Sharpen your skills and give yourself the edge in this competitive industry.

Ready to bring your network technology dreams to life? Swinburne Online’s Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology (Network Technology) degree is your passport to an exciting information and communication technology (ICT) career, giving you the power to make a difference with every byte of data that transverses your network.  

This course equips you to tackle real-world business challenges with practical ICT solutions through a combination of: 

• Strategic information gathering: Effectively elicit information from stakeholders to understand their needs.
• Cutting-edge technology exploration: Research and identify the most suitable technologies to address those needs.
• Ethical and legal considerations: Ensure your solutions comply with all relevant legal and ethical frameworks.
• Proven implementation techniques: Implement your solutions using established, reliable methodologies.

We’ve taken great care in structuring our degrees, ensuring our graduates develop invaluable skills throughout the learning process. Our students delve deep into the theory and practical aspects of each unit, giving them a well-rounded understanding of concepts. 

Let’s dive deeper into the top 5 skills you’ll master by graduation!

1. Network Design and Architecture: Crafting Digital Highways

Imagine information flowing like traffic on a highway. That’s the power of a well-designed network. Network design is the blueprint for building these information superhighways. As a network designer, engineer, or network administrator, you’ll be the architect, planning and implementing the structures that connect computers and allow them to share information seamlessly.

You will learn the following: 

• Identification – Learn how to identify the requirements of the network and consider if the network will span multiple locations. 
• Choosing devices – Understanding what hardware and software will be used within the network 
• Network topology – Network topology types include ring, star, bus, mesh, tree, and more
• Implementation – Prepare for the implementation of your network design by using aids such as a network monitoring tool to ensure the best function of your design 

2. Cybersecurity and Network Defense: Shielding the Digital Fortresses

A cyber threat has the potential to bring any organisation to its knees. As such the ability to recognise and contain these threats becomes essential for any employer. 

 Swinburne Online prides itself on equipping our graduates with the skills to spot these threats and an arsenal of know-how to rectify any breaches. 

Our ICT cybersecurity units include the implementation of appropriate architectures, technologies, information management plans, risk analysis, threat and impact assessment, assurance processes, standards and frameworks. Students will be well prepared to manage their organisation’s security and provide peace of mind for all members of the network. 

You will learn the following: 

• The importance of cybersecurity organisation 
• The role of organisational policies, standards and processes in the world of cybersecurity 
• How to mitigate threats and manage incidents 
• How compliance frameworks are pivotal to the industry and how professional and ethical issues instigate cyber threats  

3. Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving: The Network Detective

Networks experience hiccups and it often happens when you least expect it. As a network administrator, you will be tasked to find the most effective solution to problems as they arise. As such, this degree will focus on sharpening your ICT troubleshooting skills, making you handle stressful situations with ease and confidence.

You will learn the following: 

• Identification – finding out what the issue you are facing is 
• Probable cause – applying your knowledge to conclude what might be causing the problem  
• Testing your theory – using practical application of your knowledge to either prove or disprove your theory 
• Plan of action – establishing a way forward that leads to the efficient resolution of the issue 
• Implementation – putting your plan into action and escalating the issue as necessary 
• Verification – ensuring that all aspects of the system are back to full functioning capacity and implementing preventative measures 

4. Communication Protocols: Speaking the Network Language

Tiny packets of data dance throughout networks and are guided by the communication protocols you create. These protocols are a formal description of digital message formats and the rules they follow. Their existence is pivotal to systems as they create consistency in the sending and receiving of messages. Simple examples of protocols include WiFi, the Internet Protocol and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). 

Communication protocols are implemented in both hardware and software and can cover the following properties for transmission: 

• Authentication 
• Error detection 
• Error correction 
• Signalling 

Communication protocols remain an intricate web of communication, however, learning them will provide you with valuable insight into how devices and software communicate with each other.

Communication protocols remain high on the list of attractive skills for employers due to the following reasons: 

• Protocols allow for efficient collaboration between clients, stakeholders and colleagues
• Troubleshooting and debugging require professionals to use these protocols in  diagnosing these issues and reaching faster resolutions
• IT professionals are not shielded from interactions with non-technical individuals and having a deep understanding of these protocols helps to explain and dissect information when presenting to others. 

These skills complement technical expertise and are vital contributors to a well-rounded IT professional. 

What you will learn:

• Syntax and semantics – This is the format and meaning of the exchanged messages between devices 
• Types of protocols – There are two main types; inter-system protocols and intra-system protocols 
• Protocols and their functions – how each protocol fits into an intricate web of communication 
• Real-world applications of the knowledge you have gained and how these protocols are used in different technologies. 

5. Cloud Technologies: Navigating Virtual Skies

Cloud computing and all its related solutions give your network access to resources, data and tools through the web. These cloud services are hosted at a centralised data centre that is managed by a service provider.

Rather than forking out a considerable investment in databases, software, and hardware, businesses choose to obtain computing power via the internet, or the cloud, and pay for it as needed. Cloud services today include servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and business intelligence.

The benefits of migrating to cloud computing are as follows: 

• Reduction in capital expenses 
• Instantly provide space for development and testing
• Allows for global scale expansion 
• Increases collaboration between parties 
• Highly reliable and fault-tolerant, allowing for continued operations despite failures or malfunctions 

What you will learn:

• The basics of cloud computing including the infrastructure, platforms and software associated 
• How cloud computing works and the concepts upon which it operates 
• The different types of deployment models such as public, private and hybrid cloud models

Let’s Get You Networking 

Now that you are up to speed with all the skills you will gain from completing a Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology (Network Technology) degree, the next step in your journey is to apply for admission.

If you need more clarity on certain aspects of the course and require more information, book a call with one of our consultants who will be happy to walk you through the course details and the way forward with your application.