Australian Diploma in IT Offered Online in India

Education Centre of Australia (ECA) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) have announced an on-line Australian Diploma in Information Technology (ICT50115) for students in India. ECA provides Australian higher education programs through Australian universities and Registered Training Organizations (including the ACS). ACS were previously only offering the diploma at ECA's Sydney center, with 20 hours per week in the classroom.

The IT Diploma program has three streams for the student to choose from:

1. Software Development: Programming, Web Design
2. Information Systems:  Emerging Technologies, Business Analysis 
3. Computer Network: Network Design, Network Control

Students then have a pathway to a bachelor degree at one of the Australian ECA universities.

This approach of an introductory on-line course and then advanced studies abroad I suggest will become the norm within five years.

It should be noted that there are Australian visa restrictions on the proportion of on-line courses an international student can undertake:

"Students can study up to 25 per cent of their course by online and/or distance learning, but in each compulsory study period each student must be studying at least one unit that is not by distance or online."

From "Online and distance", National Code Part D, Standard 9 of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), Australian Department of Education and Training.

These restrictions do not apply to students studying on-line from abroad. Students on-line do not need to be in Australia and so do not need an Australian visa.