4 online short courses to help you upskill

Looking to upskill? Short courses can help you do just that. Browse constructive courses offered through well-known Australian universities, available online through Open Universities Australia.

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Short courses are an ideal way to boost your knowledge in an array of industries. From bolstering your communication skills to discovering new and innovative ways to become a successful leader, short courses can make a huge difference in your achievements, both professionally and academically.

The benefits of short courses often outweigh the expense, delivering an ROI that can completely change the way your business operates, or how you perform in your role as an individual.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of cutting-edge short courses offered online through Open Universities Australia (OUA). Scroll through and discover success.

Short course degrees

University of Adelaide offers a selection of short courses through OUA that are designed to help professionals bolster their skills through a range of techniques, methods and abilities.

Browse their latest offerings in online short courses, well suited for managers, executives and budding entrepreneurs. 

Customer experience

This short course captures a closer look into the customer experience. Take the world by storm in this interactive course that teaches you how to lead and create solutions which can reinvent your business’s strategy for customer success. 

What you’ll learn:

  • A broader understanding of the range of customer in your organisation
  • What is at the pinnacle of design, innovation and customer experience
  • How to harness large and small scale operations through a tailored approach to customer experience strategy
  • Activities and tools that encourage forward thinking to further enable customer-centric experiences through a multi-touch approach

We recommend this course if you’re: 

  • Executives, managers and senior leadership roles
  • Team members responsible for the customer experience or product development
  • Leaders who value creation and lead capture

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Business management

Become more analytical and strategic by building skills in critical thinking and business decision making. By learning how to confidently interpret key financial reports, you can become a more proactive leader in your organisation.

What you’ll learn

  • Confidently interpret and understand key financial reports and information.
  • Enhance your decision making skills by learning how to apply financial analysis.
  • Understand internal actual reports and budget reports.
  • Assess your organisation's financial health by identifying opportunities and weaknesses. 

We recommend this course if you’re: 

  • Middle to senior professionals in the private of public sectors.
  • Managers responsible for governing resources and people who require a better understanding of the analysis behind financial performance.
  • Managers with no formal accounting or financial experience.

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Leadership development

Become the leader you’ve always wanted to be. This short course covers a range of techniques and tactics that can successfully motivate others to perform at their peak.  Designed to improve your leadership style, this course can help bolster your skills and knowledge to better influence those around you.

What you’ll learn:

  • Understand the similarities and differences between management and leadership.
  • Learn how positive and negative leadership styles can impact your manager, staff and peers.
  • Explore motivation, engagement and values, and understand how they can influence the wider team.

We recommend this course if you’re:

  • Team leaders or managers in the not for profit, private and public sectors.
  • Professionals who are responsible for overseeing general work done by others which pursues organisational goals and objectives.

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Communication skills

Communication is key in a professional working environment. In this practical short course, you will learn how to develop your skills in presenting, sales pitching and more. Bolster your confidence and build structure and purpose into your pitches through a combination of preparation, planning and persuasion. 

What you’ll learn:

  • Increased confidence in presenting to a diverse range of audience types.
  • A toolkit to assist you in your next pitch, whether it be for a client or for a promotion.
  • A better understanding of how to communicate effectively: visually, verbally and emotionally.

We recommend this course if you’re: 

  • Senior leaders, entrepreneurs and business developers responsible for presenting concepts and strategies to a board of directors or business partners.
  • Executives in roles that require regular pitching to external or internal clients and stakeholders.

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To express your interest in any of these short courses on offer through OUA, fill out the form on this page and one of our friendly student advisors will be in touch shortly In the meantime, browse thousands of other courses from leading Australian universities.

Short course FAQs

How long is a short course?

Offered through the University of Adelaide, all short courses available online through OUA can take a few weeks or months to complete depending on the accreditation type and topic. For some courses, just 10 hours of online study per week can be tackled at your convenience. 

Are short courses expensive?

Bite-sized learning means the expense is easier to swallow compared to a traditional degree. The fees for each short course will depend on the level of accreditation you’re looking to achieve. A short course can cost around $2,000+, but with OUA, government funding can be accessed, allowing you to repay any course fees later down the track if you’re eligible.

How do I know which course to study?

Depending on your career path or interests, a range of short courses might be best suited to enhance your skill set - it hinges on what you want to accomplish! 

From brushing up on your communication skills to enhance your presentation style to learning how to capture creative ways to better interact with your customers, upskilling can bring a range of opportunities to the table for future employment.    

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