The degree is part of the online distance education IT Masters program which integrates Microsoft, Cisco, Novell, The Project Management Institute (PMI) and Oracle certifications into Masters theoretical course work. Upon completion of the two-year degree, graduates receive a full Masters qualification along with the respective certification.

Charles Sturt University IT Masters associate course coordinator Jason Howarth said the courses target those IT professionals with years of industry experience but lack an undergraduate degree by allowing a prerequisite of four years IT industry experience, or two years experience with an IT undergraduate qualification.

"We feel those IT professionals who have worked in the IT industry for decade or more should be entitled to undertake a Masters degree because they have very valuable experience," Howarth said.

"[While] students need to pass at least 12 subjects of which six are industry-based and six are academic-based, [they] can gain credit depending on certifications they have done."

The program offers Masters in Networking and Systems Administration, Systems Development, Information Systems Security, IT Management, Database Design and Management and a Graduate Certificate in Project Management. Certifications include the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP):Database Administrator and Database Developer, SQL Server 2005, Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), and Novell Certified Linux Engineer.