Stackable short courses at Deakin

Get the skills you need now

Flexible, fast and affordable online courses to maximise your career potential, and designed to stack together as credit towards a full Deakin postgraduate degree.

Fast, affordable courses

Our new stackable short courses are changing the face of university study, enabling you to prioritise what you learn, when. Providing specific, industry-based skills you need right now, with the added benefit of credit towards a Deakin degree* if you ever choose to take your study further, our stackable short courses will fast-track your skills development and maximise your career potential.

Skills for now, credit for later

The ideal way to fill a knowledge gap in your current role, develop a specific set of skills, or gradually strengthen your expertise. Upskill fast and build credit towards your longer-term career and study goals on a timeline that suits you.

Co-designed by industry

Recognised and valued by industry and employers alike, each course has been co-designed with industry experts and partners, to meet your career goals and their employment needs.

Fast and affordable

Get the rapid knowledge growth you need now (without breaking the bank) to maximise your career potential and ensure long-term employability. Develop highly sought-after skills that can be immediately applied in the workplace.

Flexible, accredited postgraduate study

A fully customisable study experience, each course can be undertaken individually or in parallel with others. Complete one for a standalone credential or stack multiple courses as part of a full Deakin postgraduate degree.

Designed by industry experts

What is a stackable short course?

Our stackable short courses enable you to choose how far and wide you take your learning, whether you want to study just one stackable short course, or string together multiple and build towards a Deakin degree. Study online, start any time and take full control over how much or how little you study.

Courses

Discover our stackable short courses, co-designed with industry to provide in-demand skills you can apply for immediate impact. Delivered 100% online, learn your way with two study modes. Online on-demand study allows extra flexibility to learn on your schedule. Prefer a live, interactive learning environment? Explore our online masterclasses.

Filter short courses

Study area

Study mode

Start date

available:
Course
Business and management

Being Board Savvy

This masterclass short course gives you a practical understanding of working with a board and/or aspiring to become a board non-executive director.

8 May 2025
8 weeks
Business and management

Change Tools

This on-demand short course will help you to understand the fundamental change tools to effectively lead or manage workplace change.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Change Tools

This online masterclass short course will help you to understand the fundamental change tools to effectively lead or manage workplace change.

Coming soon
4-6 weeks
Sustainability

Climate Change Communication

This short course gives you the skills to be an effective climate change communicator so you can deliver evidence-based communication strategies.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Crisis Leadership

This short course will support you in building the expertise and skills needed to effectively lead an organisation in times of crises.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management, Data science, analytics and IT

Data Analytics for E-commerce

This short course will help you understand and apply fundamental data analytics techniques for decision-making in the e-commerce industry.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management, Data science, analytics and IT

Data Analytics for Insurance

Do you work in the insurance sector? This masterclass short course will give you the skills to understand the application of data for decision-making.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management, Data science, analytics and IT

Data Analytics for Supply Chain Logistics

This short course will help you understand the application of data for decision-making without being an expert in data analytics or data science.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management, Health and psychology, Data science, analytics and IT

Designing for Research Implementation

This short course builds on Preparing for Research giving you the skills to design a research proposal, ready for implementation for a PhD, masters or workplace setting.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Design Thinking

Facing a tough challenge at work? This masterclass short course gives you immediate skills to apply design thinking to redefine complex business problems and put the user at the heart of your approach.

10 November 2025
4–6 weeks
Business and management

Digital Transformation Leadership

Want to develop digital leadership skills? This masterclass short course gives you the expertise to identify opportunities and establish digital transformation agendas.

18 March 2025
4–6 weeks
Sustainability

Effective Reporting for Sustainability

This short course focuses on sustainability reporting approaches, including the models and considerations necessary for achieving effective outcomes.

3 February 2025
6 weeks
Sustainability, Business and management

Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis in Business

This short course will equip you with the tools to facilitate business and policy relevant decision making to adapt to new legislation.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Forecasting in Business and Economics

Join this short course and gain the skills to identify and utilise forecasting problems in business and economic contexts.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Foundations of Innovation

This short course helps you to identify challenges and apply frameworks to understand and foster innovation.

On-demand
6 weeks
Data science, analytics and IT

Front-End Web Development Foundations

This short course gives you the skills to develop web applications with a focus on client-side/front-end programming.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Governance and the Creation of Value

This masterclass short course will help you better understand all aspects of governance in your organisation.

