Australian residents
International students
Duration: 
1 year full time or longer for part time
Location: 
City Campus
Footscray Park
VU Brisbane
VU Sydney
Delivery mode: 
In person
Start dates:
24 February 2025
28 April 2025
28 July 2025

View all start dates
Application due dates:
Direct applications are due on 16 February 2025 for our next intake which starts on 24 February 2025.
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Overview

Open new career possibilities in cyber security with the Graduate Diploma in Cyber Security at Victoria University.

This course will prepare you to be a security professional with specialised expertise in cyber security.

You will learn the essential areas of cyber security, from proactive cyber threat detection, risk management to cyber law and regulations. The course content includes:

  • cyber security fundamentals
  • cyber security architecture
  • cyber security technologies
  • cloud security
  • enterprise security
  • cyber security regulation, policies and laws.

Learn from experienced academic staff and guest lecturers with current experience and a strong track record in cyber security research.

VU degrees are internationally recognised and provide an opportunity for our graduates to find jobs within and outside Australia.

Commonwealth Supported Places in 2023

Fees are heavily subsidised and HECS-HELP loans available for eligible students in 2023. Apply now or register your interest - there's never been a better time to study!

Following the overwhelming success of the revolutionary VU Block Model with undergraduate students, we rolled out the Block Model to our postgraduate courses.

This course is delivered in eight-week mode, which means you study two units (subjects) at a time over eight weeks (or one unit at a time over eight weeks for part-time study), rather than juggling several units at once. And with its focused timetables and smaller, collaborative classes, VU’s Block Model gives you more time to connect with your peers, lecturers and industry partners, helping you to build strong professional networks.

The VU Block Model has improved our student results and engagement, and has won multiple international awards for innovation and excellence.

amazon, cisco, microsoft and oracle logos

In addition to our undergrad and postgrad courses, we also have strong partnerships with leading companies in the industry. These include but not limited to AWS, Cisco, Microsoft and Oracle. Victoria University is an academy for a multitude of certification courses from these leading industries.  This means, as our students, you will have the opportunity to study certification courses taught by seasoned lecturers and research academics within the IT discipline with discounted certification examination fees. For more details, please visit the following links and contact your course chair.

Need some advice?

Request a call back from one of our experienced VUHQ course advisers to get your questions answered.

Request a call back

A recent Government report estimated Australia would need another 11,000 cyber security specialists over the next decade. Read the full report here.

Careers in cyber security

Completion of this course will prepare you for variety of cyber security careers, such as:

  • cyber security specialist
  • cyber security consultant
  • cloud security engineer
  • network security engineer.

Salaries & job prospects

Globally, cyber security job openings are growing, and offer competitive salaries (Labour Market Insights).

Course structure

To successfully attain the Graduate Diploma in Cyber Security, students will be required to complete:

- 96 credit points of Core Studies

Year 1, Semester 1

Year 1, Semester 2

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Conceptually map the most recent developments in cyber security and justify the utility in various contexts;  
  2. Critically apply cyber security knowledge and skills to new and uncertain situations in professional practice, exhibiting a high level of personal autonomy and accountability;  
  3. Investigate and evaluate cyber security architecture and state-of-the-art technologies and transmit this knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences; and  
  4. Apply commercial tools to secure computers and networks in enterprise and cloud systems to ensure privacy and prevent data loss and develop corresponding security policies and regulations.  

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take and optional elective units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

Fees & scholarships

Fee type for this course: Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

Fee type definitions

The amount you pay for your course depends on whether you’re offered a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) or a full fee-paying place.

Students who enrol in a:

In addition to your tuition fees, you may also be charged a Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF).

Scholarships & assistance

Apply for a scholarship to help with your study costs.

We can help with fee assistance and advice.

Admission & pathways

Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you entry into this course. Some courses receive more applications than the number of places available. In this situation we will also assess your education, work and other relevant experience.

If you do not meet the minimum requirements you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs. We also encourage you to explore our study pathways to help you reach your goal.

Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency.

Entry requirements

Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in any discipline
OR
Completion of an Australian Graduate Certificate (or equivalent) in a similar discipline
OR
Applicants with a minimum three (3) years approved work experience will be considered for admission to this course.

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

If you have completed study with another university or institution and believe you are eligible to receive credit for skills and past study, you can apply for advanced standing.

Applications for advanced standing can be made after a discussion with your course chair or academic adviser.

Credit Calculator

Find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

CALCULATE YOUR CREDIT

How to apply

Available start dates:
  • 24 February 2025
  • 28 April 2025
  • 28 July 2025
  • 29 September 2025

Before you apply

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

  • Special admission programs: Depending on your life circumstances you may be eligible for special consideration of your application.
  • Advanced standing: If you have significant experience or studies elsewhere you may be eligible for credit for some units of your course and not have to undertake them.

Find out more about applying for our courses.

Apply direct to VU

Direct applications are due on 16 February 2025 for our next intake which starts on 24 February 2025.

Apply direct to VU

Already a VU student?

If you are already a VU student, apply direct to VU using our Admissions centre to transfer into this course. Remember it’s best to be accepted into your new course before withdrawing from your current one.

After you apply

  • It’s important to check for emails from us (which may go to your spam/junk folder).
  • Complete any requests for information by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered

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Get help

At Victoria University, we aim to display accurate and complete course information online. However, we are unable to guarantee that every course change is currently displayed. You may contact the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100 to confirm the most up-to-date course fees, pathways and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations and services available to our students.