Your Degree

To gain entry to the BIT (Mainframe Computing) at the University of Canberra, you need to have completed eight first-year IT subjects by the end of 2012. The University of Canberra will consider other candidates so apply if you think you have the necessary qualification. Students with post-graduate diplomas in IT and some TAFE graduates are considered. Entry is very competitive so you must have good grades and have the right to work full-time in Australia.

Work full-time during the year and complete your degree through three summer schools at the University’s campus in the national capital and one subject per semester online.

Program content is continually upgraded as technology develops. The current course structure is described here. The blend of subjects has been carefully considered by industry leaders to create professionals working at the peak of software development and support in the large commercial mainframe environment.

You will cover mainframe operating systems and environments, large-scale database systems, a commercial programming language, Internet programming and its application to eBusiness. This will give you the totality of commercial IT environments including the integration of new web apps with core business systems on the mainframe.

Each summer school starts in early December and runs through to early February with a short break over Christmas. The learning is very intensive because in each summer school, you do three subjects one after the other and there is a lot of material to cover. However, the class sizes are small (around 20) and the teaching staff is very supportive.

Your employer will pay for your accommodation while at the Summer Schools. It’s a friendly, communal atmosphere that encourages team learning. You may even find some time to explore the national capital and countryside (but don’t count on it).