Study IT courses in Australia

Explore a promising future in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Australia, where fields like Cyber Security and Data Analytics are experiencing significant job growth. As the Australian government prioritizes digital expansion, the demand for skilled ICT professionals is at an all-time high.

Beyond tech, Australia is also embracing green jobs and sustainable business practices, presenting a unique blend of opportunities for those with a passion for technology and the environment. While AI adoption remains concentrated in select industries, the demand for AI skills is expanding, particularly in technical fields as well as broader roles like Marketing and Accounting.

Keen to talk to an IDP expert about your career options? Book an appointment with an education counsellor today.

To succeed in any IT role, you’ll need attention to detail, the ability to think ahead and quickly create solutions to new problems. For those with methodical minds, IT is a logical career choice. There are a broad range of IT roles, and top ten most common jobs are:

• IT consultant: Evaluate systems and make software and hardware recommendations

• Cloud architect: Designing and organising cloud systems

• Computer forensic investigator: Search, identify and evaluate information gleaned from computer systems for legal purposes

• Health IT specialist: Combining computer skills with health industry knowledge

• Mobile app developer: Writing code for apps

• Web developer: Creating web pages using a variety of languages

• Software engineer: Building programmes using a variety of languages

• IT vendor manager: Oversee supply of hardware and software within an organisation

• Geospatial professionals: Using geographic data, evaluation of trends and patterns

• Data modeller: Using AI and ML to define relationships between data and make predictions about future behaviour.

There are courses in IT ranging from short certificates through to a postgraduate degree. Generally, an entry level Certificate is a year long, and gives you basic insight into a small segment of the industry such as HTML coding. Then, there are other certificates or degrees you can do to complement this.

• A Diploma in IT is also 12 months, but is more in depth, offering a range of languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create basic apps, websites and programmes.

• A bachelor's in computer science/ software engineering/ computer Forensics/ Information Security/ Data Science is a full time four-to-five-year course that gives you a great grounding for whatever career you choose. As well as a broad overview of the basics, it allows you to deep dive into your specialty and subjects of interest.

• Graduate certificates are either six or twelve months long and give you an extra layer of knowledge that helps you understand and specialise in a certain IT field.

• A master's in engineering/ data science/ IT and Technology Management range between one and three years. These papers give high level information about fields of interest and offer a pathway into excellent job opportunities.

IT course fees in Australia

For international students, a foundation course such as a diploma or certificate, will cost between AU$15,000 to $22,000 for a year of study. A bachelor's degree costs between $15,000 and $33,000 per year, while a postgrad master's degree fee structure ranges between $20,000 to $37,000 per year.

Living costs in Australia may be higher than you’re used to. For a reasonable standard of living, you’ll need approximately AU$21,000 per year for rent, electricity, mobile phone and internet, health insurance, public transport and food.

There may be scholarships available for international students. Check with the individual providers to see what they offer, or check out the state funded options. IDP may be able to help advise you which scholarships would suit your requirements.

How can you get PR in Australia after completing an IT course?

If you want to stay on in Australia once you’ve completed your degree, there are pathways.

The 485 skilled graduate temporary visa allows you to stay in Australia to work once you’ve graduated. This is for up to two years if you’ve completed a bachelor's or master's degree. If you have completed a masters (by research) you can stay for three years, and if you completed a doctorate, you could stay for four years.

491 Visa is a fast track to five years living in Australia and eventually residency. You must be living in a regional area (all of Australia is considered regional except for the main cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and be working in a role that has been deemed to be experiencing a shortage. There are IT roles on the skills shortage list, like Analyst Programmer and ICT Business Analyst on Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).

Permanent residency, should you wish to pursue it, has a set of rigorous requirements but getting it means you can call Australia home.