Project Management Professional (PMP®) – with ex PMI Sydney Chapter Professional Development Director Peter O’Driscoll.

Associated Subject: MGI511

Enrol here

5,472 enrolledProgram Management Professional (2014)

The Program Management Professional course covers sections of our subject MGI518 Program Management, which is an elective subject in the Master of Project Management and Master of Management (IT) degrees at Charles Sturt University.

Associated Subject: MGI518

Enrol here

26,731 enrolledAgile Project Management (2013)

This short course is for those working in Agile environments who want to expand their knowledge and those who just want to get a grip on the fundamentals of Agile Project Management.

Associated Subject: ITE518

Enrol here

7,346 enrolledSCRUM vs LEAN: Agile Methodologies Analysed and Compared (2013)

This short course will introduce students to two of the most common methodologies of Agile by comparing their most prominent strengths and weaknesses.

Enrol here

Networking, Sysadmin & Cloud

901 enrolledThe Internet of Things (2023)

Join our IoT experts Dr Geoffrey Jenkins and Shane Murphy for a four week breakdown of the Internet of Things, covering the basics of IoT and the best approaches to creating and getting value from IoT projects.

This course is for those of you who have wondered what IoT is, have had some exposure and are thinking about implementing an IoT project, or anyone who just wants to know some more about this fast evolving technology sector.

Enrol here

4,104 enrolledMasterclass: Comparative Cloud Technologies (2022)

Join us to discover why companies are interested in moving to the cloud and common technologies of the cloud environment. Learn how to build a cloud application and explore major cloud providers including AWS, Azure and Google.

Bonus: Earn an AWS Academy Graduate badge through courses and guided labs with free access to AWS Cloud Fundamentals and an AWS sandbox environment. Available to students who enrol before the end of July 2022.

Enrol here

8,064 enrolledCryptography (2021)

Our digital footprint is ever growing and the requirement to keep our digital identities safe and secure is becoming increasingly important as our reliance on online technologies grows.

Understanding how to leverage available technology to protect ourselves against the myriad of attacks on our privacy and digital identities is vital; and knowledge of cryptographic technologies is one of the foundation stones upon which we can build protection for our digital self.

Enrol here

5,384 enrolledIT Career Fundamentals (2020)

Are you ready to future-proof your career and join the world of IT but not sure where to start? Learn from our most experienced mentors about the fundamentals of key areas of IT, covering the basics of technical, management and emerging IT careers. At the end of the course you will be better prepared to kickstart your IT career and know which fields excite you most to direct future study.

Enrol here

10,582 enrolledAWS Certified Solutions Architect (2019)

This short course will help you prepare for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate) – an industry certification designed for those who wanting to architect and deploy secure and robust applications on AWS technologies.

This short course is also a taster of the Master of Cloud Computing and Virtualisation course.

Enrol here

17,869 enrolledComputer Network Fundamentals (2018)

Join our resident networking and cyber security expert, Matt Constable, to develop your practical skills and begin preparation for the CompTIA Network+ industry certification.

During this live online short course you will learn how to:

  • Design and implement functional networks
  • Configure, manage, and maintain essential network devices
  • Use devices such as switches and routers to segment network traffic and create resilient networks
  • Identify benefits and drawbacks of existing network configurations
  • Implement network security, standards, and protocols

Enrol here

11,645 enrolledCisco CCNA v3 (2017)

This course provides an overview of the technologies & theories you will need to understand in order to pass the current CCNA exams. It will also track changes to the certification from v1 through to v3.

Associated Subject: ITE526

Enrol here

3,600 enrolledConfiguration Management (2017)

Some of the key benefits of configuration management include increased change efficiencies, cost reduction, system reliability and greater agility.

This configuration management short course is a primer – to learn about the issues and key features of configuration management. The course includes lab exercises using Ansible, a popular open-source tool, to demonstrate the principles and benefits of configuration management.

Presented by Mike Ciavarella, in conjunction with ITPA and IT Masters, at the end of this short course, you will have learnt enough to see where and how you could benefit from using configuration management in your professional career.

Enrol here

6,188 enrolledVMware vSphere 6 Masterclass (2016)

Developed in partnership with ITPA, this short course is for administrators who are already comfortable setting up individual ESXi hosts, and configuring and maintaining VMs within.

