Charles Sturt University (CSU) has increased its leadership in university IT courses in both the undergraduate and postgraduate sectors.

In recently published University Reviews rankings CSU's School of Computing and Mathematics is second in Australia for computer science in 2016. The School has the most postgraduate students of any Australian tertiary institution* and its strong reputation for graduates doing well in the job market was also noted as a standout attribute of the program.

Mr Jason Howarth, Course Director for the School of Computing and Mathematics said what makes a computer science course great is rigour, fun and relevance.

"More than anything the Charles Sturt University computer science program makes learning enjoyable. Students learn whilst interacting with technologies that are meaningful to them, for example mobile device programming, virtualisation technologies and programming games using Unity.

"Students start coding from the outset, not just after several sessions of theory. It is very hands-on," he said. "Our computer science program also emphasise not just the technical aspects of the profession but also the communication aspects, such as how to interact with clients who want a software system built.

"This means our graduates have the skills needed to propel them directly into industry when they finish," Mr Howarth said.

With year on year enrolment growth of 40 per cent, CSU understands that the key to attracting and keeping IT students is to provide quality course content with a focus on the latest industry developments.

Mr Howarth said, "New technology adoption continues to accelerate so it is essential that the Charles Sturt University course offers keep pace."

To cater to the rapidly evolving needs of industry, CSU has implemented an accelerated course review and development program. Mr Howarth said, "In 2015, we introduced the Master of Mobile Applications Development, a degree that teaches native and cross platform development using technologies such as Swift, PhoneGap, Unity and Xamarin.

"This year we will introduce a Graduate Certificate in Industry Computing, a bespoke degree that lets students choose four subjects that suit their particular academic and industry needs".

Also key to the success of CSU's IT program is the ongoing collaboration with alumni. Many CSU computer science alumni now hold senior industry positions and join the course advisory panels to ensure they meet the needs of today's professionals.

CSU alumni Mr Roger Lawrence, Chief Technologist for Innovation, Asia-Pacific and Japan at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is one such professional contributing to course development.

Mr Lawrence said, "The changes we see in IT are unprecedented. Devices are simultaneously becoming more powerful and portable, high speed connectivity has become ubiquitous. Added to this is the ability to create, store, and process data from anywhere at a price point nearing zero. All of which fundamentally changes the way we can do anything as a society. The way we govern, legislate, transact, and communicate is changing.

"It is imperative to ensure we train senior IT specialists to lead Australia through this shift," he said. "This is why the industry advisory panel has recommended a new Masters degree be developed at Charles Sturt University focusing on the cloud, mobility and architecture. It is particularly important to prepare for the Internet of Things and architectures to contend with and benefit from big data."

CSU has started developing the new Masters degree for the beginning of 2017.

*Source: Australian Government Higher Education Statistics