Associate Degree in Information Technology (Mobile Application Development)

The Associate Degree in Information Technology (Mobile Application Development) at the Academy of Interactive Technology is a two-year qualification for people who want to build apps for phones and tablets, and who want a recognised Australian tertiary credential at the end of it. An associate degree sits at Level 6 of the Australian Qualifications Framework, between a diploma and a bachelor degree. It is shorter than a three-year bachelor, but it carries more depth than a diploma, and graduates often use it as a pathway into a bachelor's degree with credit for the units they have already completed.

What you actually study

The course focuses on mobile application development. You learn to write code, design user interfaces for small screens, work with data and APIs, and test and publish apps. Expect to spend real time in a code editor rather than only in lectures. Assessment is typically a mix of practical projects, assignments and exams, and you build a portfolio of apps as you go, which matters, because employers in this field ask to see what you have made.

Australian qualifications of this type are structured around units of study, each with a credit point value. A full-time year usually means eight units across two semesters, or the equivalent across trimesters. You need to pass the required units and accumulate the credit points set out in the course structure to graduate. Confirm the exact unit list, credit points and any elective choices on the official course page, because institutions revise structures from time to time.

Skills and who it suits

You graduate able to program in the languages and frameworks used for mobile development, design interfaces that work on a range of devices, debug and test your own code, and explain technical decisions to people who are not developers. The course suits school leavers who want a practical, shorter route into tech work, career changers who want to move into software, and people already in IT who want to specialise in mobile. It also suits anyone planning to continue to a bachelor degree and wanting a structured starting point.

Studying in Australia

This is an Australian qualification delivered in Australia, and the CRICOS registration means it is approved for international students. If you hold a Student visa, you can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia for a period that depends on your qualification and circumstances. Check your eligibility with the Department of Home Affairs, because the rules are specific.

English proficiency is required for international applicants. The common standard for undergraduate and coursework postgraduate courses is IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, though some fields such as teaching, nursing, medicine, law and social work ask for 7.0–7.5. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institution's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs also sets its own English threshold for the Student visa, which is separate from the institution's requirement. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check there and on the official course page for the current figures and intake dates.

• Mobile application developer, building and maintaining iOS and Android apps for software companies, agencies and startups.
• Junior software developer, working on web or backend code alongside mobile work in technology teams.
• Front-end developer, focusing on the interface layer of apps and websites.
• App support or QA tester, testing applications, logging defects and supporting released apps.
• Digital agency roles, many Australian agencies hire junior developers to deliver client apps and websites.
• IT support with a development focus, internal roles in banks, retailers, health providers and government that need in-house app work.

Typical employers include software product companies, digital agencies, startups, and the internal IT or digital teams of larger organisations in finance, retail, health and the public sector. Graduates can also continue into a bachelor degree, usually with credit for completed units.