Key Dates

Protecting information and IT infrastructure from complex and evolving cyber-threats is a critical challenge for modern organisations. The responsibility to prevent and respond to cyber-attacks falls to cybersecurity professionals, and global demand for highly trained cybersecurity professionals is at an all-time high and is expected to increase over time.

The Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity is a six-month full time coursework degree (24 credit points) aimed at students wanting a professional qualification to extend their existing knowledge base or upskill in cybersecurity. Students will develop a capability in analysing and designing cybersecurity solutions for complex systems and organisations. The course is designed to meet the educational needs of students ultimately seeking to transition into or advance in a career as a cybersecurity professional.

The Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity covers areas of critical importance to operational-level and management-level cybersecurity professionals. The course has been designed with input from leading industry professionals and academics in the field of Cybersecurity. Graduates will acquire an education that meets industry standards and expectations and is on a par with some of the best national and international benchmarks in the Cybersecurity discipline.

The course equips students for self-learning and prepares them for dealing with the dynamics of the workplace. Graduates will be enabled to adapt to the rapidly evolving nature of the discipline through an appreciation for lifelong learning and through the practice of self-reflection which is embedded throughout the curriculum and through the active learning aspects of the course.

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

• Apply specialized knowledge and skills to analyse and assess fit-for-purpose and creative solutions to defend information, processes, IT systems, platforms and networks from cyber threat actors in contemporary contexts for professional practice
• Analyse complex cyber security issues, risks and vulnerabilities as they relate to the evolving strategic and operational context of organisations, IT systems and communication networks
• Analyse strategies, policies, procedures and practices to manage cyber security in organisations based on best practice standards and methods
• Clearly present a coherent and independent exposition of the method applied, conclusions made, and professional decisions taken on cybersecurity issues to specialist and non-specialist audiences
• Demonstrate professional and ethical standards in the application of cybersecurity knowledge and skills while exercising responsibility and accountability for self-learning and professional practice whether working individually or in a team

The AAHE Graduate Attributes below are embedded in the curricula and support the students’ ability to acquire and apply the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed in their personal and professional lives.

The Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity develops the students’ knowledge and skills in the discipline. It embeds a collaborative and technology-enabled active learning approach that encourages student participation in the learning process, peer to peer learning and ongoing reflection, delivering a truly genuine and distinct AAHE education experience.

Following a thorough orientation, you will participate in small class groups where you are encouraged to collaborate, exchange ideas, learn from each other and reflect on your learning, both in the classroom and through the collaborative online learning environment.

The typical weekly process begins with you speculating about a problem or scenario that you have been given before the scheduled on-campus, face-to-face class, then actively engage in the class, and reflect on the same problem or scenario. Classes themselves are interactive, with regular anonymous polls and multiple-choice questions to encourage active participation. Following the class, you will document your problem-solving process or reflection on the scenario in an online journal. In this way, using the principles of adult learning, you immediately apply your work to problem-solving, and develop into reflective practitioners. The scenarios and problems, along with the class material, are available to you anytime and anywhere through the online learning management system (LMS). You are also encouraged to engage with your peers through multiple opportunities to collaborate and to interact in the classroom and online.

In preparing for major assessments, you will regularly participate in authentic, experiential learning activities. These may be practical exercises such as preparing cybersecurity proposals and designing security engineering requirements for fictional organisations or working in a team on projects. These activities enable students to explore the kinds of real-world complexities and constraints that occur in organisations, while simultaneously practising the reflective and adaptive responses that will enable them to thrive in a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

AAHE’s active learning approach guides the design of units and their content and activities. The assessments build from this approach and are carefully mapped against the unit and course learning outcomes, establishing clear alignment and assuring that the learning outcomes are achieved.

The design of assessments incorporates smaller formative assessment tasks that enable you to receive regular feedback and stay on track, culminating into one or more summative assessments that measure your learning, skills acquisition and the extent to which you are meeting the units’ intended learning outcomes.