"It is really important for remote students to know there are other people in the course and you know you aren't alone and that everyone is having the same problems. You also get a Deakin e-mail address which makes you feel apart of the uni. I checked a few different courses and settled on Deakin, because it had the combined Masters. Some universities didn't offer pure remote options. I was also able to modify my enrolment online and remove subjects without talking to anyone."
Latz admits he underestimated the workload, but has been able to continue the program with the support of his workplace. "They understand the commitment -- hours per week and number of years. I have already applied what I am studying to my job. I wanted a course that would give current best practice and skills for real life - I wasn't looking for a doctorate."
The University of NSW takes the opposite view by having a strong policy that everything must be held on campus. But like other universities, its program is consistently changing.
"We are always looking at improving our offers," said Eric Martin UNSW senior lecturer and postgrad coursework academic advisor.
"We are preparing to introduce the latest trends in technology and developments in emerging technology based on the promising field of wireless and security," he said.
"We are trying to update our majors on wireless and security -- our aim is to make sure that we not only use technology, but create the technology of the future. We are research-intensive and try to convey our passion for research to our students.
"We are considering distance education, but don't think it is the best option as we want to stick to classical-intensive classes. To foster the sprit of team work and cooperation [students] must work on very substantial projects and problem solving skills; and that requires working in groups," Martin said.
Ron Weber, Dean of IT at Monash University, said "Monash is one of only a few universities with an IT faculty. "We have all the disciplines that underpin IT within the one faculty, which means we can work together more effectively.
"It is very difficult to get all disciplines to work together when they are dispersed throughout other faculties. Together, we can cooperate and provide a broad based access to all the IT disciplines.
"We believe that someone graduating with IT today has to have a fundamental knowledge of the technical size of the organization as well as the social side of it. You can't be a competent professional without understanding all sides and we are well prepared to [teach] this."