Monash University And CyberCX Partner To Launch Bachelor Of CyberAI Degree

Monash University has partnered with CyberCX, part of Accenture, to co-design and co-deliver a new three-year Bachelor of CyberAI (Industry Co-Lab) degree aimed at building graduates with combined AI and cybersecurity skills.

The degree will be available to domestic students from Semester 1, 2027, and is designed to prepare graduates to work at the intersection of cybersecurity and AI. CyberCX will co-deliver elements of the course and create a pathway for graduates into its CyberCX Academy, with up to 15 positions available each year subject to suitability and workforce needs.

The degree was launched by Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering and CyberCX CEO and Founder John Paitaridis.

Industry Immersion Model

A central feature of the degree is an industry immersion model under which students will be connected with partner organisations for curriculum-aligned work during the second and third years of the course. During the program, students will engage in supervised activities with CyberCX as part of this immersion component.

CyberCX will also support students through preparation seminars and dedicated feedback on applications to the CyberCX Academy.

The first year of the degree focuses on foundational capabilities in secure systems, cybersecurity operations and AI-enabled technologies. In the second and third years, students move into designing, implementing and managing intelligent and secure solutions in real-world environments through the industry immersion.

The course includes an online Secure AI Lab learning environment jointly developed by Monash and CyberCX, with an emphasis on responsible and secure AI practice, including ethics, privacy, governance and risk management.

Addressing The Skills Gap

The degree is positioned against a backdrop of persistent workforce shortages in cybersecurity. CyberCX CEO John Paitaridis cited Accenture research indicating that almost half of all cybersecurity roles remain unfulfilled globally due to a gap in specific cyber and AI skills required by enterprise and government organisations.

“Developing skilled talent has never been more important in cybersecurity with the rapid adoption of frontier AI models accelerating the cyber challenges facing our industry and economy,” he commented.

“Filling these roles through the training of an AI-ready cyber workforce is our defence as we face a deteriorating cyber threat landscape. We have a responsibility to help close the cybersecurity skills gap.”

Alignment With National AI Plan

The degree is intended to support the Australian Government’s National AI Plan by building a pipeline of graduates with the specialist expertise needed to protect AI systems from threats and misuse and respond to cyber attacks at speed.

Pickering framed the degree as addressing an urgent national requirement.

“This degree will see Australian students learning from researchers and industry professionals as they apply knowledge directly into the cybersecurity industry,” she noted.

Broader AI Course Suite

The CyberAI degree sits alongside a broader suite of new courses offered by Monash’s Faculty of Information Technology. These include a new Bachelor of AI, a Bachelor of Agentic Software Engineering and an “AI for Everyone” elective unit available to all students across the university.

Professor Ian Burnett, Interim Dean of Monash’s Faculty of Information Technology, observed that the impact of AI is being felt acutely in technological fields.

“The CyberAI course offering provides a unique opportunity for students to apply their learnings in real contexts through their industry immersion, and be in complete lock step with the rapidly evolving sector by the time they graduate,” he added.

Last Updated on July 30, 2026 by Nick Ross