On-demand
4–6 weeks
Business and management

Improve Your Presentation Skills

Want to be a good presenter? This masterclass short course gives you the expertise to be an effective communicator who can confidently deliver a presentation.

Coming soon
4–6 weeks
Business and management

Innovation and Ideation

This short course enables you to evaluate and select approaches to ideation and innovation in your organisation.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Innovation and Leadership

This short course helps you to lead strategic innovation internally in your organisation – and manage resistance to change.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Innovation and Organisational Change

This short course enables you to diagnose the need for organisational change and to develop a change program using a business plan for strategic change management, communication and validation.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability

Life Cycle Assessment

This short course investigates the life cycle assessment. You'll develop the skills to assess the environmental impacts of a product or service and provide sustainable recommendations.

On-demand
6 weeks
Health and psychology

Patient Flow Management

Get skills to manage healthcare delays. This short course gives you the knowledge to recognise factors that lead to patient flow delays and the skills to intervene early to prevent issues.

On-demand
6 weeks
Health and psychology

Patient Journey and System Design

This short course gives you the skills to improve organisational performance and patient experience by applying systems thinking to healthcare problems.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Predictive Modelling in Business and Economics

This short course teaches you about optimal predictive models to help solve common business problems and make better day-to-day business decisions.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management, Health and psychology, Data science, analytics and IT

Preparing for Research

This short course gives you the skills to define your research problem by synthesising what is already known about a topic.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Project Management

This masterclass short course gives you the skills to manage projects and teams, to deliver the best outcomes.

18 February 2025
4–6 weeks
Sustainability

Promoting Human and Planetary Health

Human health is inextricably tied up with the health of the planet. This short course gives you immediate skills to promote sustainable human and planetary health.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability, Business and management

Railway Engineering: Design

Are you a graduate or professional civil engineer? This short course will teach you the methods and processes of railway design to unlock new opportunities.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability, Business and management

Railway Engineering: Planning and Maintenance

Are you a graduate or professional civil engineer? This short course will help you to upskill in railway engineering – a job growth area in Australia.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability

Renewable Energy Microgrid: Integrating Green Hydrogen

Be ready for the future of clean energy production by learning about green hydrogen and its integration into renewable energy microgrids.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability

Renewable Energy Microgrid: Energy Management in Standalone and Grid-Connected Modes

Are you interested in the renewable energy sector? This short course will help you gain practical knowledge in standalone and connected microgrids and their impact on the resilience of the grid.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability

Renewable Energy Microgrid: Market and Policy

Want to understand energy trading and renewable energy microgrid management? This short course gives you the skills to navigate the renewable energy microgrid market.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Skill up to Lead Culturally Diverse Teams

This short course will help you build self-leadership and emotional intelligence skills and tools to lead culturally diverse teams.

On-demand
6 weeks
Sustainability

Sustainable Leadership to 2030

This masterclass short course gives you practical know-how for enterprise prosperity during the rapid global ‘sustainability revolution’.

20 August 2025
4–6 weeks
Data science, analytics and IT

Web Application Server-side Foundations

This short course gives you the skills to develop web applications using the latest technologies, with a focus on server-side/back-end programming.

On-demand
6 weeks
Business and management

Work and Wellbeing

Investing in employee wellbeing? This masterclass short course covers the leadership essentials for fostering thriving teams and organisations.

11 August 2025
4–6 weeks

I found the sessions very informative and insightful. Each session thoroughly covered project management topics and unpacked useful tools that I can apply immediately in real life. Thank you for all the great learnings!

Deepak Arotha

Project Management

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A postgraduate qualification can help you deepen or broaden your skillset, and advance your career to the next level.

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An innovative learning structure delivered by a leading university

Ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide^ and with more than 40 years’ experience in distance and online education, we are proud to be adding this unique study format to our repertoire and providing more choice for your learning experience.

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Footnotes

*Subject to successful completion of the short course and meeting Deakin’s award course admission and selection requirements, including English language proficiency requirements.

Limits on elective space in a destination degree are outlined in specific degrees’ course rules within the Deakin University Handbook. Typically, a maximum of four stackable short courses can be used as credit (2 credit points) towards a masters; and two stackable short courses can be used as credit (1 credit point) towards graduate certificates and diplomas.

^ARWU Rankings 2022.