Enrol here

6,797 enrolledCloud Models, Architecture and Risk Management (2015)

In this free short course, you will explore Cloud Technology, Models, Architecture, and Security. By the conclusion, you will have a developing understanding of Risk Management Framework designto suit a Cloud environment.

Associated Subject: ITC561

Enrol here

28,490 enrolledCisco CCNA (2014)

This is a short course designed to help you prepare for the new Cisco CCNA certification that has just been announced.

Associated Subject: ITE526

Enrol here

15,862 enrolledCisco CCNA Security (2014)

The CCNA Security certification demonstrates that you have the skills required to develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats. This course helps prepare for that certification.

Enrol here

Management and Communications

2,442 enrolledApplied Digital Marketing Strategy (2021)

Applied Digital Marketing Strategy (ADMS) will help you build a digital marketing plan on a lean marketing canvas that will help you unleash your next entrepreneurial idea or to give you a more strategic approach to what might be largely opportunistic digital tactics today!

We use a series of topics from subjects in the Graduate Certificate in Applied Digital Marketing and Master of Applied Digital Marketing to build your plan weekly on a supplied template.

Enrol here

5,706 enrolledAgile Data & Information Management (2021)

At one end of the big data spectrum lies the IT systems that collect, store, and manage it all. At the other end are the non-technical users who rely upon that data to make agile decisions every day. Somewhere in between some magic happens to get the right data into the right minds at the right time.

This course will explore the stepping stones between how humans make agile decisions, how we interpret information through visualisation, and how information management systems can work to support it all. Whether you are a collector, caretaker, or consumer of business information – this course will have something for you.

Enrol here

6,377 enrolledIT Leadership (2021)

IT Leaders are increasingly required to understand a growing range of strategic frameworks, concepts and methodologies which must work together for the good of the organisation. The complicated decisions and plans require complex synergies with non-IT leadership.

However, being a “leader” of IT does not always mean our role must function within a technology department or team. Leaders in non-IT roles can’t escape involvement in IT plans. IT affects your everyday work, so the more you can understand how IT leadership functions the more you can contribute to such key decisions.

Enrol here

3,816 enrolledEffective Workplace Communication (in the Digital Era) (2020)

The modern professional environment requires digital communication now more than ever – remote and distanced working is here to stay. The work must go on, but there are challenges when communicating, working and achieving outcomes over purely digital mediums. This course aimed directly at those issues.

Enrol here

3,045 enrolledManaging in a VUCA world (2020)

This short course will introduce you to the key challenges of being a manager-leader in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). We look at the major challenges facing VUCA managers, the types of leadership skills and approaches relevant for managing in this environment, developing and aligning initiatives with strategic imperatives and supporting employees for improved business outcomes in a chaotic world.

Enrol here

2,830 enrolledDigital Marketing Analytics (2019)

In this short course, you will dive into the core analytics that drive decision making in the digital media landscape.  This short course covers the broad range of essential tools and reports required to understand the behaviour of any company’s customers, as well as the performance of their website and campaigns.

This short course is also a taster for the Master of Applied Digital Marketing.

Enrol here

6,607 enrolledApplied Social Media Marketing (2018)

Last quarter, 3.5 billion people were active across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Learn how to connect your business to this epic network during our free short course, Applied Social Media Marketing.

This is your chance to develop a social media marketing plan for a product or service of your choice, under the guidance of digital marketing expert, Andrew Mashman. Andrew will be joined by special guests Beth Powell, founder of the Digital Marketing Club; Elisha Booth, Head of Digital Operations at Lowes, and more.

Enrol here

4,418 enrolledApplying Law to Emerging Cyber Dangers (2016)

In this short introductory course, you’ll learn about the basic principles of applying the law to emerging cyber dangers; how best to collect, preserve and present evidence to law enforcement agencies and/or lawyers for civil litigation; and what international mechanisms are available to law enforcement agencies. You will also be familiarised with the legislation applicable to combat cyber dangers.

