Phattra (Yo) Charoenwiphada is a student from Krabi in the south of Thailand . She has recently finished studying the Master of Business (Honours) (eBusiness and Communication) at Swinburne's Lilydale campus.

"I achieved my undergraduate degree at the Prince of Songkha University in Engineering (Computing)," says Yo. "I originally came to Swinburne to study English but during my holidays I went back to Thailand and spoke to an education agency about postgraduate courses. I was enjoying studying in Australia and at Swinburne so much that I decided to enhance my Engineering background with an eBusiness perspective. That's why I applied for the Master of Business (eBusiness and Communication) course at the Lilydale campus."

"I had nearly finished the course when I decided to undertake Master of Business (Honours) (eBusiness and Communication) which is an additional semester. In conjunction with another student, Leonardo Ortiz, we wrote a research paper called 'Controls and strategies that take-away restaurants are using in relation to waste cooked food to improve business performance'. Some of the recommendations that we made in our paper are being implemented in a local restaurant!"

"The course is a huge opportunity for other students to gain more knowledge on eBusiness within the workplace", said Yo. When asked if she enjoyed the course, Yo said, "the course is wonderful, fantastic."

Leo Ortiz is a student from Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia.He has recently finished studying the Master of Business (Honours) (eBusiness and Communication) at Swinburne's Lilydale campus.

Leo has a strong background in marketing and worked for the Sony Corporation in Colombia before coming to Australia . When asked why he choose the Master of Business (Honours) (eBusiness and Communication), Leo said, "I wanted knowledge and new strategies which I could apply to eBusiness. I believe that eBusiness has good tools that I can use in marketing roles."

It has always been a dream of Leo's to study in Australia . While he came to Australia to study English, Leo always thought that he would like to study a postgraduate course in Australia to enhance his Colombian marketing degree. Leo enjoyed the time spent studying English at Swinburne's Hawthorn campus but "I believe that my English improved dramatically when I started to study eBusiness. I was speaking a lot of English as there are many students with different nationalities studying the course", he said.

Originally enrolled in the Master of Business (eBusiness and Communication), Leo had the marks which enabled him to study an additional semester to gain the Master of Business (Honours) (eBusiness and Communication) qualification. In conjunction with another student, Leo wrote a research paper called 'Controls and strategies that take-away restaurants are using in relation to waste cooked food to improve business performance'. Some of the recommendations that they suggested have been implemented in the restaurant. "The Honours semester gave me the chance to learn more analytical skills, interviewing techniques and how to analyse and organise information", he said.

At times Leo felt that he had difficult moments. He said "you have to see that at the end of the course you will have gained a lot. All the effort that you put in will be compensated."

John Argiriou is studying the Master of Business (eBusiness and Communication) course. He works as a Project Officer for the Australian Taxation Office.

"I selected this course for the opportunity to explore new ideas and approaches in the field of eBusiness. Swinburne creates the environment I need to think outside the square and challenge me to identify new ways of doing business in a world of global eBusiness and communication," said John.

"The course also has the flexibility to apply what I do in the workforce into the subject matter and therefore have it assessed as part of the assessment of the subject. This has been the greatest drawcard for me as it saves time and heightens my interest plus it adds reality to the course, as it is not just theory."

John's work with the Australian Taxation Office and his postgraduate studies have a direct link. He is currently working on a number of projects including the improvement of his area's Internet and inbound communication channels. "I need to make sure that my unit provides the community the right experience at the right time through the right channel."

John recently completed a subject called LEB601 Marketing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). He has been able to draw on his learning's to assist his unit's progressive introduction of a CRM system.

"I know that when I complete the Master of Business, I will be walking away from a significant learning experience in my life. Through their excellent academics, Swinburne has provided me with an environment to test many workplace issues and models. This has provided me with a framework of evaluation and reflection."

Fay Presbury is the Director (Nursing) of the Newborn Emergency Transport Service (NETS) based at the Royal Women's Hospital. NETS is Victoria 's emergency transport service for critically ill newborns.

Fay has been working in the nursing industry for 30 years and has seen a massive shift in the use of technology. Wanting to keep pace with her job's changing nature, Fay decided to enrol in the Master of Business (eBusiness and Communication) course at Swinburne's Lilydale campus.

"I was out of my comfort zone taking on eBusiness", she says. "But the course has made me look at things differently. eBusiness is basically business studies with an electronic component and no business can run without it. You can do this course during the week or online. It has been adapted for the adult learner and it's a great environment to study in because we get a great mix of people in the course.

So much of what happens in hospitals now involves eBusiness, so the course is proving invaluable. "Having the chance to update my skills and theory has been exciting. With NETS in particular, we are moving increasingly towards paperless methods of handling communication and developing a new web-based system where we can track patients records", says Fay.

With the course covering many different aspects of eBusiness and management, Fay finds it strikes the right balance between technical and practical and provides valuable networking opportunities.

"I like the fact that you can adapt most of the subjects so they relate to your work. I had a lot of management experience but limited computer experience, but this course is so flexible that it suits the students' needs."

I think the course is ideal for students like myself as it can be adapted for any age group who are wishing to expand their knowledge in business and the related technology."