The department is based at Caulfield but teaches on both the Caulfield and Clayton campuses.
Information systems at Monash has a strong professional orientation. The majority of academic staff have significant industrial experience and the department enjoys close links with industry through its Associate program, industry-sponsored staff positions, cooperative research and consulting activities. The department's research program is also closely linked to industry practice.
Teaching
Information systems is the study of how people working in organisations can use information technology to achieve their goals. Much of the discipline is concerned with describing and analysing complex organisational problems. It is also concerned with systems development - the design and implementation of systems which involve people, technology, information and organisational procedures working systematically together.
Courses in information systems cover the planning, analysis, design and management of information systems. Courses draw upon a number of reference disciplines, including computer science, psychology, economics, and management. In the study of information systems human factors are at least as important as technical factors. A systems analyst must be able to work in a variety of industrial settings and must communicate effectively with clients, users and programmers.
Courses address the core of information systems practice - the modelling of systems. While other professionals, such as engineers, model physical systems (bridges, machines, buildings), systems analysts use a variety of modelling techniques to define organisational functions, processes, data and behaviour.
For undergraduate study the department offers subjects in either a major or minor sequence within the Bachelor of Computing course at the Caulfield campus; and to a lesser extent within other undergraduate courses such as Science, Arts and Business. All majors are accepted as qualifications to gain level 1 membership of the Australian Computer Society.
A range of graduate studies is offered by the department. Coursework programs include the Graduate Diploma in Information Systems and the Master of Information Systems. Research programs include the Master of Computing and the Doctor of Philosophy.
Career options for graduates with a major in information systems typically occur within the information systems departments of large organisations such as banks, insurance companies, government departments and semi-government instrumentalities. Career opportunities include applications programming, systems programming, systems analysis, project management and a range of specialist positions. In smaller organisations the employment positions are often less specialised and include a number of the above roles.
Objectives - Major in information systems
The major in information systems at Monash is the department's chief undergraduate offering. The major is a sequence of subjects available to students studying for a Bachelor of Computing at Caulfield, a Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science) at Clayton and a range of other courses, including both computing and non-computing specialties.
The aim of the major in information systems is to provide undergraduate students in computing and other disciplines with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to the appropriate application of computing technology in commercial and personal applications. The major in information systems recognises the need for trained personnel who can analyse the information needs of a business and develop appropriate plans for the implementation of new or upgraded information technology.
On completion of the major in information systems, students will be able to:
* identify business problems;
* analyse and describe the nature of problems;
* devise alternative information systems to assist the business;
* evaluate alternative information systems;
* design information systems in detail;
* manage the implementation of information systems;
* effectively communicate with sponsors, clients, users and other professionals;
* work within a team environment.
Students completing this sequence will have knowledge of:
* the structures and mode of operation of a range of organisations, and the processes followed by systems analysts in developing an information system;
* the techniques used by systems analysts to define the user requirements of an information system;
* the techniques used by systems analysts to model an information system.
They will understand:
* the nature and role of information systems in organisations;
* the role of a systems analyst in an organisation;
* the nature of data and the effect of data structures on the ease of access to information.
They will be able to:
* analyse the information needs of an organisation;
* develop a logical design for an information system to meet those information needs;
* develop plans for implementation of the information system;
* evaluate a range of technologies for use in this development;
* communicate at a professional level with clients, system users and peers.
They will have developed attitudes which allow them to:
* recognise their own role in the organisation;
* interact with clients, system users and peers appropriately.
Objectives - Minor in information systems
The minor in information systems is a complementary undergraduate offering to the major in information systems.
The information systems minor has the aim of educating students from disciplines other than information systems (both within and outside the faculty) in the concepts and issues relevant to the development and use of information systems in organisations.
On completion of a minor in information systems, students will:
* have knowledge of the processes, tools and techniques for identifying information system requirements;
* have knowledge of a range of issues current in information systems which may have particular relevance to their future profession;
* understand the purpose and functions of information systems in an organisation;
* have the skills to define their information systems requirements in a form which is readily understood and from which a system can be developed;
* have the skills to communicate with system developers, clients, system users, and have developed attitudes which enable them to make appropriate use of information systems within their organisation.