Enrol here

4,811 enrolledCertified Trainer (2016)

This short course will help you prepare for the Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+) industry certification from the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral IT certifications – the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

Enrol here

22,886 enrolledIntroductory Certificate in Business Analysis (2016)

This short introductory course is directed towards people who are interested in pursuing a career as a business analyst, learning more about the tools and techniques used by business analysts, or working more effectively with business analysts.

Enrol here

19,143 enrolledCybersecurity Management (2015)

In this short course you will get a high-level view of the security needs of an organisation, and the responsibilities of the cybersecurity manager. You will develop an understanding of the ever-evolving threat landscape and the foundations of an internal cybersecurity practice.

Enrol here

13,378 enrolledDigital Marketing (2015)

In this short course, you will learn how to develop your digital marketing strategy and then how to leverage digital tools to realise your marketing goals.

Associated Subject: MKT525

Enrol here

10,858 enrolledProject Management Professional (PMP®) Certification (2015)

Prepare for the world’s most popular Project Management industry certification – the Project Management Professional (PMP®) – with ex PMI Sydney Chapter Professional Development Director Peter O’Driscoll.

Associated Subject: MGI511

Enrol here

10,630 enrolledInformation Security Incident Handling (2014)

This short course covers sections of our subject ITE512 Incident Response, which is an elective subject in the Master of Information Systems Security degree at Charles Sturt University. The ITE512 Incident Response subject is based on the GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) industry certification exam.

Associated Subject: ITE512

Enrol here

4,969 enrolledProfessional Communications (2014)

The Professional Communications short course covers sections of the subject MGI521 Professional Communications, a core subject in most of our Masters degrees.

Associated Subject: MGI521

Enrol here

5,472 enrolledProgram Management Professional (2014)

The Program Management Professional course covers sections of our subject MGI518 Program Management, which is an elective subject in the Master of Project Management and Master of Management (IT) degrees at Charles Sturt University.

Associated Subject: MGI518

Enrol here

Skills, Research & Miscellaneous (not eligible for credit, but very useful)

1,389 enrolledIT Basics 2 (2023)

This short course aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of simple Information Technology, Cyber Security and Networking principles and theories. This will allow students to pursue any of the postgraduate IT courses offered by CSU with the confidence that they have some of the skills required to achieve success.

Enrol here

3,500 enrolledIT Basic Fundamentals (2023)

This short course aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of simple Information Technology, Cyber Security and Networking principles and theories. This will allow students to pursue any of the postgraduate IT courses offered by CSU with the confidence that they have some of the skills required to achieve success.

Enrol here

3,231 enrolledKnowledge Discovery and Data Mining (2019)

This short course will help you to understand some data mining techniques for knowledge discovery and knowledge presentation. At the end of the short course you should be able to use the skill for knowledge discovery and future prediction from a suitable dataset of your interest.

Enrol here

934 enrolledThe Journey of a DIT Student (2018)

For many, the logical progression after attaining a Master of Information Technology is enrolling in a Doctorate. The Doctor of Information Technology (DIT) degree entails a serious commitment, but Steven Zobrist has some great tips on how to get the best out of yourself and make the most of a DIT.

In this four week short course, our resident expert trainer, Steve, will take you through his DIT journey — suggesting considerations in planning your research, and ensuring those that come after him have all of the tools and advice he wished he had when he started out.

Enrol here

3,541 enrolledCareer Building and Mastering the Interview (2017)

In this short course John Price shares his 25 years of experience in coaching, career planning and preparing candidates for interviews.

Enrol here

1,099 enrolledPreparing for University Study (2016)

This short course is directed towards people who haven’t completed any tertiary studies, or who have previously studied and are looking to get back into it. It will arm students with the skills necessary to commence tertiary study.

Enrol here

1,668 enrolledDoctor of IT - Research Methodologies (2013)

Studying a Doctorate is a big commitment, so we are offering this short course on research methodologies. You’ll get a better feel for whether you are ready to take the plunge into a Doctorate.

Enrol here

If you’ve already enrolled in a short course and are looking for our learning platform with the course content, go to https://learn.itmasters.edu.au.

If there are other short courses you would like to see us offer, or you’d like support with something that is not covered on our shortcourse FAQs page, contact us at shortcourses@itmasters.edu.au.