Bachelor of Computing (Honours)


General information

Course code: 1780 * Honours coordinator: Dr Guojun Lu * HECS and Australian fee paying * Gippsland and Clayton campuses * Attendance optional (but see below regarding the honours research project).

Aims

The Bachelor of Computing (Honours) is a fourth-level program and is designed to provide computing graduates with an opportunity to obtain advanced knowledge and expertise in selected areas of computing and information technology and keep abreast of new developments. The degree also provides an admission pathway to a coursework masters or a higher degree by research.

Admission requirements

Applicants are required to have completed a recognised degree in computing or computer science, with at least a credit average in their final year computing subjects. Applicants with a computing degree from a university other than Monash should consult with the honours coordinator regarding their eligibility. Such applicants may need to submit syllabus details with their application. A certified course transcript must be provided by all applicants.
Interstate and overseas students are required to have good access to the Internet.

Course structure

Forty-eight points of study must be completed. Students select one of the following two options.
(a) Completion of twenty-four points of approved fourth-level subjects or the equivalent, plus a research-oriented honours project worth twenty-four points that is assessed by a 10,000 to 20,000-word thesis. This is the normal structure for on-campus students and certain attendance requirements must be met.
(b) Completion of thirty-six points of approved fourth-level subjects or the equivalent, plus an applied research project worth twelve points. The industry-oriented applied research project is assessed via a set of detailed reports and has no on-campus attendance requirement. The applied research project involves the solution of a practical problem for an industry client and includes an investigation and review of the relevant literature as a part of the process of identifying feasible solution strategies. The applied research project may be undertaken at the student's place of work.
An approved third-level computing subject may be included. Up to twelve points of fifth-level (masters) subjects may be included, where the honours coordinator is satisfied that necessary prerequisite requirements have been met.
The course is normally completed over two years of part-time study. Students are permitted to switch between the part-time external mode and the full-time on-campus mode. Students studying in the Melbourne metropolitan area have the option of taking subjects offered by the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering or other departments of the faculty in the on-campus mode.
Distance education students plan their study program using the following schedule.

Compulsory subject (six points)

Honours elective subjects available by distance education in 1998 (each is worth six points)

For a list of third-level and fifth-level computing subjects available by distance education, please refer to the faculty handbook or honours information package.

Honours project

Students must take either GCO4500 or GCO4600 in their final year.

Credits/exemptions

Advanced standing is not applicable to the honours program. Those applicants unsuccessful in obtaining an offer of a government-funded place will be considered for a fee-based place. Students taking up an Australian fee-paying place will be offered a HECS funded place in 2001, subject to satisfactory progress in the course. Both government-funded and fee-based places are subject to quota restrictions.

Fee structure

Government-funded (HECS) places are available, subject to a quota.
A small number of Australian fee paying places can be offered. The fee is $13,330 for the full program, or $1666 per six-point subject.
The fee for international students studying from countries other than Singapore is $14,280.

Further information

For more detailed information, contact the student matters officer, Gippsland School of Computing and Information Technology, telephone (03) 5122 6962 or (03) 9902 6962; email: gscit@infotech.monash.edu.au. Further details are also available on the world wide web, at URL: http:// www.gscit.monash.edu.au.

Completed applications

Completed applications are to be forwarded to the student matters officer, Gippsland School of Computing and Information Technology, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria, 3842, by 24 September 1999 to be considered for a first-round offer. Applications received after that date, but before 29 November 1999, will be considered for a second round of offers. Later applications may be considered if places are available.