
Online Courses Australia
Learn the way you want. Lerna Australia presents online courses.
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Short Courses

Definition of a short course
A short course can be quite long! We define a short course as taking no longer than four months.
If you're looking for courses that are really short, we have those too. Training courses are available that can be finished within a few days or even in a matter of hours.
What you should know about short courses online is that they usually don't qualify you for a job. You can learn a lot in a short course. But you normally need other development and training to become job ready.
Free online short courses
Free online short courses are available in Australia from both Australian and global providers. Don't be too worried about using a global provider. Looking outside Australia expands your options and may give you access to better quality courses.
Alison offers thousands of free online courses, nearly all of which are short courses. You only pay for things like ad removal, course certificates and extra features.
Lerna Australia has a curated list of free short online courses from the big global providers. Popular: computing, Excel, project management.
Coursera has a huge number of free online courses, often delivered in partnership with universities. Popular fields: health, social sciences, business, arts and humanities, physical science and engineering. Most courses take less than 3 months.

Short courses online
Paying for a short course is often a good idea. Parting with some cash makes finding a good course in your field much easier. Plus you're more likely to actually finish the program. Here is where you can find good-quality short courses online at a reasonable cost.
Udemy has a vast library of affordable online video courses. Some free Udemy courses are also available. Popular: Python, Excel, JavaScript, WordPress, Photoshop, web development, English language.
Skillshare is a subscription service that gives you access to an enormous library of interactive, video-based online classes. The platform is ideal for creative people but non-creative subjects are covered as well.
The Great Courses is where you can buy video courses for your intellectual stimulation. There's no homework or exams. Popular: history, science, philosophy and religion, professional and personal growth.
Wondrium, formerly known as The Great Courses Plus, is a subscription-based video streaming service much like YouTube. The platform combines video entertainment with knowledge building and online learning.
Short courses online – Australia
If you want an Australian flavour to your learning experience, you can choose a short online course from Australia. An Aussie program is beneficial when the course is (a) designed for the Australian job market (b) recognised by Australian industry or (c) part of a formal qualification such as a Certificate IV or Diploma.
Australian Online Courses offers a wide range of short courses online. Popular: office administration, conveyancing, life coaching, business management, case management.
The Career Academy offer short courses online with Australian industry accreditation. Popular: administration, accounting, business, bookkeeping, MYOB, Xero, hospitality, psychology, animal care.
Learning Online delivers short courses across Australian industries. Popular: wildlife and animal, agriculture and farming, beauty, lifestyle, small business and administration, photography.
TAFE short courses online
Some TAFE course providers offer short courses online. But subject availability is patchy in most states. You may struggle to find a good course in your study field.
TAFE SA (South Australia) offers dozens of online courses ranging from less than a day up to 16 weeks duration. Popular: web development, management, Microsoft software.
TAFE NSW (New South Wales) has some free short courses online, known as Statement of Attainment courses. Popular: cybersecurity, website design, hospitality, literacy, NSW liquor licensee.
TAFE Online Courses

What are TAFE courses?
TAFE courses is a shorthand way to refer to VET (Vocational, Education and Training) courses up to level 6: Certificate I to Certificate IV, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma courses.
TAFE or VET courses are delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs), including colleges and government-funded TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions.
When you do a TAFE course, you know the course is high quality and produces a nationally recognised qualification. TAFE courses often require around a year of study.
Online TAFE courses
A directory of online TAFE courses is maintained by the Australian Government at the My Skills website. Lerna Australia also provides a curated list of online business courses, organised by business field.
Search accredited TAFE courses online at the My Skills Australian Government website. Courses can be filtered to show only programs that are available for online study.
University Courses

Do a uni course online
Online university courses allow you to study without travel. Many university courses are available 100% online. You can study from anywhere in Australia and even from overseas.
Lerna Australia shows the best online courses by field of study. Each topic page explores course options.
Look out for course shortlists by subject. These feature some of the best online university courses in Australia.
University programs and courses
Australian unis with flexible online courses
The University of Adelaide delivers online postgraduate courses on a modern learning platform. You can study for an MBA or a qualification in fields such as data science, cyber security or psychology.
Ducere Global Business School has a range of applied business and management courses, from bachelor degrees to MBAs. The innovative programs limit academic theory and are exam free.
Edith Cowan University offers a range of accelerated postgraduate courses in fields that include counselling, cyber security, education, and human resource management.
James Cook University has a large collection of online postgraduate courses that make for an easy learning experience. Fields include business administration, data science, nursing and psychology.
UNSW Online has technology and other postgraduate courses that you can easily study online. Fields include analytics, cyber security, data science, financial technology, and management.
RMIT University is especially strong in business and technology fields. RMIT online courses include masters programs in digital marketing, project management and data science.
Southern Cross University is one of Australia's most affordable universities for postgraduate courses online. Fields include administration, education, healthcare leadership, and IT management.