Swinburne University’s Australian-first AI course designed to give tech-savvy students ‘an edge’While rival campuses scramble to stop students from cheating with AI, Swinburne Uni has launched an Australian-first degree to teach them how to use the technology to land a job.Mary Papadakis2 min readJune 17, 2026 - 12:00PMFuture of WorkDon't miss out on the headlines from Future of Work. Followed categories will be added to My News.Swinburne University will launch Australia’s first associate degree in artificial intelligence.While universities are introducing measures to combat widespread student cheating using AI, the new offering aims to teach them hands-on “job-ready AI skills” including how to reduce cyber threats, develop AI models and use “ethical hacking tools” to look for threats.The two-year course will also cover the sustainable and ethical use of AI amid growing community fears about its environmental toll and misuse in apps including those turning photos of fully-clothed children into sexually explicit images.Swinburne’s Manager of Digital Futures Olga Lavouasier said the Associate Degree of Applied Artificial Intelligence — heavily focused on real-world applications compared to more theory based AI degrees — was a game changer for vocational education.Swinburne’s Manager of Digital Futures Olga Lavouasier says the new AI associate degree is the first of its kind. Picture: Supplied“Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace and education must evolve alongside it,” she said.“I see this qualification as the bridge between higher education and industry — hands-on, applied, and designed for the realities of the AI workforce.”The new associate degree, which also includes industry certifications, has been co-developed with tech giants Microsoft, AWS, Epic Games, and Check Point.Swinburne AI expert Dr Atie Kia said the program’s emphasis on hands-on learning in addition to theory would prepare students for a range of jobs in the rapidly evolving technology sector.“AI is involved in almost everything — health, sport, law, anything, you name it,” she said “There are plenty of jobs that are going to come up. We don’t know them yet. It’s going to give students the edge. A lot of jobs are going to be replaced by AI but if you know how to develop with AI, you have an advantage.”Swinburne University students will be taught hands-on AI skills in the course co-developed with tech giants. Picture: SuppliedDr Kia said the course would also help students to be resilient in response to constant changes in AI and considerate of the ramifications of what they could develop with the technology.“You can do a lot of things with AI, but is it right to do it? These are the questions we need to ask,” she said.Students can enrol in the course from August with majors in cyber security and cloud computing to be extended next year to also include gen-AI in Gaming VFX.The course adds to the university’s new 12-month Diploma of Artificial Intelligence, with both offering an AI pathway based on hands-on learning and industry experience.More CoverageElite Melbourne school under fire for student gag photoBrooke Grebert-Craig Opinion: Teachers begin voting on a pay deal today – here’s why I’m a hard noMary PapadakisJoin the conversationAdd your comment to this storyTo join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? RegisterJoin the conversation, you are commenting as LogoutMore related storiesHigher EducationLess reward, same risk: Students fume at budget double blowAustralia’s next generation of start-up founders have slammed the Albanese government for two new budget measures that are crippling their entrepreneurial ambitions.Read moreSA NewsHidden toll on mums: ‘I needed to come back full time or not at all’A generation of Australian women are bypassing part-time work entirely and entering full-time careers at record rates – and experts say economic necessity is leaving them little choice.Read more